Saturday Gang Report May-August 2015
Introduction
Hello everyone! It has been rather a productive summer for
the Saturday Gang. The last four months have seen steady, if gradual progress
on many of our projects, listed below. This is always a busy time for the
railway, as there are two galas, the summer timetable and numerous Thomas days,
and our Gang continues to power through it all.
In June, the railway also played host to a visiting party of
children from Brownhill School, here for some onsite experience. As we
understand it, the Saturday Gang’s online presence was one of the reasons this
visit took place. In which case we are very proud, and hope this will not be
the last incidence of cooperation we enjoy.
But we are equally proud of the work we have accomplished
throughout the spring and summer period. So without further ado, let’s have a
look at the state of our locomotives!
Locomotives
Hunslet Austerity
0-6-0T 25 ‘Northiam’- We have made noticeable progress on this loco. The
foundation ring has been cleaned, lifted back onto the firebox and clamped into
place, while its side plates have been replaced and given a new edge.
However, the most visible transformation is the cab and saddle tank, now decked
out in a new coat of blue paint. The crew from Brownhill were assigned part of
this job. Similarly, the cab interior has a new grey undercoat as of this
summer.
GWR 1600 Class
0-6-0PT 1638- Work continues on the boiler section of our ‘Pannier.’ We
painted the interior smokebox plates near the start of the season, and the
tubes have all been cleaned and reinserted. The boiler was also briefly turned
over 90 degrees for some work during July.
LB&SCR A1X Class
(Terrier) 0-6-0T 32678 ‘Knowle’- Always a popular runner on the vintage
set, this ‘Terrier’ has received a few cleanouts recently. After a boiler washout in May, we’ve
also removed and cleaned the blastpipe, as well as sweeping out the smokebox in
general.
NSB 21C Class 2-6-0 376
‘Norwegian’- Occasional work done on this loco throughout the last few
months. The removal and reattachment of the left-hand steam pipe cover can be
seen in the video reports below, as can a recent boiler washout.
WD USA Class 0-6-0T
DS238 ‘Wainwright’- This loco remains in the early stages of overhaul, but
we have reinserted the blast pipe and ground to fit the regulator valve plate.
Manning Wardle O
Class 0-6-0 T 14 ‘Charwelton’- Some work ongoing on this loco; most notably
the blast pipe has been reinserted.
Ransomes & Rapier
30-ton Steam Crane DS81- OK, OK! I know this isn’t a locomotive, but it’s
still a valuable piece of railway machinery that the Saturday Gang has been
working on. We’ve given this crane an extensive cleaning, and its chimney’s
been modified to fit through the shed doors. Incidentally, this crane was used
to turn over the aforementioned Pannier’s boiler. As of the end of August, a
new lamp bracket is being constructed for it.
Videos
Conclusion
Well that’s all for our summer entry. If you want to keep up to speed (and
you haven’t already!), please do like our Facebook page and subscribe to our
SaturdayGangVideos YouTube channel. The next blog will most likely come in
early January, detailing the remainder of this year. But until then, rest
assured that the Saturday Gang will carry on the good work!
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