The bogies saga...

The offer of a set of ex Grimsby & Immingham bogies seemed too good an offer to resist, and has been seen in earlier posts, we had such an offer and therefore collected said bogies. They were not maximum traction type, so not of an ex Gateshead tram, and I must admit we have been so busy I hadn't even looked at them after arrival here! Today, with a few minutes to spare, I visited them, armed with a tape measure. A number of correspondents had suggested they weren't even G&I ex GC bogies and looked rather like the unpowered Glasgow subway bogie type. A quick measure of the gauge confirmed this - they are four foot gauge bogies and therefore off the Glasgow Subway! Nice though, and potentially useful wheel castings and associated bits, but not G&I and not able to be used as they stand.

Thanks to everyone who has been in touch regarding these - and if anyone needs any components from them please feel free to get in touch! Reduced in width they'd make lovely narrow gauge coach bogies...

And there's more...

Below: Newcastle wasn't the only thing we acquired! This pile of bits is in fact a historically important side tipping waggon of the 'MSC' type (so named after the Manchester Ship Canal construction contract that popularised this type of cheap and easily built waggon in side or end tipping form). Such waggons were widely used nationally (and internationally) and originate from a design by one of T.A.Walker's engineers, first used on the Barry Docks contract but to a well established format. This one originated at Storefield Quarry in the ironstone fields.

Below: Extraction of the remains, no more than a pattern plus metalwork, was accomplished using the farm forklift - seen here taking to the track en route to the lorry!

Below: A close up of a variation or optional extra for these waggons - a brake! We now have a growing collection of bits of such waggons, and one day I hope to arrange a project to rebuild a short rake of a hugely significant but totally overlooked type of railway vehicle.

Below: Another delivery! This pile of ex Bord na Mona Hudson Jubilee track is for use on part of our new narrow gauge railway and arrived thanks to the cooperation of Middlepeak Railways Ltd who sold us a quantity of the material which is in pretty good condition considering the transitory nature of it.

The track came from store at Apedale, base of the Moseley Railway Trust. Can you spot the connections in this photo? Newcastle, seen in the background, worked at Apedale at the beginning of its life...

We've gone and bought another one! One of the UK's 'lost locomotives' joins the Beamish collection...

Here is some exciting news - we've bought another steam locomotive! I'll be posting an article in the links section in due course, containing all the details, but the gist is that a 1901 built Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST named 'Newcastle' has joined the collection at Beamish. This will act as a second engine to Dunrobin for use at the station - another classic Victorian inside cylinder locomotive of suitable light railway appearance and thus well suited to passenger work of the nature it will encounter here.

Below: Last July, and the first glimpse of Newcastle on the Hertfordshire farm which had been its home for 40 years. It was last steamed in around 1980, and since then the undergrowth and trees had taken a hold on the area.

Below: Newcastle was very well wrapped up by owner Gordon Wells, himself a former Stratford engineman. This was the first view of the engine with covers peeled back. Pretty much complete, sans chimney. So the negotiations and planning began, and through the efforts of Martyn Ashworth, we were able to purchase the locomotive.

Below: Turn the clock forwards to Wednesday 7th March 2012 and again through Martyn's meticulous planning, the engine was readied for removal. This work required a short extension of the siding Newcastle was stood on, a seriously big crane, movement of another locomotive that is on the site (for now) and arrangements for onward shipping of the engine to Beamish.

Below: Up she goes, turned through 90 degrees to clear a building then swung around towards John Antell's waiting lorry.

Below: Safely aboard... I have shot some film of the process which should appear on here shortly.

Below: Arrival at Beamish this morning. Taking Newcastle to Newcastle (sort of - not quite coals to Newcastle, but...)

Below: Preparing to unload the locomotive in the Colliery yard, where the engine will reside for the meantime.

Below: Unloaded and ready for action - not quite but a good idea of what the engine will look like when eventually restored. The livery is correct, it isn't a version of LNWR/BR, but is actually the scheme of the Midland Coal Coke and Iron Company where Newcastle (works No.1532) was supplied new in 1901. It was based at the Apedale Ironworks, now adjacent to the new Apedale Valley Railway.

There is no immediate plan to overhaul Newcastle, this being a strategic acquisition, and the Newcastle is Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, but we have certainly got a superb loco to join Dunrobin at Rowley in due course, manageable but also quite stately!

As outlined above, a full history article will appear in the downloads in due course...

General News Roundup

Some activities from around the site, though they do not convey just how busy everyone is at the moment - the site is buzzing with progress on numerous fronts, as well as those seen on the transport & industry blog...

Below: Phil Anderson is well into the preparation of the Daimler bus for repainting (search blog for 'Daimler' and view previous posts). Work should be completed by the end of the month and certainly in time for the new season just before Easter.

Below: An unusual view of the Daimler's seats! The solid tyred wheels are also being painted.

Below: The water cart is making great progress in the hands of the Friends, as seen here.

Below: The side tipper is also into the final stages of reassembly and painting.

Centenarian Dene motorcycle reactivated!

On Saturday our century old Dene single cylinder motorcycle fired into life on the second kick after some 11 years slumber in the Museum's garage showroom display. Jonathan Hill is on the machine, with Ian Reavley alongside, both of whom were engaged on the work to recommission it. Dene is one of the myriad British motorcycle marques now long lost and more or less forgotten. The company was founded in 1903 and ceased cycle production in 1924. It was the brainchild of Jim Moore, who had previously worked for the Jesmond Cycle Company. The company remained active for many years after it ceased making motorcycles and many interior fittings were saved and now form the nucleus of the garage interior at Beamish.

The Dene was purchased by Beamish in 2001 and is believed to be the only pre-WW1 example to survive. It is thought there are only half a dozen Denes in existence today, with one other example, the 1924 950cc example (with JAP V twin engine) also being on display at Beamish.

The history of this machine is unknown from 1912 to 1945. After WW2 it was in the collection of Oliver Langron and later Jonas Butterfield. Later it was sold to Dr R Hill, an acknowledged expert on Dene and who carried out a full restoration of SV 7712 between 1977 and 1999. The engine (a replacement for that Dr Hill acquired it with) is a 598cc Baker 'Precision', developing 4 1/4 horse power! Since restoration the cycle has seen limited use with Dr Hill, and very little while at Beamish. It is therefore wonderful to be able to add it to the ranks of working vehicles in the collection and the 1912 Dene will be available for use at events and on the first weekend of the month added transport performance sessions. When not in use we will endeavor to keep it on display in the Town Garage whenever possible.

My thanks to Colin Slater from the Beamish Friends for coordinating the recommissioning work and taking the above photographs.

More news...

A few more photos from last week...

Below: The National Railway Museum have transferred to us a number of bogies that have been stored in York for some years. The haul, collected on Thursday and delivered on Friday, included two former Grimsby & Immingham bogies (sans motors) and one ex Glasgow Subway car motor bogie. This photo shows them arriving on Friday. Initial word was that the G&I bogies were of the maximum traction type, so it was hoped they would be spares for our own Gateshead 10. However, they are equal wheel so were probably spares obtained from the indiginous G&I trams, which the BTC had, of course, designated one for preservation in the 1960s (No.14, now at Crich). For now the pair will be stored, though could be useful accommodation bogies, whilst the Glasgow bogie will be stripped of useful components for future projects.

Below: Tuning the fairground organ... For this process a means of propulsion is required so for the second year running the Steam Mule has been used to provide the power to the organ's bellows. The unusual pairing is seen here.

Below: A close up of the insides of the organ during tuning. The wheel to the right is the drive wheel usually belted up to the organ engine, this driving the bellows, which are white and can be seen in the base of the organ - the lungs of the Gaviolli.

General News Roundup - A very busy day!

Below: A few notes from the Friends activities: Here is an invalid carriage undergoing full restoration. More of this to appear on here in due course.

Below: The Hodbarrow tipper chassis - this evening this was re-wheeled and turned right-way-up. The detail work can now be completed and I understand the body should be at Beamish sometime next week.

Below: The Adams car elevator is also making great progress as this view shows.

Below: Likewise the water cart, now in undercoat with topcoated wheels.

Below: 200 narrow gauge sleepers have been supplied via the Bowes Railway, work on our own narrow gauge line being due to start next week... watch this space!!!

Below: Of course, the arrival of 233 caused quite a stir today.

Below: Philip Higgs attends to 233 (or 605 as presently known) with jetwash and brush to remove years of Blackpool grime.

Below: As 233 looks on, surrounded by new friends, Les Brunton from the BTG strips the trolley tower. This will be shotblasted, rot made good and the reassembled and repainted with new timberwork and an overhauled trolleybase and connections.

Also today, Dave Young painted Lewin's boiler, another David, one of the painters here, was priming the open coach for the Waggonway train and numerous holes, drains and similar were being dug, filled in or looked into! Sunny weather seems to encourage hardworking.

The Boat is in...

Well, it's here! The Blackpool Boat No.233 (currently 605) arrived early this morning having been loaded and travelled as far as North Yorkshire yesterday. As usual Scotts did an excellent job and the tram was safely unloaded before the start of services this morning. Andy Martin took some 'official' photos this morning, seen below. Since then the tram has been washed by trustees from the owning Lancastrian Transport Trust and will shortly be placed inside the depot. Initial work will centre on dismantling the trolley tower which will be full restored before being replaced on the tram. Meanwhile, using our commissioning process, a scheme for the required works will be drawn up. It is now thought that a full repaint may be possible before an Easter debut - as ever, watch this space!

Below: A sequence of photos showing 605 arriving.

Below: After unloading on Road 3, the Boat was shunted (with Leeds 6) onto Road 4 for cleaning and inspection.

Lewin latest - w/c 27th February 2012

Below: This morning Lewin's boiler arrived back from Alton Engineering following completion of its rebuild. The view below shows it aboard Dave Gibson's lorry, along with the remains of the 1990s fitted smokebox (of wrong pattern for our purposes), 1990s chimney and also the original Savage boiler from the steam gallopers, which had also been rebuilt by Alton.

Below: Lewin's boiler is small - the centre engine boiler is absolutely tiny! It clearly illustrates just how hard the centre engine has to work to keep up with the demand of the ride.

Below: A view of Lewin's 'face'. We will now proceed with painting the boiler pending its movement to Hetton in the next week or so to allow it to be fitted into the frames.

Below: A close up of the unusual smokebox door arrangement - the entire door comes off! It is also heavy (and will be hot when in steam). Not ergonomically brilliant! The top handrail was made at Alton and fitted to Dave Young made stanchions/knobs. The straight handrail was one of the many fittings made by Dave Young. We are now at the stage of adding all the bits...

Ruston, Proctor Portable Progress February 2012

Steam Engineer Stuart Hines was recently in Suffolk and called in to see progress on the rebuild of the Ruston, Proctor portable engine's boiler currently underway at a contractor there.

Below:Trevor Wrench is working on the reassembly of the Ruston, Proctor Portable's boiler, this view showing the new firebox side sheets (outer wrapper) bolted in place ready for a coded welder to come in and weld them to the existing upper wrapper. The new sheets are the pinky coloured parts in the photo below.

Below: This view, from the smokebox end, shows the absence of front tubeplate. You can also see the bolts, lower down on the barrel (shiny bits!) which run along the seam and have enabled the old rivets to be removed. This was originally to be a partial replacement but further inspection has resulted in the need to replace all of the seam rivets along the barrel length.

Below: The circular shape in the centre of this photo is the new front tubeplate, with pilot holes drilled ready for opening out to the tube diameter.

All of the longitudinal and firebox stays have been made and delivered and procurement of the new inner firebox is underway. After this the new smokebox will be produced, a new chimney made and repairs made to the forecarriage. Stuart will also be carrying out various jobs on the boiler, including fitting of new studs etc.