End of August Progress Report

So, what has been happening whilst I have been on Holiday?

The following is a short report based on information and pictures from Matt Holloway and describes what he has been involved in over the last couple of weeks.  Hopefully following the weekend we can add re[ports of more activities that have taken place.


Firstly We would like to welcome our newest recruit to the restoration team, Bluebell Railway Fireman Reuben Smith.  We do hope that he will enjoy his time working on the loco.


The good news is that we believe that the loco has been stripped down as much as it will be (apart from cutting out the rot at the rear of the frames).  So all news from now should concern putting things back on the frames!



The Last Bits! (all pictures by Matt Holloway)

The picture above shows the last pieces of footplating to be removed from the loco frames ready to be restored.  These appear to be in relatively good condition, so it should "just" be a matter of cleaning up the 106 year old steel!  

The brackets previously hidden by the footplating

The removal of the last pieces of footplating has allowed the inspection of the brackets below.  These are in generally good condition with minor to medium corrosion on the faces.  These will be thoroughly cleaned and painted to protect them from the elements.  It is expected that this should have been started by the time you read this!

The original cylinder block under plate

The last picture shows the original 1910 made Cylinder Block Under Plate degreased and cleaned by our new best chum Reuben Smith, and a fine job he has made of it!  This will be given a coat of protective paint and set aside either for restoration or to be used as a template for a new piece.  We would hope that the item would be suitable for another 106 years of service, but an assessment will need to be made.

Cylinder Fund

We are still busy raising the required funds to be able to order a set of cylinders for 27 and are busy exploring many avenues for this.  If you (or any of your friends) happen to win the lottery this weekend, we will be pleased to hear from you!

Sales and Information Stand

We will be attending the Worthing Model Railway Club's Annual exhibition on Saturday 24th September 2016 and Sunday 25th September 2016.  This is to be held at Durrington High School, The Boulevard, Worthing West Sussex BN13 1LA. 


There are expected to be 13 layouts plus traders in attendance over the weekend so promises to be a good show.


For further information about the show please take a look at their web site at http://www.worthingmrc.co.uk/mrc/annual-exhibition/


We look forward to meeting friends old and new there.


We are also looking forward to our last major sales and information stand during the Giants of Steam weekend in October.  More details to follow later, but we hope to be able to let you see the progress on the loco over the weekend.