It was dry on site today, though overcast, windy and still chilly. A strong Wednesday team tackled a range of tasks alongside some unexpected emergency work. One volunteer took the JCB to move haylage for the deer, while another continued top‑coating the mini‑digger with the only question being whether it’s yellow enough.
A team installed the plastic‑wrapped retaining board at the bottom of the north end wall to shed 83D, allowing the external ground level to be backfilled to threshold height. They then hand‑backfilled the area, mixing cement dust into the scalpings and tamping it down, which really completes the lower section of the wall.
Two others began restoring the lettering on the passenger brakevan, stencilling and starting the painting. Another volunteer moved the Ruhrthaler and low wagons out of 83A to clear the central work area. Unfortunately, inspection revealed that the Ruhrthaler’s 12‑ton weight had fractured several transition 25–35lb fishplates at the heel of pointset no. 7, and the joint welding was found to be almost non‑existent. Emergency repairs were carried out, grinding out the joints and rewelding the fishplates to suit their current position, and the work was completed before the locomotive had to be put away.
There was still time to complete the original task: removing the remaining Trecwn wagon frame from 83E, unloading the grinding table top near the mess cabin, loading the new brakevan chassis onto it, and returning it to 83E. This has cleared the centre of 83A, making the area safer and easier to work in.
Alongside all this, a productive meeting took place to agree several points for the forthcoming running season, and work continued clearing, sorting and organising the hundreds of tools in the workshop. A very productive day overall, and a potential problem averted.
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