A bright, sunny and eventually rather hot day on site, with a slightly smaller team than usual but no shortage of progress.
The morning began with freshly painted signs being moved into position beside ARS2, ready to take pride of place out front once the hardstanding is complete ready for visitors to explore ARS2 as part of the 1940’s weekend next Saturday and Sunday Over by the PW yard, work continued on the “gate post” tanks, with plenty of sanding, scraping and surface prep to get them ready for repainting.
Out on the main line, a combined track inspection and clearance test took place using one of the newly arrived wagons taking its first proper run in decades. Despite its age it rolled beautifully, noticeably softer riding than the existing carriages. Powdermill Cut station presented no issues, but Long Walk revealed a bit of track settlement: the wagon can pass through, but at the midpoint of the platform the drop side flap on the new wagon can’t be opened so that means work for the PW Track Gang in the future to resolve the track movement issues. Meanwhile, more painting and panelling work continued on 83D.
Once the wagon was safely back, attention turned to a hydrolic oil fluid leak on the Baugley, which looks likely to need another gasket. Then the passenger services then got underway, with the 12:45 train heading out while cleaning and debris removal continued on the new wagons.
After lunch the heat really set in, but the tanks still received a full coat of bright white paint which now resembling giant tiktak sweets (I don’t think white is the final colour planned?). Work on Tinkabell progressed too, with a new alternator being installed, complete with a freshly fabricated mounting bracket. Panelling work on 83D carried on steadily through the afternoon.
Three trains ran in total (as the 11:35 cancelled due to the Baugley oil leak), carrying plenty of happy passengers and earning excellent feedback on the Railway Works tour. A busy, productive day with lots of small but meaningful steps forward across the site.
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