Apologies for the lack of a blog since Christmas caused by post-Christmas
illness. However, that hasn’t stopped the rest of the troops from making good
progress over the last month.
We are pleased to report that our folk group formed of Alan, Tim, Pete and
George got the New Year off to a good start at the Engine Inn, Cark-in-Cartmel
with the audience seemingly having a good time.
Phil Bell and John Davis have been working hard in the kitchen of Great
Eastern Railway royal saloon No. 5 with John seen here fitting new tiles.
Phil and Anne Burton have continued their work on the chaise longue in the
east saloon with Phil pictured here.
The new window straps have arrived and await fitting.
Some new cylinder lubrication pipework has appeared on No. 4979 Wootton
Hall.
Team 5643 have paid two visits to Bury to prepare 5643 for its return home to
Preston, it having successfully completed its last scheduled steaming on the
East Lancashire Railway on the 27th December; the extended ten year boiler
certificate officially expired on the 8th January. The guard irons have been
removed as well as the brick arch and the engine was steamed cleaned last
Thursday.
Caliban’s boiler was subjected to non-destructive testing on Monday, 23rd
January. The initial results were encouraging and we await the final report.
Cumbria had been well used at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
following its re-tube and subsequent return to traffic at the end of October.
Alan, Ade, Tim and John Dixon visited Embsay yesterday to discuss winter
maintenance. It was agreed that one of the eccentrics needs to be re-metalled
and this will be brought to Preston once it has been dismantled.
Needless to say, the opportunity was also taken to look at Stephen Middleton’’s collection of coaches, including the Great Eastern Railway royal saloon of 1877 built for the then Prince of Wales. It was fascinating to compare this early build coach with our own GER No. 5 which was built in 1898 for the Princess of
Wales!
Finally, we have had to incur some unexpected expenditure in repairing the
entrance door to the FRT shed, which was completed today. Unfortunately
this has resulted in the replacement of the lock, so new keys will need to be
issued.