Track and Tram Progress

Track and Tram Progress

25th June 2009

Today has been another gloriously hot day and a number of projects have made some significant steps forward…

Below: Sunderland 16 has been reunited with its truck. Mel and Tony from the Beamish Tramway Group have been in working on the air brake system and tomorrow the varnish will be applied to the areas where the paintwork has been repaired. It should be available for testing next week and maybe back in service by the following weekend.

Below: A great stride forwards on the railway renewal – at last the mud is hidden! The new field drains have been installed and the route ballasted, as seen here looking eastwards from the footbridge.

Below: The concrete wall on the right (the Carriage House) will need something to hide it before we reopen to the public in this area, possibly a stone or brick facing. Otherwise, looking from the other direction this will be a good shot for photography (charters and access by permission only I should add!). The clearance of trees and vegetation in the vicinity greatly improves the appearance here.

Below: Another view looking eastwards and showing the impact of the tree clearance. The stumps on the left will be removed and the embankment burnt in time honoured railway fashion.

Below: A general view showing the cutting from the station and how much the vista has been opened up through the clearance of trees.

Not shown in photographs, because there is no visible difference, is the completion of varnishing the blue and red water cart. I should be able to reassemble this next week now that Davy has finished off the varnish (2 coats). Sign-writing will still be required, hopefully to be applied before the cart heads to Newcastle in July with the steam roller for Tyne & Wear’s 75th anniversary celebrations of the Discovery Museum.