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Wednesday 15th July 2026
Wagon Repairs progressed and trackside tweaks
The day began in fairly pleasant conditions, though the heat built steadily and the humidity after lunch made everything feel heavier. With only a small team on site, progress still moved at a good pace…
Saturday 11th July 2026
Uncovered the Greenbat, prepared Dough and Powder wagons, progressed the Wickham Trolley!
A very hot day on site slowed the pace a little, but it didn’t stop real progress across several projects. With it being a public open day, all the display items were moved out to…
Wednesday 8th July 2026
Dough rolls again and Budleigh prepares to depart
A small midweek team was on site, and the heat hit us from the moment we arrived. Painting carried on inside shed 83C, while the Dough wagon went back on the rails so the last…
Saturday 4th July 2026
The wheels are back on the Dough wagon and trees cut back
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…
Wednesday 1st July 2026
Core team advanced wagon restoration projects, track checks, Tinkabell refueling and stores preparation.
It was a mixed day on site, cooler and slightly overcast in the morning but with heat and humidity creeping back in by the afternoon. Only a core team was present, yet several projects made…
Saturday 27th June 2026
Heat and emergency track repairs stop the trains
It was certainly a warm one today. In fact, it was hot enough that the Gunpowder Mills site was not to open to the public, leaving the site entirely to the Gunpowder Railway team. With…
Saturday 20th June 2026
A restoration focused day – much painting and cleaning plus passenger trains and tours
A hot day on site today, and it stayed that way throughout becoming really quite oppressive by the afternoon. A bit too much for me if I’m honest. Still, a good crew was on site,…
Wednesday 17th June 2026
Tinkabell the Ruston LBU’s first mainline run and more restoration jobs
A warm morning on site soon turned into a hot, heavy afternoon, but even with only a small core team we still managed to pack an impressive amount into the day. Steady progress continued inside…
Saturday 13th June 2026
Trains and Tidying Up was the order of the day
A much better day on site today as it was sunny, bright, and warming up hour by hour. The team was small thanks to holidays and other commitments, but we still made the day count.…
Wednesday 10th June 2026
Busy week and its only Wednesday – multiple trains and jobs done
What a week it’s already been on the railway, with private bookings keeping the trains running from Monday through Wednesday. Monday began in truly soggy fashion. The Mills were drenched, the rails were slick, and…
Saturday 6th June 2026
Wet day with good progress on Baugley repairs and restoration of another wagon
A wet and blustery day on site, with frequent heavy showers, meant another day focused on under‑cover jobs. Despite the weather, good progress was made across several projects. Work continued on repairing the transmission leak…
Wednesday 3rd June 2026
Locomotive swaps and repairs needed
A cooler day on site, with a steady breeze and bursts of heavy rain, set the tone for a mostly under‑cover Wednesday. With the usual mid‑week team assembled, we focused on jobs that kept us…
Saturday 30th May 2026
1940’s weekend saw ARS2 opened plus wheel-fights
A hot, dry and brilliantly sunny day at the railway and a good number of the faithful were there, and we got a number of tasks achieved before it was time to run trains. The…
Wednesday 27th May 2026
Final push for the weekend and busy trains
A warm but far more forgiving day on site brought a smaller team together, yet plenty still moved forward under the sun. The morning began with a walk‑through of the area outside ARS2 alongside colleagues…
Saturday 23rd May 2026
Gauge Testing our new Wagons and more painting
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,…