"Back to Shack"
Hi again all.Today it was back to my full-size concern at Shackerstone. On arrival at 10am I renewed my membership for another year before continuing down to the engine shed. After letting myself in and putting on the light's, the massive B1 1306 "Mayflower" was dwarfing me straight away! She was a little further down the shed today with Aveiling & Porter "Blue Circle" heading the shed's line up. Between "Blue Circle" & "Mayflower" was the ever changing remains of Peckett 0-6-0 Saddle Tank No1859 of 1932 "Sir Gomer" (our flagship locomotive). Although we still have around 6 weeks until the boiler returns from Llangollen, progress is being made with the repainting of the engine. Those who know the engine will remember her bright red connecting rods...they are gone! She now has burnished rods (silver to you and me!) with the bare metal uncovered after years of being painted over. The bufferbeams, frames, running boards and eccentrics have also received OR are going to receive a complete repaint. The debate is currently whether or not to repaint the engine completely. One suggestion was black all over with red lining and the number "1859" on the bufferbeams. This would give the engine more of an industrial appearance than she has recently had. However, shape-wise, it should like this by the end of the year (or so!):-
With B1 "Mayflower" & little "Blue Circle" being steamable, "Sir Gomer" isn't missed "too much" at the moment because steam can still be provided on peak weekends and special events. However, once "Sir Gomer" is finished and proven she will lead us proudly in 2010, providing four return steam train trips per day...every Sunday! This will leave bank holiday's and special event's to either "Mayflower" or even both locomotive's together! The amount of work that has been done to 1859 since she was stripped in mid-December has been massive. Every weekend more work is done as we slowly soldier towards our target. Our current target is Easter 2010 at the latest BUT you never know...maybe Xmas 2009? We'll see...we'll certainly try our best! I will provide a before and after shot of the engine for a later post (i.e. when the engine is done!). We look forward to that!
Elsewhere in the shed "Blue Circle" was standing, paintwork shining, quietly. B1 "Mayflower" is currently operational but is also awaiting an annual boiler inspection. Following that, the engine is planned to steam on normal train services (Timetable B) on August 8th/9th. She will also run on the August bank holiday at the railway's "Big Engine Weekend", subject to availability. The massive 4-6-0 was still shining, even though she was just sitting in the shed hiding away! Outside the shed, Class 31 (31 101 "Brush Veteran") was out & about hauling the 4 timetabled trains to the Battlefield on Timetable B. However, sister loco 31 130 "Calder Hall Power Station" was propelled up to the shed by Class 04 (110) for work to be carried out on the loco's bogies on the outside inspection pit. I'll next be at Shackerstone on Sunday July 26th, working in the shed...again!! Lots more posts coming soon! Thanks for reading!
With B1 "Mayflower" & little "Blue Circle" being steamable, "Sir Gomer" isn't missed "too much" at the moment because steam can still be provided on peak weekends and special events. However, once "Sir Gomer" is finished and proven she will lead us proudly in 2010, providing four return steam train trips per day...every Sunday! This will leave bank holiday's and special event's to either "Mayflower" or even both locomotive's together! The amount of work that has been done to 1859 since she was stripped in mid-December has been massive. Every weekend more work is done as we slowly soldier towards our target. Our current target is Easter 2010 at the latest BUT you never know...maybe Xmas 2009? We'll see...we'll certainly try our best! I will provide a before and after shot of the engine for a later post (i.e. when the engine is done!). We look forward to that!
Elsewhere in the shed "Blue Circle" was standing, paintwork shining, quietly. B1 "Mayflower" is currently operational but is also awaiting an annual boiler inspection. Following that, the engine is planned to steam on normal train services (Timetable B) on August 8th/9th. She will also run on the August bank holiday at the railway's "Big Engine Weekend", subject to availability. The massive 4-6-0 was still shining, even though she was just sitting in the shed hiding away! Outside the shed, Class 31 (31 101 "Brush Veteran") was out & about hauling the 4 timetabled trains to the Battlefield on Timetable B. However, sister loco 31 130 "Calder Hall Power Station" was propelled up to the shed by Class 04 (110) for work to be carried out on the loco's bogies on the outside inspection pit. I'll next be at Shackerstone on Sunday July 26th, working in the shed...again!! Lots more posts coming soon! Thanks for reading!
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