It began pleasantly warm with a decent breeze through the morning, but by mid‑afternoon the sun was out in full force and the humidity made everything feel heavier. With a good number of volunteers on site, a wide mix of jobs carried on throughout the day. It was a Mills Open Day, with two trains running and happy passengers carried with the passenger service and guided tours handled smoothly.
First thing Gilbert one of our Hunslet locomotives and the new RNAD flat wagon were taken along the spur from the yard to the main line, where all the overhanging branches that had been catching the top of the train were cut back. Work continued in the Railway Works with the restored timber back panel to the pressure gauges on Tinkabell being reinstated, while the rest of the team set out all the toys for display.
A group then headed up to building E10 for at look at rail access possibilities and to assess its suitability as a future rolling stock storage facility. After that, the JCB was taken down to the Railway store on the Mead and, with a small team assisting, the gearbox and components for the 18‑inch gauge Ruston “Budleigh” were moved back up to the main yard ready for the locomotive’s removal and future restoration at a new home soon. It was a delicate job but carried out with precision.
After lunch attention turned to lowering the Dough wagon back onto its wheelsets. As is often the case, the task resisted easy progress, and the final alignment was only achieved with the careful use of a lump hammer, a baulk of timber, and a little colourful language. The wagon is now back on its wheels, marking another significant step towards completion.
Meanwhile, lighting installation work continued in the new container and two hand pumps were repaired. All told, solid progress across the site, thanks to the hard work of everyone involved.
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