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.