Side tipper waggon wheelsets progress

31st October 2011

Below: I called in to see Vince Allen this morning and drop off more components for Lewin.

Whilst there I was able to see one of the side tipper wheelsets on the lathe in readiness for turning off the corroded flange.

Below: This view illustrates the thin old flange and the new ring that will replace it and be profiled to match the opposite end. It may be recalled that this waggon must have sat with one side in a puddle as only two wheels had corroded to this extent, whilst the other two retained a good profile, certainly adequate for use on our Colliery railway,

News round-up

28th October 2011

Below: Yesterday a lengthy shunt took place to extract the Armstrong car from the garage showroom. During the move the Daimler lorry was pulled out as seen here. The rear of the town is increasingly becoming an attractive area to take 'back yard' photographs. The yellow JCB is our shunting tractor and beyond this can be seen the work taking place to the old Hunters Tea Store which is being rebuilt for use as an exhibit here.

Below: The Armstrong safely loaded. It is taking part in a Beamish promoted evening at the Baltic on the Tyne in Gateshead. It was built alongside the Tyne just a little to the west, whence the connection and its appearance there.

Below: The track team have completed the trial layout for the new depot Road 4 turnout, seen here this morning. The line continuing from this still needs preparing in order to minimise disruption when it is installed....

Below: A view of Sunderland 101's compressor, which briefly gave some trouble yesterday. The repair was quickly effected but the opportunity was also take to carry out some servicing work on the unit itself. 101 is now back in service in readiness for two busy nights operation during our Halloween event. Quite appropriate really as 101 (nee 703) is reputed to be haunted...!!!

Around the site

25th October 2011

Below: This view shows Pockerley loop sans siding, with the newly reinstated plain running lines now in use. This has enabled the focus of works to move to the depot...

Below: Davy Sheen tests one of the new winter season lamps for 'restability'! Davy and Hugh are currently installing an incredibly long string of these lamps around the site, vitally important now that we are open so much more than in previous years and with numerous nightime events.

Below: Jim and Hugh at work threading the cabling through the more prickly undergrowth at the entrance.

Below: Meanwhile, Darren, Mark and their new apprentice, Owen, have taken possession of the green outside the tram depot and are laying out the track in readiness for its installation. The idea is to have a dry run, bend everything into shape and make sure it all fits so as to minimise the interruption to normal service when the pointwork is installed later this autumn.

Lewin's Oil pots

23rd October 2011

Dave Young has had a mega-session in his workshop and turned the gunmetal blanks seen in an earlier posting into these finished and brightly polished oil pots for Lewin - impressive going!

Our scrutiny of photographs reveals that the final non-ferrous works in this area are likely to be the crosshead lubricators, which we will be investigating options for and design of next week.

Forcett Coach latest

21st October 2011

Lots happening this week! I conclude the week with a look at the Forcett coach at Stanegate Restorations & Replicas in Haltwhistle. Progress is steady with an emphasis on the quality of the work and the retention of original material.

Below: Four doors together, showing progress up to the point of priming - the coach will be scumbled in finish (painted woodgrain effect - per original practice on the S&D).

Below: This view amply shows the problems experienced with deformation in the original structure - this piece should be straight!

Below: The sills, now exposed, showing a good deal of work is required ahead to make good this area of the coach.

Below: The condition of the bufferbeam in this view is readily apparent! A new buffer beam will be made and fitted as this is definitely considered beyond repair!

Below: On the way home I called in at the Bowes Railway, who have just restored this man rider, one of two there that used to be at Beamish and very well this one now looks.

Apologies for some unusual formatting and acres of white space on the recent posts - these were added from a different computer to usual and one which refused point blank to adhere to the usual format that I set these posts out in!

National Tramway Museum

21st October 2011

Whilst in the area (visiting Alton Engineering) I called in at the National Tramway Museum at nearby Crich. Two trams were operating as the museum winds down for its winter closures and maintenance work.

Below: Leeds 399 seen in the glorious autumn sunshine. Incidentally, this tram, restored in 1990, was in operation the day I first became a member at Crich (of the Tramway Museum Society) - 21 years ago! I still regard this tram as a relatively recent restoration - how time passes...

Below: The second tram in service was Glasgow 22, which I think I have seen on almost every occasion I have visited, reflecting its high milaeage and operational suitability - a reminder of how Beamish's own Sheffield 264 (also an open balcony car) will be welcomed back by the operating department in due course.

Below: The two trams pass.

Below: Autumnal colours are much in evidence in this view down the street.

Below: I called into the workshop which contained the glorious and nearly completed LUT 159 (right) and Cardiff 131, the works car which visited Beamish in 2010.

Below: Here are few more scenes around the tramway at Crich.

Jacob departs

21st October 2011

Yesterday (Thursday) Jacob was collected and taken to Statfold barn, its new home. Here are some views showing it being loaded (onto a very clever trailer) and departure. Coffee Pot, as ever, provided the motive power for the shunting.

Lewin Progress: Boiler - October 2011

21st October 2011

Yesterday was spent in Derbyshire, firstly visiting Alton Engineering to view progress on Lewin's boiler which is now in the repair bay there. Here are some views of progress to date...

Below: This piece is one of the safety valve arms (which links valve to the spring on this Salter type of valve) being machined from round section bar (EN8). Lewin has two of these, one on the dome and one on the steam turret in the cab.

Below: The dome had, at some point in its Seaham days, lost the top ring of the casting. This is above the steam space so a repair has been effected by milling the break true then having this casting made (pattern painted red) to create the required shape and seat. The short ring is a collar to fit inside both pieces of casting at the joint.

Below: An overall view of the boiler with the large dome very prominent at the front (mostly hidden when the saddle tank is in place).

Below: A view inside the firebox where there was a known repair required. Whilst this was being carried out grooving became evident where the wrapper joins the flanging of the doorplate. This will now be attended to.

Below: This area, looking towards the tube nest (or the front right hand corner of the engine if you like) showing the caulking carried out on the seam. Note also the exposed girder stay bolts projecting from the crown - the nuts on these are being replaced at the behest of the boiler inspector having found to be undersize. This will also compensate for some thinning on the crownsheet itself (on the fire side).

Below: An overall view of the inside of the firebox. The chalk marks are the boiler inspectors readings, showing the metal thickness in each area (in mm). The dark splodges are grease used as a conductor for the ultrasonic device used to measure the metal thickness. These readings confirm that in all probability this is a replacement firebox fitted at Seaham, being steel rather than the more usual (for an engine of this age) copper and wrought iron (the latter would not give a clear thickness reading due to the laminated nature of its construction and is not readily repaired, not being weldable).

Below: A view of the dome top showing the regulator valve (which includes a pilot and main valve). This was an encouraging visit and the boiler is not far from a hydraulic test then steam test...

Birkenhead Tramway

19th October

Whilst on my travels I called in on the Birkenhead Tramway. This interesting line with a varied collection of restored trams has featured on this blog before but it is always nice to see what others in a similar line of business are working on. As has been mentioned here and elsewhere we are hoping to effect a visit from Birkenhead 20 with our own Oporto 196 going the other way.

Below: Here is a shot of Birkenhead 20 in the depot at Taylor Street.

Below: The recently restored Lisbon tram.

Below: Restoration of Liverpool 'Baby Grand' No.245 is making good progress - wouldn't it be fantastic to see this car alongside 869...

Below: Warrington No.2 is also under restoration and will be completed as an open balcony car.

Below: No.70 is one of two Hong Kong built trams supplied for this tramway when new.

Below: The other Hong Kong car was operating services during the day, between the depot at Taylor Street and Woodside Ferry Terminus (seen referenced in the MSC Cruise posting).

Below: This former Blackpool Railcar was acquired by Merseytravel for potential expansion and extension of the tramway at Birkenhead.

Below: Two views showing the Hong Kong car departing Woodside and heading along the road towards Taylor Street.

Lewin steam brake valve

18th October

Below: Whilst I've been off Dave Young has been turning a pile of castings into some beautiful machined components, these components assembling into a complete steam brake valve for Lewin. The components are seen in the photo below.

Dave also made the patterns for this, using a Hawthorn steam brake valve as a pattern for the insides and two rather indistinct photographs of Lewin in 1975 for the external shape. We have since identified the original fitting as of a Peckett design, reinforcing the pattern of behaviour at Seaham for fitting Peckett fittings, such as injectors etc. My next job for this project is to follow up the pattern making for the two injectors for Lewin, which represent the last big outstanding part of the project...

Below: The finished and assembled valve, sans handle (for which Dave is currently making a pattern).

Below: These are the castings for the various lubricating pots that will replace the grease pots on the coupling and connecting rods (themselves fitted during the 1960s). There are two different sizes among these. They are shown upside down, with a stalk for the thread, the hexagonal section and the oil chamber itself. All will need machining and a thread will be cut on the stalk and on the chamber onto which the lid will screw. This will have a hole in for a cork. Internally a hole is drilled from the chamber and a stem is fitted to deliver the oil via the wick. This type is based on the Black Hawthorn type (drawing prepared by Graham Redfern who carried out a similar exercise on 'Wellington'). Dave made the patterns for these examples. Note the Stanley steam car drawings in the background!

101 enters passenger service!

18th October 2011

Well, over a year after it arrived, the Blackpool Balloon tram ex No.703 and now known as Sunderland 101 has entered passenger service at Beamish. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the four members of the Beamish Tramway Group and latterly our own mechanical engineer and assistant, the work to bring 101 to operational standard has been completed. There are still cosmetic jobs to complete and some investigation of aspects of the bodywork, but the certificate of conformity (issued under our own Safety Management System for new/visiting passenger carrying/interoperating rolling stock) was completed this morning and 101 was taken off the depot by a crew of three (driver, conductor and a driver/conductor undergoing familiarity training).

It is worth reflecting on the work carried out. 101 has had several spring hangers removed and rebuilt, a replacement spring, work to repair a cracked spring carrier, brake inspection (including fitting of replacement blocks where appropriate), air systems inspection and fitting of new compressor switch, a full electrical survey and inspection of the controllers, adjustments to the electrical system as required, fitting of an overhauled trolleybase onto a new carrier frame atop the reinforced roof structure, fitting of trolley pole, head and fuse, work on all of the windows (which now drop as originally intended), some structural work, work to floors, handrails and interior panels, removal of graffiti, sealing of the roof itself, attention to the paintwork and repairs to some damaged panels, fitting of Beamish pattern dewirement buzzers and numerous other jobs besides. The owners, the Lancastrian Transport Trust, and former owners, Blackpool Transport Services, have both assisted with components and some drawings. However, the commissioning is a great moment for the BTG and reflects the amount of work they have put into this project. 101 is an elderly vehicle and shows it in places, however it has life left in it and hopefully our visitors will be able to enjoy its high capacity and weather resistance (especially today with wind and rain squalls). As has been explained here before, 101 will not be a regular traffic tram, emphasis being on using it at peak periods. However, at the moment while we have Gateshead 10 out of traffic for motor repairs and 196 pending a winter rebuild, 101 is very welcome!

One winter task will be to produce some replica Sunderland Corporation crests (in a diamond) to apply to 101, which should finish off the livery nicely.

Below: Here are a selection of views showing 101 in regular service. The sanders are much in use, this being leaf fall season... Sunderland 16 is the second car in service today.

Below: Amongst the first passengers - seen after boarding in the Town street. All trams are running anti-clockwise whilst the work at Pockerley takes place, the timescale for track lifting and renewal having been brought forwards with an aim to complete the first phase of the project (to install a new depot road) this week.

Below - here are four views as a reminder of 70s's metamorphosis into 101 and its final run (non passenger) at Blackpool. Images courtesy of the Lancastrian Transport Trust.