It was a cooler day on site, with little sunshine but thankfully no rain until after work had finished. Despite the less-than-summery weather, good progress was made across several projects as the busy spring and summer programme continues to draw towards completion.
Work on Ruston Tinkabell continued, with further filling and sanding of the front fairing before attention turned to the front buffer beam assembly. After cleaning and repainting, the transformation was immediately noticeable, offering an encouraging glimpse of how smart the locomotive will look once restoration is complete.
Preparations for Shed 83D moved forward as the roof panels were assembled. Although much of the work at this stage involves careful preparation, having the panels ready should allow rapid progress once installation begins.
Underneath Hunslet No. 15, work continued on reconnecting and adjusting the brake rigging. By the end of the day, the brake system had been successfully reassembled, although a minor issue with one of the hydraulic pipes feeding the gearbox still requires attention before the job can be considered complete.
Inside Museum Shed 83C, painting of the walls continued, steadily bringing another major project towards completion and the Dough wagon in there also reached an important milestone. The replacement timber buffer beam was marked out, drilled and finally fitted into place. With only the rubber buffing strips and new coupling pins remaining to be sourced and installed, the project is now tantalisingly close to completion after many months of work.
Attention then turned to wagon B10, where suitable timber was sourced and the new central roof rail successfully installed. This represents another steady step forward towards completing the wagon’s roof structure.
Meanwhile, work on the Wickham trolley focused on the final stages of reassembly and finishing. The refurbished under-seat panels were refitted, and the paintwork around the black wasp stripes was tidied up following earlier work. The works plates were also temporarily positioned to determine their final location. With directional lighting, flashing beacons and a horn still to be fitted, the end of this restoration project is now firmly in sight.
There was a real sense of satisfaction around the railway today as several long-running projects edged closer to the finish line. After months of effort, it is rewarding to see the spring and summer work beginning to bear fruit, while thoughts gradually turn towards the tasks and challenges that the autumn and winter months will bring.
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