Thomas At Shackerstone Pre-Day 3...

Hi everyone. Well, its 6pm and I've just been dropped off at Shackerstone for another weekend on the railway. I will now be here until about 8pm on Monday night (long time I know but we have so much to do!). Tomorrow is going to be the railway's biggest event of the year; "Thomas' 65th Anniversary Birthday Party", its a total sellout and should be absolutely fantastic with the weather not looking too bad either! After dropping my massive amount of stuff into the Sleeper Coach I proceeded to the loco shed where B1 "Mayflower" had already received her 'warming fire' and was back inside the shed. Outside on the pit was "Thomas", played 3F Tank No47327 from the Midland Railway at Butterley. Behind "Thomas" was "Fergus", followed by Pockets' 25-ton SR Brake Van and finally "Daisy the Railcar" (the 2-car DMU). "Thomas" had been lit up an hour or two earlier and was now warming up nicely, ready for his BIG outing the following day. Carl, Danny, Craig and Samantha were all at the sheds waiting for me and, on my arrival, Carl and Craig headed off to start the Class 02 shunter "Diane". As the pit was blocked by "Fergus", everything would have to be shunted by the 02 before "Thomas" would be put back onto the Pit to be Ashed Out. Pockets' Brake Van would then have to be put behind "Fergus" everything would have to be put back. This took a good few trips back and forth and we hadn't finished until gone 8pm! After shutting down the Class 02 loco, now back on the Dock Road, we all departed for McDonalds for dinner (yum!). Meanwhile, elsewhere on site, many hands were still busying themselves with banners, ribbons, bunting, flags, shop stock, model railways, sound systems etc for the following day. Well done guys! Evening All, up at 4:15am to light "Thomas" tomorrow!...