Monday 16th September 2024

Another very short blog this week.

We have taken delivery of a large metal recycling skip this last week with a view to weighing in redundant tubes, superheater flues, superheater elements and anything else that doesn’t have any useful purpose. This should keep us busy for a few hours!

Caliban's boiler ready to goCaliban’s boiler is scheduled to be picked up on Wednesday morning for its trip to the Williton workshop of the West Somerset Railway where it will receive a new inner firebox. Ade has been in today to move 5643’s side tanks out of the way for the booked hi-ab to lift the boiler. Hopefully the hi-ab will also be able to bring back the first batch of stays for 5643 that we have ordered from Williton and then pick up the superheater elements for 5643 and a coupling rod for Wootton Hall from Tyseley. It will also be transferring a GWR locomotive water tank from Williton to Tyseley for someone else, so no mileage wasted here! (Don’t ask how many telephone calls and emails this has taken to organise!)

Finally, a final reminder that the Annual General Meeting will be held in the FRT shed at Preston at 7.30 pm this Wednesday, 18th September. We’d love to see as many as possible of our members there.