A last blog before FR 20 departs to Minehead this Wednesday for its summer holiday. We do not anticipate there being a blog next week.
Last Monday evening saw the FRT Trustees gather for a Zoom meeting. A key decision made was to proceed with the replacement of Peckett 0-4-0ST Caliban’s inner firebox of which more details will be made public in the coming weeks.
Wednesday saw Jon and Sim working applying paint to the mess room roof. 
They have also put a top coat of red on 5643’s buffer beam.
Tim has been tackling the front of the mess room which has suffered some corrosion. 
He has also been painting the firebox cladding sheets for 5643 which will go back into storage now that the tortoise shell mudhole covers have now received the top coat as well.
Keith has been fabricating new boiler water trays for 5643 to replace the previous trays which had suffered from corrosion.
Finally, as some of you will be aware, FRT member Phil Steer’s Borrows 0-4-0 well tank No. 48 The King has returned to Preston after an extensive overhaul at the Flour Mill workshops at Bream. It had previously undertaken some running in trials at the Avon Valley Railway and had its first steaming at Preston on Saturday. Phil is pictured here with his locomotive.