Month: November 2024

Firstly this week, a view of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T locomotive No. 5643’s newly cleaned and painted chassis, now lowered onto the wheels. We are just awaiting a shed shunt to get the frames over the pit before fitting the remaining two springs.

We have all been pleased to welcome back Ron Crowe after his recent bereavement. He is seen here tapping out the main steam pipe flanges on 5643.

Jon and Sim spent quite some time last Wednesday giving the Coventry Climax fire pump yet another service in order to coax it into life.

Saturday saw the fire pump in real action, after a little more coaxing(!!), with Sam seen here directing a high-pressure jet of water around the foundation ring of Furness Railway locomotive No. 20, with John and Jon acting as signallers to the fire pump operator. Two other boilers on site were also treated to a washout before Sam retired to put on some dry clothes.

Finally, it is pleasing to see that twenty members and guests have already registered to attend the Furness Railway Trust Christmas dinner at the Ribble Pilot at 7 pm on Friday 6^th December. Would anyone else wishing to attend please let Alison know as soon as possible – see last week’s blog for details.

At last, the overhaul of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T locomotive No. 5643
has reached the point where some re-assembly is starting to take place. The
frames have been lowered fully onto the wheelsets and six of the eight springs have been re-fitted. Keith and John Dixon are seen here lifting a radial truck spring into position with the help of the gantry crane.

Outside, the bunker has been lifted off the ground to enable the bottom to be inspected, cleaned and painted – John and Keith are seen surveying the bunker in the photo below.

As many of you will already be aware, the bitumen freight traffic from
Haverton to the Total Lanfina plant at Preston has ceased, the last train
running onto the Ribble Steam Railway on Friday, 1st November. The occasion was not without incident as the inward train from Haverton slipped to a stand on Copy Pit bank and was 195 minutes late on arrival behind the Colas Class 56 locomotive, No. 56 105.

The extended delay must have been some of a disappointment to the many
photographers who had turned out for the occasion, but it did allow the Ribble Rail staff and others to photograph the three Sentinel diesels, which had been specially turned out for the occasion, in various positions.

The photographs appear here courtesy of Adrian Tomkinson who was on RR duty that day.
Finally, it is that time of year when we must mention the ‘C’ word. Yes, the
annual Furness Railway Trust Christmas Dinner will take place at the Ribble Pilot pub on the Docklands at Preston at 7pm on Friday, 6th December. Please let Alison Pinch (07846 072409) know if you wish to attend and let her have a £5 deposit along with your choice of food. The Festive Lunch and Dinner menu can be found on the Ribble Pilot website.