A busy week of operations as the six car set at Llangollen has been used on three days of a Thomas event. The new 108 again performed without fault, and will be going solo later on in the year.
Meanwhile back in Pentrefelin, work has continued to install the insulation material, this work is now almost complete in the centre saloon which is the largest part of the vehicle to do. That just leaves the first class area to start and finish.
The Cravens team have many talents, and moved inside the shed for a morning on the Wickham. This allowed them to remove all of the damaged windows discovered last week, ready for new glass to be fitted.
In the afternoon, they returned into the Cravens, and continued with the fiddly task of fitted various items of woodwork to allow the wall paneling to be attached in first class.
A busy week of running at Llangollen with the 109 being out in service for most of the week.
56223 received its final coat of gloss, and was then lined out, and numbering applied. The unit is pictured out the depot ready for service next weekend.
Unfortunately the Wickham trailer car has been damaged by stone throwers. The unit has been shunted into the shed for repairs to take place.
Another busy week running trains at Llangollen. The week concluded with the groups AGM, and a working party afterwards.
The Wickham, and the "new" 108 received a heavy dose of interior cleaning, with the floors swept and mopped, seats vacuumed, windows cleaned, and the toilets sanitised.
A seat frame for 51933 was painted up.
On 51933 the eingine oil and filters where changed, and the fuel filters on no 2 engine changed, along with some other smaller jobs.
56223 was sanded down on the secondmans side ready for another coat of gloss. The roof also received it's final coat of gloss earlier in the week.
In the Cravens the rear jumper sockets have now been fitted on, with the wiring to be connected up at a later date. Another speaker also went up in the centre saloon.
The fitting of insulation material to the ceiling has now concluded apart from a small section at the rear to allow the back wall to be rebuilt. Work has now started on fitting the material to the walls of the first class compartment which is progressing at a good pace.
This week has been another busy week of running. With a bonus running day on Sunday with the 109 substituting for a failed steam engine on the final trip of the day. As well as four days of the 109 running "Timetable A", the 104 was used on Saturday for three participants in a driver experience.
During the week time was spent painting the drivers side bogies of the 108 which was in the shed. Attention was also paid to some defective doors on the 127 which have now been put back into service. A bracket was also made up to fit an outdoor LED light onto a previously installed post, unfortunately the rain prevented the bracket being fitted.
In the 105, work continued to install insulation in the rear compartment ceiling, this was completed and work then begun on adding it to the walls in the same area. The desk top for the cab was measured up, and various parts cut out of it to fit the cab controls into. This is another milestone in the restoration!
A spare 108 seat frame has been sourced from Butterley to be fitted into the "new" 108. It was cleaned back to bare metal and some holes welded up. The welder was also used to continue work on constructing a set of steps for the VJX.
56223 received a final coat of gloss to the roof, completing the work on top. The gutters on 56456 and MK2 where also treated to a clean. And the floodlight bracket made in the week was put up, and the floodlight installed.