Another short update this week.
More good progress has been made on the Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon this week with Phil Bell having now replaced most of the damaged veneer. Anne and Phil Burton have been attending to the chaise longue in the larger saloon. We are still awaiting delivery of the new moquette which is being chased up. Attention is also being turned to replacing some missing light fittings and door straps.
Looking ahead, the Furness Railway Trust shed will be opened up to the public this coming Saturday, 10th September. Assistance from members in engaging with visitors and showing them around would be very much appreciated. It is a golden opportunity to publicise the work of our volunteer workforce and to recruit new members.
Doing their best to publicise the FRT this last weekend were Tim and Alan, in a reduced Live Steam formation, who performed an impromptu half hour set of mainly railway songs at Fleetwood Folk Club’s second Folk Festival on Sunday afternoon.
Next Tuesday evening, 13th September, will see the Furness Railway Trust AGM taking place in the Furness Railway Trust shed at Preston at 7.30 pm. Please remember, if possible, to bring along the paperwork which was circulated to members with the recent edition of The Iron Horse. It is a chance for members to view the shed and it is hoped that as many as possible will be able to attend. Alison has promised us some refreshments which will need to be eaten!!
John Dixon has formally announced that work on re-covering the roof of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5 had been completed – apart from renewing the cabling to the internal lights which Sam is planning. Inside, work has continued on renewing veneered panels, painting ceilings and cleaning light fittings. More time is also now being spent on sorting out the former kitchen compartment where Ed is seen removing yet more varnish from the woodwork.
Another step forward was taken this week in the refurbishment of Wootton Hall’s tender tanks with the fitting of the reconstructed water take off sump. On Wednesday Ade operated the fork lift truck to lift it from the shed floor onto the tender tank.
We arrived on Friday to find that Keith and Matt had successfully used block and tackle to lift it into place, a perfect fit.
Andy Booth appeared on Friday to announce that Cumbria’s new tubes were now all fitted and that they would be beaded over when he returns from holiday.
Finally, we can reveal the latest loco to arrive at the Ribble Steam Railway. With no room available in the running shed it was shunted into the shop!
With Ade driving RSR’s mid-week train on Wednesday and Alan away on holiday, it has been a slightly quieter week. However, work has continued on Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5 where the much anticipated replacement veneer arrived just after lunch on Friday. Phil didn’t waste any time in starting to cut and fit some of the new veneer as can be seen here.
The next job in the saloon will be to re-fit the vents and light fittings which are currently receiving attention from John Dixon.
John Davis has been continuing the job of removing old varnish from the kitchen compartment cupboard doors.
The removal of the centre springs from Wootton Hall has given Fred the opportunity to clean up the spring hanger bolts, collars and washers.
Work has continued on Great Eastern Royal Saloon No. 5, with Tim completing the painting of the corniche mouldings and John Dixon installing the last of the re-built vents on the roof. The moquette for the chaise longue in the large saloon has been ordered and, in anticipation of this, the saloon ceiling is in the course of being repainted, hopefully to be completed this week. John Davis has been working on some of the wooden beading.
The replacement veneer has also been ordered and John Davis and Phil are seen here planning its installation – or it could just be another “seats of the week” photo?!
Keith has again been busy working on Wootton Hall‘s tender, seen here with Ron Crowe attempting to remove a stubborn nut from one of the spring hanger bolts.
There has been further progress with the repairs to Wootton Hall’s tender tank with Ian Massey welding in a new front plate last Tuesday.
Matt Crabtree has also continued his welding work on the tank, seen here last Friday using a magnet to hold a new piece of metal in place prior to tacking it in place with weld.
Fluff’s new cab roof is now well and truly in place with Phil Bell drilling some fixing holes.
He has also been replacing some missing step boards with wood from old church pews supplied by Fred. (Note the suitable kneeling position…!)
Over at Embsay, Andy Booth has been cutting out Cumbria‘s old tubes in readiness for a boiler examination last Thursday. Matt Anderson had removed the blast pipe, blower and brick arch in readiness for the re-tubing. The photo by Mike Rigg’s son last Wednesday shows the old tubes propped up against the front buffer beam.
The new tubes were transported across to Embsay last Friday, with Matt Crabtreee on hand to perform the tricky exercise of extricating them from the FRT shed at Preston with the fork lift truck.
Phil is seen drilling fixing holes in the bridging piece, watched by John.
Ade has been busy readying the eccentric straps for fitting on Caliban.
George appeared at Preston on Saturday and was given the task of removing the nuts and cups from Wootton Hall‘s spring hangers. The middle hangers proved particularly difficult and required the application of some heat and a sledge hammer to achieve success. 
It must have been around sixty years since they were fitted.
Our folk group Live Steam had a successful fund raising outing at the Engine Inn, Cark-in-Cartmel, on Friday evening, seemingly brushing away any cobwebs gathered since the last gig on New Year’s Eve. Another gig is in the offing if diaries can be coordinated.
Despite the warmer weather this week, John Dixon and Tim managed to get two coats of undercoat applied to the roof of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5. John surprised us all by having to confess that he had discovered a rare mistake in that he had put one of the rain strips in the wrong place!! Still, as they say, the man who never made a mistake never did anything! Heat permitting, it is hoped to put a top coat of paint on the roof on Wednesday.
Ade has been trying to fit the larger of Caliban‘s two pistons into one of the re-bored cylinders. A skim on a lathe is probably now required to ensure that this job can be completed.
John Davis and Phil Bell have made further progress in fitting Fluff’s new roof.
We had a rare visit from Bob Thomson on Friday. We couldn’t get a smile out of him for the photo but assume that he was happy to be back.
Finally, the latest edition of The Iron Horse magazine has been delivered from the printer and should be with members very shortly, along with the Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts and an invitation to the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday evening, 13th September.
John Davis and John Dixon are seen moving the cage door into position.
John Dixon makes the final adjustments to the cage.
Phil Bell and John Dixon secure the roof.
Inside the shed, John Davis and Phil Bell have lifted the first half of Fluff’s roof into place. John Davis is in Fluff’s cab whilst John Dixon (right) continues his work on the final two vents for the roof of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5. Matt Crabtree and Keith Brewer discuss progress on welding new steelwork on Wootton Hall’s tender.
We were pleased to welcome Wilfie Pinch who has spent his first day working in the FRT shed. He is seen here with Sam preparing daily water treatment sachets for FR 20.
Ade has been wrestling with Caliban’s valve spindles.
The overhaul of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon GER No. 5 moves on, with John Davis seen here removing the old leatherette to allow more detailed inspection of the interior and then planned replacement by moquette.
John Dixon is nearing completion of the new gas bottle cage, the concrete base for which was laid as planned last Wednesday.
We are nearing the end of work on the roof of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5. John Dixon is finishing off a few jobs before it will be time to apply several coats of white paint onto the roof. The tops have now been fitted to the gas lamp housings.
Phil and Anne Burton appeared last Wednesday and we are pleased to be able to report that Anne has been making good progress after damaging her arm in a fall away from the railway. The end of the chaise longue has been removed for further investigation prior to being reupholstered.
The woodwork inside the corridor of the coach has been transformed with the removal of old varnish which has been painstakingly carried out by the very patient and dedicated team. Measurements were taken last week with a view to ordering some replacement veneer where it is needed.
Matt Crabtree was back at work on Wootton Hall’s tender on Saturday where he has been practising his welding skills.
The lower part of the left hand tender side has now received a layer of filler to even out all the old paintwork. Good use has been made of the new dustless sanding machine in preparing the surface for a first coat of paint.
Another project taking shape has been the creation of the new gas bottle cage, with John Dixon seen here working on it. Concrete for the base has been ordered for 4 pm this Wednesday afternoon. Bring your wellies if you would like to lend a hand.
This week’s “seats of the week” photo sees Dave Starkie making a welcome return to speak to Alan Middleton and Keith Brewer.
Finally, Sam Middleton is taking his practical firing test this next Saturday. He was spotted having some pre-exam practice on Grant Richie No. 272 last Saturday. Good luck, Sam!