Bolton Steam Museum

30th May 2011

Today I visited the Bolton Steam Museum, it being one of their open days where the large collection of diverse engines are run, under steam (rather than air) for the benefit of visitors.

Housed in part of what was once an extensive mill complex, this collection is impressive in its diversity and size and also the quality of the exhibits and professionalism of the presentation.

The group have only their own resources of time, money and expertise to draw upon but have done a remarkable job. Here is a selection of engines, showing double beam engine, vertical engines and an overall view or two of this comprehensive collection.

National Tramway Museum Visit

29th May 2011

On Sunday I was at Crich, the home of the National Tramway Museum (and Tramway Museum Society collection), which includes extensive depots, a mile of tramway and a street through which the trams run before taking to a rural section of line. There are a number of relocated buildings which serve as refreshment rooms and an archive/library (of national if not international importance). The largest of the depot buildings is now the 'Great Exhibition Hall' having recently been refurbished to better tell the story of the tram in the UK. There is also an ongoing and soon to be completed project to create further interpretation space in one of the original buildings on site, dating back to the era of George Stephenson who engineered an metre gauge railway from the quarry and down to blast furnaces near Ambergate.

The event this weekend was a combination of a public theme (the Seaside) and an enthusiast day on the Sunday only.

Below: Inside the Great Exhibition Hall is the other Sheffield 264 - for which our 264 was renumbered 342 at Sheffield in order to accommodate it in the series. This view also shows a sample of the interpretation material that serves to provide information on the tram as well as context as to the period it was built and operated in.

Below: Outside Gateshead 5 and Grimsby & Immingham 14 were parked together. Gateshead 5 had been one of the trams sold to British Railways for use on the G&I in 1951, and this year marks 50 years since the closure of the G&I system in March 1961. Our own Gateshead 10 was similarly purchased - see earlier blog posting for it in BR green livery as withdrawn (index to the right of this page). Note that is therefore 60 years since the closure of Gateshead...

Below: Gateshead 5 is shunted by the Blackpool electric locomotive following display alongside G&I 14.

Below: Edinburgh 35, now owned by the TMS, catches the light and shows off the superb looks of these trams, built as the Edinburgh 'Standard'.

Below: A chance to see two Leeds cars together, with 399 nearest the camera (standing on the traverser) and Leeds 180, a 'Horsfield' car, beyond.

Below: Blackpool 167 - the Pullman car. This tram is booked to visit Beamish for our September 1 - 4 event this year.

Below: Leeds Horsfield 180, my favorite class of tramcar for its clean lines and modern but traditional appearance (is that a contradiction?!). Recently recipient of further restoration, this car is a stunning restoration and a pleasure to ride on.

Below: Another recent returnee to traffic is Blackpool 166, the toastrack tram. Here followed by another toastrack, Blackpool & Fleetwood 'Rack' 2.

Below: Cardiff 131 (which visited Beamish last year) and London Transport E1 car 1622 stand outside the reconstructed Red Lion public house.

Below: Identical to our own Sheffield 513, this is sister 'Roberts' car 510, about to enter the workshops for some attention.

Below: Johannesburg 60 is seen joining the queue of trams unloading outside the main complex of buildings near Town End at Crich, the Red Lion being visible to the left of 60's dash panel.

Below: This line up of traditional trams included Chesterfield 7, Glasgow 812 and Sheffield 74.

Below: Inside the workshop, LUT159 is nearing completion following reconstruction/restoration/replication from remaining parts, while Leeds 345 receives attention to the right, its truck having been removed for work.

Below: A contrast in city styles as Liverpool 869 squeezes alongside Sheffield 510.

The National Tramway Museum must rank as the finest dedicated tramway museum in the World, for sheer variety of tramcars and the quality of the restoration work carried out there. Well worth a visit and in a location with plenty of other attractions to appeal to transport enthusiasts.

114 on test

27th May 2011

This morning Newcastle 114 carried out further test trips following completion of its overhaul and repaint. The motor at No.2 end is, however, giving concern. This was the one that was returned as the pinion was barely movable following manufacture of a new motor bearing.

Whilst the heat this is generating is of concern, the tramway technician is running 114 regularly early in the mornings to gently bed the metal to metal surfaces in and ensure proper lubrication of these areas. This mornings running showed a marked improvement in the situation, but every care will continue to be taken until 114 is properly bedded in.

The new livery looks stunning in the morning sun, as these two views show...

Below: Newcastle 114, Gateshead 10 and Sunderland 16 - the three local cars together.

The turnout grows!

25th May 2011

Below: The turnout work behind the town is continuing, made slightly more complicated by the need to convert a right hand point to a left hand one in order to maximise the space we have.

Below: By this morning the basic components were in place and being fastened and adjusted to fit. Drawings for the shed have been prepared and are currently being costed. Next we will have to decide on the location of the pit and dig some trial holes to work out how to arrange this to best effect.

Dunrobin Developments 1

25th May 2011

I intend to chart progress on Dunrobin in a similar manner to the Coffee Pot/Lewin etc on the blog and will try and consistently title everything as Dunrobin Developments [number] so that they can easily be tracked by those with a particular interest in this project.

Well, since arriving at Bridgnorth last Thursday, the contract team has been stripping the engine in anticipation of removing the cab and tanks. There will be this initial flurry of activity after which things will settle down for a little while while we all give it some thought and cost out the options. Our aim is certainly to have a plan by the late summer however. As ever, we are reliant on income from our visitors, so please come to Beamish, have something to eat and buy something in the shop - it all supports projects like this one!

You may have read in some of the railway press that we are to launch an appeal - we are not.

We would welcome any donations towards the project however! The overall project, of which Dunrobin is a part, is known here as the 'Rowley Development' and is a capital work that included at an early stage for provision of a steam locomotive to work regularly at the station.

Also part of the project is construction of an engine shed and facilities, some general improvements to the operation and creating a new open area to the rear of the town, where the shed will be situated. This includes much tidying and fencing, a lot of which you will have seen on this blog. At present the new sidings in connection with the shed are being laid in. The aim is to ensure the operation is safe, sustainable and reliable - this can't be a flash in the pan on the whim of a curator with a particular railway interest! The purchase of Dunrobin was part of this project (being one of a number of engines we considered, other options being dead ends or not being available/suitable).

The next phase is obviously the overhaul of the engine, and again to clarify the situation - the SVR are carrying out the preparations for the survey. They will, along with others, be invited to tender for the work against a Conservation Management Plan for the loco, which I am currently researching and writing. One thing I would add, this blog is definitive, accurate and true! I have been reading with interest some comments on some forums. All I would add is that you can see the news here first and know it can be relied upon!

Below: Duncan Ballard and his team have set to with dismantling Dunrobin, including emptying the water tanks which I had packed in Canada with all of the British looking bits in the engine shed - including vacuum pipes and runs, sanding gear and miscellaneous shaped bits of metal that looked like they were from the engine and coach!

Below: Removal of the front splashers/sandboxes revealed the smokebox to be in certain need of replacement - though an entombed spanner was an interesting discovery - seen here where it had probably dropped many years ago! Whilst we are hesitant to jump the gun about the loco's condition, it would be fair to say that the boiler is still an unknown until accessible but mechanically the engine appears to be sound. The new tyres, fitted in 1971 it seems, certainly have a lot of life in them. Platework appears to be in excellent condition too. Examination of the fittings and items such as bearings/journals will be required before being able to say anything further. Members of the Highland Railway Society have been very helpful and we now have General Arrangement drawings for engine and coach (which I will deal with under separate headings in the blog). The CMP will also define the finished appearance of Dunrobin, which will be aimed at pre WW1 in guise and livery. Both photos from Duncan Ballard

A quick summary of the main transport projects may be of interest - this is by no means an exhaustive list however! It might give some indication of what a curator's time is spent doing...

• Dunrobin - survey towards restoration to steam
• Coach 58A - survey towards early restoration to running order at Beamish
• Design and construction of engine shed and facilities
• Lewin - continue to fruition this lengthy reconstruction and conservation project
• Ruston Portable - work on boiler continues slowly
• Newcastle 114 - this tram will imminently rejoin the running fleet
• Commission 101 this summer
• Continue to review and update Safety Management System and rule books
• Continue to develop staff training for operation of steam exhibits
• Investigate recommissioning NER clerestory coach No.3071 for 2012 season
• Restoration of Forcett Coach for use at Waggonway
• Develop and implement medium - long term strategy for transport collections and systems on the Museum site
• Develop a range of publications about the transport collections at Beamish
• Organising two four day transport events per annum

On top of these projects there are daily letters and e-mails from researchers and film makers to attend to, lots of smaller projects to keep running and support and liaison with groups such as the Friends and Beamish Tramway Group to continue and develop. As an example, a CMP can be over 25,000 words in length - not an afternoon project! The project chart for the Lewin runs to over 120 specific tasks (excluding each task being broken down into a process of work) - all required to enable the project to be properly managed and a comprehensive record of work to be kept and filed as a safety critical requirement under ROGS - basically railway law. The events take many many hours of work to bring about, before the big day itself, and several days to pack away afterwards.

All very challenging but also immensely rewarding. The above perhaps serves to show why projects perhaps don't happen quite as quickly as some correspondents might like - I/we am/are doing our very best however!

Something a little different!

23rd May 2011

After a hectic week of Dunrobin, my fiancée and I spent a weekend in London - to escape the heritage World for a few days! However, along the way there were a few sitings of interest!

Below: Much of the Thames waterfront seems to be flats and offices now, but there are some great original buildings amongst them, including this warehouse complete with cranes and derricks.

Below: This is the Sailing Barge Cabby, built in 1928 and also fitted with a motor. It weighs in at 76 tons and is today used for charter work from Tower Bridge, the hold being fitted out as a dining area. Originally it would have sailed from London to ports on the south and east coasts, with occasional trips to the continent.

Below: There seem to almost be as many of the legendary Routemaster buses at work on excursions, charters and wedding work today as used to appear on the streets of London! This short bodied example was seen near Trafalgar Square.

Dunrobin Arrives!

20th May 2011

Yesterday the final move of Dunrobin (for now!) took place, with it being transhipped onto the lorry at Liverpool Seaforth Docks (the ACL container yard) for onward movement to the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth.

I was interested to note what I took to be spectators on quite a few motorway bridges on the southbound M6 - hopefully the sheeted appearance wasn't too frustrating. We had to keep it contained until final unloading.

Below: The engine is loaded and chained down, with the sheet being refastened.

Below: Dunrobin on the road as it heads east out of Liverpool Docks and towards the M57.

Below: Arrival at Bridgnorth.

Below: The SVR was using Ivatt 4MT No.43106 (the class being known as 'Flying Pigs') for shunting and use during the unloading of Dunrobin.

Below: With ramp built and sheet removed, Dunrobin sees it's first British light of day since 1965.

Below: A view from the rear - note the tablet catcher on the cabside.

Below: Winching the engine onto terra firma.

Below: The wheels make contact with UK soil (well, rails, fortunately!) for the first time in 46 years! Andrew Goodman and Duncan Ballard watch on - the guard irons were very close to the door runners at this point!

Below: Nearly there - a helping push being required the last few yards.

Below: After that brief appearance in daylight, Dunrobin resides inside the boiler works at Bridgnorth. Stripping will now commence in anticipation of completing all surveys etc. by July.

Then we will have a good idea of what the overhaul will cost...

Please note: The SVR workshops are a working site and are restricted as such - please don't go exploring them in search of the engine!

Below: Meanwhile, this morning (after getting home and the van unloaded after midnight!), I used the Y7 to shunt the DoS coach to the RMS where we can carry out further study and investigation before producing a Conservation Management Plan and scope of works required to return it to operation.

Below: They look quite pretty together don't they?!

Duke of Sutherland Saloon No.58A arrives!

18th May 2011

Its a few month since we saw this - coach 58A, last reported from in Canada! Following a safe passage, the coach (and Dunrobin) arrived at Seaforth Container Depot, Liverpool, on Monday night at 10pm. Subsequently transhipped onto a lorry, unloaded onto track in the depot so as to re-load it the other way around, it was moved last night and arrived at Beamish at 7:30am this morning. Here are some views of it as it arrives and was unloaded:

Below: A selection of interior views. A deep clean and thorough inspection will follow once the coach has been moved into the RMS - unfortunately in the short term it will not be on public display while we carry out this process, but the aim is for a return to use sooner rather than later...

Below: The carriage has a rather fancy toilet compartment!

Below: The brake compartment, not the width of the door. The roof panels have badly cracked in the dry Canadian air, but otherwise the interior appears to be sound.

Below: Touchdown!

The coach was built for the 4th Duke of Sutherland by the Highland Railway at Lochgorm works in 1909 and has resided with Dunrobin ever since, being based at Golspie with the locomotive. They were sold together in 1949 and moved to Kent together in 1950, then Canada in 1965. It is therefore only fitting to keep them together with the 2010 sale to Beamish. The aim is still to have them reunited for operation from 2013...