Back at Shack for 2010...And "Sir Gomer"s Coming Back!...
Hi all! Today, for the first time in 2010 (due to the recent bad weather and freezing conditions!), I paid a visit to my standard gauge concern at Shackerstone for a full day of work. Arriving at 9:15am, I was first on site and, after signing in, made my way to the shed where I met with the recent new resident, "Morris", the Shed Cat! He was waiting patiently for his food and, after opening the entire shed up & turning on all lights, I fed "Morris" before having a look around. Everything stood exactly where it had done the last time I was down. One fact I knew of was that under-overhaul "Sir Gomer" had still not received her newly refurbished boiler from Llangollen in Wales. (Her boiler should have already been returned & re-fitted but its steam test in Wales was put back by a few weeks due to the local water supplies freezing solid. Therefore, it still isn't back!). Though not complete, the Peckett looks well: The frames are internally painted, the valve timings have been reset, the rods have been burnished, the wheels have been de-greased, the smaller fittings have been refurbished and the axleboxes have been kept well-oiled. Therefore, on return of the boiler, the Peckett can be "piped up" and should be steaming outside the works within 2 months, hopefully(!!) in time for Easter...No promises are made though as steam engines are unpredictable things!... 
The Peckett is, as many know, our flagship steam engine and, though a 'small' ex-NCB locomotive, "Sir Gomer" is capable of moving loads of over 900-tons on level ground. The engine therefore is "only playing" when hauling the standard 5-6 coach train, though this may come as a surprise to many! Aside from "Sir Gomer", minor work on B1 No1306 "Mayflower" was underway, as was continual restoration on the Riding Van which still stands at the back of the works. Myself and the many of the lads were outside for most of the day. We estimate that we scrapped over 1 ton of metal and we also burnt a vast amount of rubbish and tidied the South Yard to no end. Meanwhile, Class 02 shunter "Diane" was receiving the first half of its brand-new repaint by two of our other colleagues. The small shunter, used predominantly for shunting the steam engines, is currently enjoying cosmetic restoration after many years wearing a delapidated livery. Elsewhere, I spent hours digging out a large section of the South Yard embankment and this created a better, safer pathway on the yard-edge, leading around to the shed access on the west-facing side. Finally, discussions were under way regarding "forgotten" Bagnall "Lamport No3"... 
The compact yet very powerful Bagnall, which requires a hefty-overhaul to get her back into steamable condition, is planned to leave her "resting place" and venture into the great outdoors after a good few years hidden away. The Bagnall will be cleaned-up and displayed at our Whitsun Weekend "Bank Holiday Steam Up" at the end of May, hopefully taking up a position in the North End yard, well in the public gaze. I must admit though, a good 1/2 inch of dust needs cleaning off the top of the cab & Saddle Tank before it can be properly spruced up! At around 5:30pm, most of us had packed up and myself, Carl, Craig, Chris and Pockets headed off to "sign off" and depart, leaving the "Riding Van" group still working away on their project. I'll hopefully be at Shackerstone in two weeks time on Feburary 7th where, fingers crossed, "Gomer"s boiler may be back! Next weekend I'm off to the Great Central Railway's annual "Winter Steam Gala", offering 8 Midland locomotive's on many different train movements! (It'll be great!...Don't Miss The Post On It!). Thanks For Reading, Evening All...
Hi all! Today, for the first time in 2010 (due to the recent bad weather and freezing conditions!), I paid a visit to my standard gauge concern at Shackerstone for a full day of work. Arriving at 9:15am, I was first on site and, after signing in, made my way to the shed where I met with the recent new resident, "Morris", the Shed Cat! He was waiting patiently for his food and, after opening the entire shed up & turning on all lights, I fed "Morris" before having a look around. Everything stood exactly where it had done the last time I was down. One fact I knew of was that under-overhaul "Sir Gomer" had still not received her newly refurbished boiler from Llangollen in Wales. (Her boiler should have already been returned & re-fitted but its steam test in Wales was put back by a few weeks due to the local water supplies freezing solid. Therefore, it still isn't back!). Though not complete, the Peckett looks well: The frames are internally painted, the valve timings have been reset, the rods have been burnished, the wheels have been de-greased, the smaller fittings have been refurbished and the axleboxes have been kept well-oiled. Therefore, on return of the boiler, the Peckett can be "piped up" and should be steaming outside the works within 2 months, hopefully(!!) in time for Easter...No promises are made though as steam engines are unpredictable things!... 
The Peckett is, as many know, our flagship steam engine and, though a 'small' ex-NCB locomotive, "Sir Gomer" is capable of moving loads of over 900-tons on level ground. The engine therefore is "only playing" when hauling the standard 5-6 coach train, though this may come as a surprise to many! Aside from "Sir Gomer", minor work on B1 No1306 "Mayflower" was underway, as was continual restoration on the Riding Van which still stands at the back of the works. Myself and the many of the lads were outside for most of the day. We estimate that we scrapped over 1 ton of metal and we also burnt a vast amount of rubbish and tidied the South Yard to no end. Meanwhile, Class 02 shunter "Diane" was receiving the first half of its brand-new repaint by two of our other colleagues. The small shunter, used predominantly for shunting the steam engines, is currently enjoying cosmetic restoration after many years wearing a delapidated livery. Elsewhere, I spent hours digging out a large section of the South Yard embankment and this created a better, safer pathway on the yard-edge, leading around to the shed access on the west-facing side. Finally, discussions were under way regarding "forgotten" Bagnall "Lamport No3"... 
The compact yet very powerful Bagnall, which requires a hefty-overhaul to get her back into steamable condition, is planned to leave her "resting place" and venture into the great outdoors after a good few years hidden away. The Bagnall will be cleaned-up and displayed at our Whitsun Weekend "Bank Holiday Steam Up" at the end of May, hopefully taking up a position in the North End yard, well in the public gaze. I must admit though, a good 1/2 inch of dust needs cleaning off the top of the cab & Saddle Tank before it can be properly spruced up! At around 5:30pm, most of us had packed up and myself, Carl, Craig, Chris and Pockets headed off to "sign off" and depart, leaving the "Riding Van" group still working away on their project. I'll hopefully be at Shackerstone in two weeks time on Feburary 7th where, fingers crossed, "Gomer"s boiler may be back! Next weekend I'm off to the Great Central Railway's annual "Winter Steam Gala", offering 8 Midland locomotive's on many different train movements! (It'll be great!...Don't Miss The Post On It!). Thanks For Reading, Evening All...
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