Wednesday 25th August, just 4 months to Xmas....
And it feels like it today; a cold, leaden sky with a promise of heavy rain greeted us on the Wednesday before August Bank Holiday weekend... What's all this nonsense we keep hearing about Global Warming??
Wadebridge and the 9F were the service locos today, Frank asked a couple of us to tweak Wadebridge's brakes before she went off shed at 09-30. Whilst Mark checked to see how much adjustment was left I went and fetched the Bulleid brake spanner; a wondrous thing (that I forgot to photograph..) A couple of the brake shoes were deemed to be close to their wear limits so were quickly changed before application of said spanner. My nice clean (new) gloves were quickly made to look like the ones I just binned as the adjusting mechanism is kept well greased.
Wadebridge was sent away and Frank said as we'd done so well, we might as well check and replace the Standard 5 tender brake shoes as she was having a boiler washout and going no-where today. It was over the ash-pit and for some reason today there was more than the usual amount of ash to clear; that together with the water draining from the boiler made for interesting underfoot conditions in the pit!
It took us a while to find the correct BR3 shoes for it and we'd just got one side done before the heavens opened, though we would have got it done sooner if I, being everso helpfull, decided to remove one we'd already changed! Mark, being a respectful, well brought up young man couldn't resist calling me the silly old git that I am as I convulsed with laughter....
We scuttled into the workshop and busied ourselves with a few odd's and ends before lunch intervened with a welcome hot cuppa (though we still treated ourselves to the obligatory choc-ice from the station shop for afters; we can pretend it's Summer after all...)
Over lunch the Standard 5 was moved into the wheeldrop shed so that we could finish brake block replacement in the dry. At the far end of the shed, Gerald Whittaker (Signwriter) was putting the finishing touches to the Black 5 by lining the tender; it looks superb and almost looks too good to start using and getting dirty, though that time must surely be imminent.
Elsewhere in the workshop, the main activity was around the U-boat with lubricating pipes being threaded back through frame, under boiler to lubricator. The mechanism to drive lubricator was also being fitted. Bob, looking resplendant in bright coloured holiday hat was working in the smokebox making up the rings to hold the spark arrestor in place between blast pipe and chimney. All in all it was all about doing any job that didn't involve being out in the pouring rain!
Lets hope for some decent bank-holiday weather to pull the crowds in to see Tornado whilst she is still with us; certainly I noticed as I did my "clean" job on train as trainee TTI yesterday that the Tornado effect meant a very busy Tuesday was had for which everyone is very happy!
Until next week; from your Ropley scribe.
Dave.
|
|
Standard 5 is not to be moved
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Because she's having boiler washout
|
Hope my boots don't leak
|
Mark in pit, me outside changing brakeshoes
|
We got one side done before rain tipped down
|
Back in workshop, Les is fitting copper oil pipes that he bent to shape last week to U-boat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Les blissfully un-aware of Gavin
|
Outside, star visitor has warming fire before weekend duties
|
Looking magnificent despite the rain
|
Which Bob has found a dry refuge from
|
Pete and Rob fitting lubricator linkage to U-Boat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Duncan has finished painting whilst Gerald Whittaker finishes lining the Black 5
|
Did you ever see such a gleaming engine?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|