News Roundup

27th May 2010

Well, life has probably never been busier before. Yesterday we marked out the site for the fairground (only for our pegs to be removed to enable a cricket match to take place!). We have also been clearing the RMS workshop space in order to turn it into... a workshop! Stuart and Davy have been busy planning the machine shop and this should be more or less in place by the end of next week - Rambler will be first resident for removal of its rolls to enable some smokebox repairs and a repaint of the rolls. After that we are muttering about bringing in the Mann steam tractor in order to investigate returning it to steam in time for the Great North Steam Fair in September... Meanwhile:

Below: Phil is cracking on with 31's repaint - the first undercoats are going on and an idea of the livery is once again clear - this promises to be a very high quality job, and it is a slight shame it will be little seen at Beamish before it ventures off to Blackpool for the summer!

Below: The chip shop foundations have been dug and concrete poured. Here are two views of the job, meanwhile the builders are building a ramp and arch to give a non-stepped access route to the tea rooms.

Below: The finished crossing - now with two (new!) gates!

News roundup!

2oth May 2010

Various bits and pieces from on and off the site...

Below: Sunderland 101 is born! After completion of its repaint, Blackpool 703 has moved back to the main depot at Rigby Road in Blackpool. It looks very smart and is due to arrive at Beamish in June.

Below: The B Type bus has had the roof replaced and the top deck sides and seats refitted. It has had a temporary repaint pending a full one later in the year, into NCT blue and primrose - not a livery carried by the Bs that did operate in the region, but one felt more appropriate for this replica bus to carry at Beamish.

Below: Blackpool 31's temporary green livery has been rubbed down and will shortly disappear underneath new coats of paint as it gains its 1920s scheme once again. Phil Anderson has done extensive preparatory work to the tram in order to give a very high quality final finish - due to be completed next month!

Below: The new access gate and wall adjacent to the colliery engine works are complete - as this view shows, enabling better access for some further landscaping and improvements as well as for plant access to the engine works itself.

Below: The chip shop is coming! Not quite transport, but it will feature the chip van (on wheels!) that has appeared on the blog before. Planning and design completed, work has started on the ground. It is aimed to build it this year and fit out over the winter, complete with coal fired fryers! This view shows where it is, on a new street behind the Chapel in the Pit Village.

Below: A photo of one of the project information boards that gives an impression of how it will look - narrow gauge enthusiast readers might notice the similarity to the original Tywyn Wharf station!

Below: The gate to the back of Francis Street has been replaced and rearranged to block the colliery railway tracks when open (it will be closed normally though). A second gate is being positioned to complete the pair - seen in the photo below this.

Beamish Museum is on Facebook

As you will see to the right you can follow Beamish on Facebook!

Centre engine progress

18th May 2010

I haven't reported much on the blog lately, but work on site continues on the chaldrons, some improvements to the colliery engine works and tram 31's repaint.

Here are some views of the centre engine for the gallopers, taken at Alton Engineering in Derbyshire...

Below: A general view of the new boiler - only the brackets for the crankshaft are original in this view. As I write, steaming is anticipated very shortly.

Below: Worn parts and the organ engine - after years of being driven by the ride, there was extensive wear in all moving parts and much mechanical restoration has been required.

Below: A view through the man-door on the firebox looking towards the back-head. Note the girder stays to the right and the reinforcing plate to the left. The crown of the inner firebox occupies the bottom of this view.

Below: Two views of the dismantled cylinder block and parts, refurbished and ready to be fitted back onto the boiler (mounted onto the firebox outer wrapper). Completion is expected in coming weeks, with the ride still due to be in action later this summer...

Dave Hewitt's Twizell photographs

12th May 2010

A few more images of Twizell, which has returned to service on the Tanfield Railway following a lengthy and extensive restoration. There are also a couple of photos showing the engine during its working days at Morrison Busty colliery, Annfield Plain, and at Beamish in August 1979 - proof that despite what some of the railway magazines claim, it has worked before in preservation! It was used at Beamish as a static boiler for some years, but also ran for a few seasons at Rowley Station - as the second photograph shows.

J21 Back in the north east!

12th May 2010

Whilst no longer a Beamish engine, there are still strong ties between the museum and the NER J21 locomotive, which was transferred from Beamish to the LCLT (Locomotive Conservation & Learning Trust) a year or so ago. As part of the ongoing plan to raise both the funds for its restoration and the profile of the project, the engine and tender have been moved from the North Norfolk Railway (where there was a now defunct restoration project planned) to the National Railway Museum's Shildon out-station.
Whilst the plan is still in embryonic form, in outline it may see the J21 restored at Shildon in a partnership agreement between the LCLT and the NRM.
Yesterday engine and tender arrived aboard John and David Antell's low-loaders and Richard Pearson's photograph below shows the engine parked in the yard at Shildon. No doubt the project will now increase in momentum and I will post odd bits of news on this site for those who are interested in this engine...

Lifting Mary Margaret...

11th May 2010

Michael Davison's 1889 Marshall traction engine 'Mary Margaret' recently suffered a broken spigot on the casting which restricts the movement of the forecarriage - basically it is to protect the boiler barrel from the front wheels swinging around too far when on extreme steering locks.

One evening last week the engine was prepared for a lift - by draining the boiler and leaving the tender tank full it was hoped that this would act as a useful counterweight for our JCB Loadall forklift to handle.

Below: Mark Sutherland and Mike Holden removing the steering chains.

Below: Ready to lift...

Below: Up she goes! The forecarriage was removed and the front end then lowered onto blocks.

Below: Supported by blocks following removal of the casting at the base of the smokebox.

Below: The errant casting, fixed almost overnight by George Hudson and due to be refitted later today... A steam engine pit stop!

10th May 2010

John Turnock kindly sent through this photo of Twizell in action yesterday, double heading with Sir Cecil Cochrane and looking very well!

Chaldron Restoration - 2

5th May 2010

Below: This is the spot, being cleared, where the chaldrons will be erected, prior to No.14 being moved out and on to the Tanfield Railway. A good Seaham scene, with No.18's frames and No.17 behind!

Below: Alan has been dismantling and cleaning/painting parts, including the brake gear (seen prominently here).

Below: This is what remains! The wheels will be moved, cleaned and painted ready for the new chassis timbers to be assembled onto them. The second view shows how the waggon has been dismantled in order to salvage the metalwork in an intact state.

News Roundup

4th May 2010

Below: Our new steam engineer Stuart Hines has started work and is seen here with Rambler enjoying the newly surfaced road around the western part of the site.

Below: Rambler and newly restored T3 'Whitby Jet'.

Below: Shaun has completed the deck boards for the gallopers and these are now being painted in readiness for its re-erection in the next two months.

Below: Work has re-started on the colliery railway track renewal, with sleepers being changed and the formation being prepared for extension work in an eastward direction along the old formation, which was prepared last year.

Below: Shaun has removed the roof of the B Type bus and will shortly start its replacement. We are looking at repainting the bus into the early (blue/primrose) Newcastle livery (circa 1912) - rather more appropriate than the London General livery carried at present!