Peak Rail General Discussion

The point operating boxes being fettled ( the older Westinghouse version in the middle)

 

The outside view of the new windows

 

The fantastic work the LMSCA have done on the NRM coach , being outside for leakage checks in the famous Derbyshire weather , the foot running boards have still to be fitted at this stage.

 

First visit to Peak Rail yesterday.

Was quite impressed; very neat,tidy and friendly staff too. Shame you don't get a longer ride, but I've heard there are plans afoot!

Keep up the good work.

 

I like the leakage test:

- Pull newly restored coach into the rain.
- Wait......

 

And the good news is, no leaks so far, despite the downpours!

Dave

 

Looks fantastic... Can't wait too see it on the service train....

 

from Mr Sharp regarding the upcoming Pie and Pea Supper event

I am pleased to be able to confirm that Paul Tomlinson, a Director of Peak Railway Association and also the Project Director of Peak Rail PLC, will giving the talk, and Q&A session, at this year's Pie & Pea Supper on Monday 1st December at the Harlequin.
Supper tickets are still available (£6) and can be obtained from me at the sales stall at Mondays Rob Foxon Film Show at the Central Library Theatre.If you want a ticket but won't be attending the Film Show, please contact me as soon as possible because, regrettably, I am told that there will not be any spares available on the night.Dave
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Sharp
(e) d.sharp@sheffield.ac.uk

http://www.peakrail.co.uk/sheffieldbranch/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hello all this week with John, Dave and Ruth we completed reglazing the rowsley box on Saturday as well as beading out the window frames using the beading Ben made up for us last week and a bit of re welding up the window bars though there's still a lot of painting to do both on touching up the inside and when the weather gets drier wel redo the outside, and the windows could do with another white coat ,I had a brief chat with Pete about starting on the bargeboards and guttering on the outside next and wel progress this soon as we did with riverside by cladding the boards that's there in suitable material,

Elsewhere there's still other items to complete on the cabin like the finials,refit the metal corner pieces, we've fitted the window rails but not yet painted them and there's some infilling on the door end and rear to do yet



I had a look at the self balancing weights again and the lathed bar I made up last week was measured up against the bars, it's since been taken down another mm or so and turned into two bars for both of the weight rods and the holes drilled for the split pins, I've also had a look at the mounts for these as none exist in the pile we were donated and the mounts that can be seen from the internet are as varied as the imagination itself so I've found some suitable point brackets that are just right and wel use these when we build the framework under the cabin up.


I've started to scavenge up bits to make the missing clutch affair for the other self balancing weight pair and will report on that more later on.

The department had a night out last night at the volunteers meal at Willersley Castle Hotel at Cromford with Pete,Ian,Sue,David and Ruth in attendance from our side.

Johns been busy at Riverside fitting the replacement power regulators and will have this completed soon

Next Saturday is the next workday down the line, the plan being to continue on the point operating boxes and balancing weights and possibly paint the handrail on the box

Elsewhere

Mr Briddon,senior and younger were busy getting their new forklift working again,at the HST the lads were busy attending to restoring the front radiator section of one of the shunters while it wasnt raining

Stay warm n toasty all

Dom

​

 

Ian and myself decided to change tact today with the weather behaving for a change and the promise of worse weather coming in the following weeks plus having a non running day we decided to start fitting the points on the north end of Rowsley with the facing point locks and gear to allow passenger working beyond Rowsley when the time comes, all of which matches in with Rowsley box works

The LMSCA were down the site working away on the NRM coach and the HST gang were in their sheds beavering away too. While rob and the gang were busy building the Santas grotto walkway to the main station and decorating up the ration ready for the Santas in the coming week

 

Is 4F 44422 going to be taken away to the WSR?

 

dunno boss, ive not really noticed the wee beastie as the most I go in and out the shed I see mostly industrial tanks in various stages of restoration ,usually on a run to the toilet,the welder or the kettle (not always in that order)

 

http://lmsca.org.uk/blog/2014/12/p1-meets-mk1/

An update from the LMSCA gang on their recent hard work

Tommorow is the start of the Santa season so il update some more then

 

Seems it's going to be based at the West Somerset for 25 years once overhauled, one of the longest agreements surely? Should hopefully put some appearances in on home territory at Midsomer Norton with luck!

Dave

 

Does this mean it's being overhauled at PR and then going to the WSR? Is there any likelihood that it will run at PR

 

It's gone already, I think loco to Crewe and tender somewhere else for a new tank.

Dave

 

I believe your correct it has indeed moved, shows how often I get in the shed, much too busy in the box

Whilst most of us hid away from the snowy weather at the weekend,the majority of folks braved the cold and sleet to start running this years first weekend of Santa trains,which happilly were very very busy, I was told there was around 960 folks on either the first day alone or over the weekend, either way the carpark on the sunday was full of coaches as well as cars from bottom to top.

The LMSCA chaps were busy carrying on fitting out the inside of the NRM coach and painting the solebar ready for its walkboards to go on next,away in the HST shed the lads there were busy too,I didnt get a chance to chat with the class 50 lads and ended up hiding myself in Rowsley box fitting the locking trays to the rear of the frame,before giving Pete and Andy a hand for a short while with a problematic loco starting fault, all good fun, out on the shed Swiftsure was having some in steam checks having just undergone a very thorough overhaul.

 

That could have been the tender I saw near Chesterfield the other week

 

Well with Christmas upon us il write a quick update While times available,

I've had a good few days down the railway of late and managed quite a few things so far, had a chat with mr Briddon regarding getting the missing spring loaded bits made for the point operating boxes for rowsley and he's drawing something up on cad for this, (ps his latest blog is http://www.weekendrails.co.uk/wrails2/latest-post/231.html

I've had another blast at freeing off the last point box that was seized. Still no joy but I can now see down the side of the main pin so it's going. It's had another soak for now and will get more hot torching soon

Apart from that there's a day of maintenance to do next and I've also managed to fit the last bits to the mainline point at rowsley that couldn't get fitted the other week, John has sorted out the changeover of the power regs tot at Riverside and the telephones now run off it too which we completed the other day whilst trying to remember what the light was on the concentrator?? OH yes. It's a fuse fault- fixed now


I've had a chance to talk to a few others as with Santa season it's very busy as usual, but managed to chat to Andrew and Pete who were working on James and talk about the next stages on their shed to be done and with the LMSCA chaps beavering away on finishing the NEM coach and work on the sleeping coach etcetera, in the recesses of the HST shed the lads there have been busy repainting their class 14 and rebuilding the class 06 (keep up the good work) as well as many others and even ended up helping Tom and Paul rebuild the rails in one of the buffer stops.

So to you all il bid you a happy Christmas and a good new year. Have a good one from us all down the railway