"Sir Gomer": A Vision In Black...

Hi guys. Today we were at Shackerstone making attempts to get the Peckett finished ready for an upcoming hire commitment. "Sir Gomer" has been undergoing a repaint for some time now and was half in primer and half in her first coat of gloss black this morning when we started at 9:30am. As she was covered in dust, the first task was to take the engine outside using the Class 02 shunter and wash her...

"The Peckett Gets A Wash"

Having been washed, we dried the engine using clean rags ready to be pushed back inside. The photograph below was taken from the drivers side of the engine after her wash & dry. As can be seen the wheels, tank braces, cab front and smokebox sides are still in primer, and the boiler cladding underneath the tank is still in green with many fittings missing too!...

"Before"

Following this the locomotive was pushed back into the shed and the door was closed behind her with both stoves blazing away. If anything it was a tiny bit warm in the shed today...for the first time in history! A good few hours later the engine was rolled back out of the shed again after quite a transformation...

"After"

The engine had had her whistle fitted, dome fitted, works plates, wheels painted, tank braces painted, vac bags fitted, handrails painted, cab front painted, chimney painted, steam bags fitted, boiler cladding primed and painted, boiler filled up and god knows what else! The Vision In Black will only remain in plain black for a few months. When the engine returns from its visit to the Epping Ongar Railway she will take part in some 'Santa' duties at Shackerstone as well as a few 'Mince Pie' trains too. Following that the plain black will be rubbed down and repainted again with more coats of gloss black before being lined in red & white and her brand new nameplates fitted, proudly carrying her name..."SIR GOMER". The engine does look very smart in plain black. Although it is not an authentic colour for her, it was felt that a change was as good as a rest. She is an impressive looking engine in black...

The engine will be steam tested before she leaves on Tuesday for Epping Ongar and she will be there for a few weeks, helping with a locomotive shortage there. She will return in mid-December and will be on Station Pilot duties around Shackerstone for our Santa trains from December 15th until Christmas Eve, with 5 steaming's in all. I will be going to Epping Ongar next Sunday to see the engine on her first day out down South. Good old Gomer: the vision in black. Cheers guys - Sam...