Statfold Barn: Polish & Buff...

Hi all. Today was the annual Statfold Barn 'Cleaning Day'; a chance for the volunteers to head over to this wonderful narrow gauge set-up and clean off some of the dirt we created in 2016. A cleaning day is a small price to pay for the amount of enjoyment we get from crewing on the SBR's popular Enthusiast Days. I arrived at just after 9am, devouring my now traditional McDonalds breakfast on arrival - I should buy some shares in that place! The many faces of Statfold were pulling in one after the other, with people coming from all over the UK. One really nice feature of volunteering at the SBR is that there are people from across the preservation spectrum, providing a varied wealth of knowledge and experience. I immediately teamed up with my old mate JB who was on form with the 'character building insults' from the word go! With a hot cuppa' in one hand and a rag in the other, we set to cleaning my favourite engine in the SBR fleet - "Isibutu". I don't know what it is about this lovely Bagnall 4-4-0, but there is just something about her. JB was busy with the brass polish, buffing up the nameplates...

JB's threat of "you blog me and I'll blog you" fell on deaf ears - he doesn't have a blog! All around us, the other SBR steeds were being cleaned to within an inch of their lives. There must have been well over 20 volunteers busily working away. Even the out of ticket engines were getting a polish...and the diesels too! The SBR's award winning fleet looks fabulous when cleaned up, with its well-travelled selection of engines standing proudly around the turntable. At lunchtime we had another cuppa' and some snap before returning to the roundhouse to begin cleaning the 2ft 6" Mallet. We'd cleaned "Isibutu" thoroughly and she looked a treat, sitting between two diesel types...

Its hard to take photographs in the roundhouse with my limited skills - other people seem to manage just fine! Over the way were "Jack Lane", O & K No614, Port Class "Sybil Mary" and the wonderful Avonside "Marchlyn"...

The Fiji pair had been cleaned very well and looked beautiful. Nos 11 & 19 worked together abroad and are now reunited at Statfold; one of many pairings here. No11 is now named "Fiji" and is a popular SBR engine...

The cleaning day wrapped up at about 4pm and I was soon heading for home along the A444. The SBR fleet is now shining and they will now be awaiting their dry exams and steam tests in February time. The first SBR Enthusiasts Day of 2017 is on March 25th and our second miniature steam rally - this year dubbed the "Giant Miniature Weekend" - follows in May. Tickets for all SBR events can be booked here. Many thanks indeed for reading folks. I can't wait for the next open day at Statfold! Cheers, Sam...