Progress Report Sunday the 29th of January 2012

Dear all,

It was somewhat chilly round our parts today, but considerable
satisfaction kept us warm. The Duty Conscript toiled in the regular
weekend task of tidying up, and a number of piles were removed, as well
as sorting out and sweeping the area round the wheelie bin. The platform
grit has now been filed out of sight behind the Model Railway Container
and the ballast bags have been filed similarly behind the weighbridge.
The embankment garden again received treatment.

The LMS Brake Van team, possibly after today's sausages to be renamed
the LMS lunch break team, made their endeavour secure, warmed their toes
on the new stove and declared themselves well satisfied with progress.

In the yard, the entire and utter DMU team proceeded with wiring up the
class 119, neglected for so long due to other priorities, and the
semblance of a driver's desk began to appear from the murk. Almost the
entire foul orange Formica was stripped, an arduous job because it is
glued on to the panels: it has to be heated up and then chipped off bit
by awful bit. Bramson Enterprises did this all day and now has RSI in
the wrist department. Work was also achieved on window trim. Again the
predominant sound in the Mess Room from the DMU team afterwards was one
of quiet satisfaction.

The station working party, having spent yesterday stripping the
accoutrements from the Booking Hall prior to repairs, had yesterday
scraped and sanded the poster boards, which will now be repainted before
being re-hung. The major activity of wood prefabrication was, however,
completed to great joy and the working party then went on to assist
Yarnall's Fast Finishers with the reconstruction of the Beer Store
fence, the result of which is to make that area more discrete and
presentable.

All the best,
Anton

Progress

Dear all,

A very quiet day with not many volunteers on site. A rare occurrence as we increase our enterprise.

The Passenger Department dealt with the usual array of interesting phone calls and performed many routine admin tasks throughout the day.

A small DMU team cleared out the front compartment of the Class 119 ready for the interior side panelling work to begin and they also installed a 'new' BIS so that the flow of electrons around the vehicle could become easier.

Work continued on 55006, with more metal being added to the side after yesterdays repairs to the cant rail.

And that seems to be about it.

Leigh

Progress Thursday 26th January 2011

Dear all

 

Yet another hectic day with our customer training his customer on the proper use of the machines before they enter service this weekend. Everyone declared the day a success and we hope to see them again before too long and my thanks go to Mick Thomas for facilitating their time with us.

 

The PWT spent their time at Wirksworth discharging the garden quality sleepers to the car park for sale and the defective concrete ones to the trolleys north of Cemetery Lane bridge. The Works Train has been prepared for next week and loaded with some 300 base plates and 900 elastic spikes resulting in the need for much embrocation this evening. I have already taken mine but may manage another finger before the night is out.

 

Much work on the EVRA shop redevelopment has taken place together with further work on the temporary steam shed. The Second Open has had its first coat of Umber undercoat and the Bubble Car south cab steelwork attended to. The dmu team also resolved flywheel repairs to 51505 and changed a drop light on 51188 and unusually finished in daylight hours.

 

The VCT commenced work on a request from an insurance company investigating settlement on a house north of Duffield Tunnel that had been built on a clay base. The request to us was to clear all the vegetation our side of the boundary as this was deemed to be absorbing water contributing to the problem.

 

We had a new lone worker today as John Silvester single handedly completed most of the studding up of the interior partitions of the new Duffield toilet block and reported that he was exhausted!

 

Not bad for a dank and cold Thursday.

 

Martin

Progress Wednesday 25th January 2012

Dear all

 

The delight today was to welcome a mytesttrack customer who will also be with us tomorrow. They have been ably hosted by Mick Thomas for quite a long day and will welcome their customers to a demonstration tomorrow. This is the first "real" MTT customer we have had for some time and their visit coincided with another potential client who, if all goes well, will occupy us for most days in March. It is all very warming.

 

The Second Open had its roof completed as it moves towards the Pullman image and work progressed on the enlargement of the EVRA shop following the acquisition of a separate Information Centre. The lone Carriage Cleaner was not alone today being joined by Eric as they gave the Santa set a deep clean. Will he return to this essential but largely unloved task to keep the lone Carriage Cleaner company?

 

The DTT inserted the second door lintel in the new Duffield toilet block and much research was undertaken to source all the necessary fittings a minimal cost. Nonetheless, this project is likely to absorb some £5,000 and, even at this price, is a saving on hiring portaloos.

 

The PWT were active at Shottle with four panels of the loop line secured with spikes or eclips as appropriate and fishplated up. The Booking Hall continued the good work of taking and making the arrangements for the increasing group bookings flowing in this year.

 

A very nice and touching touch to our activities was a report from Paul that he had noticed the Heage Windmill volunteers were appealing for apple wood. In the VCT's felling activities two mature apple trees have been felled and, at the request of Heage, have been logged into 3ft lengths and transported to Hazelwood for collection tomorrow. The wood will be stored for some years and apparently, when ready, are used in the gearing of the windmill. Given the late lamented Colin Blower divided his time between us and the windmill it is a great association of his two loves.

 

The last two days have seen encouraging support for the enterprise by our shareholders giving much needed lift to our immediate aspirations. We also spotted a group in a white transit van that seem to be taking a great interest in batteries. The registration number has been stored should there be any unplanned activity in this area.

 

Another very good day.

 

Martin

Progress Tuesday 24th January 2011

Dear all

 

A day of extraordinary productivity and record consumption of tea. The Filing Fairy continued her never ending quest to ensure our paperwork is up to date partly caused by an ever increasing influx of new volunteer faces. This is the subject of much celebration as it means we continue to grow and be able to achieve an ever growing range of projects.

 

The LMSCA gained an extra volunteer today as they tackled the renovation of M27001 and the VCT were in action with their continued attack on the lineside vegetation. The PWT were in solid action at Shottle with four panels of the proposed loop fitted with rails and a collection of concrete sleepers yielded from the trolleys isolated at Gorsey Bank spaced out ready to receive rail.

 

The DST fielded a team of 10 and reported work on all three of our steam locomotives. The Bubble Car's southern cab windows were removed yesterday and remedial work on their surrounds was carried out today.In the south the DTT achieved one lintel of the two new doorways and made significant progress with the interior partitioning.

 

Chris R assisted our Station Garage to get on line to enable us to book our vehicles in whilst active on the Railway. A start has been made on extending the EVRA shop area into the former Information Office and the Booking Hall nearly reached the end of our current mailout to shareholders as well as dealing with an ever increasing pace of enquiries about the upcoming season.

 

Amazingly good day.

 

Martin

A Bit of Skiffle

Dear all,

Some of you may remember that back in November the Please Y'self Skiffle Band came to Wirksworth to film the video for their new single Dead or Alive.

The video is now available on YouTube for all to see at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaoa9DEieAM . We've decided we really quite like it!

Leigh

Progress Sunday the 22nd of January 2012

Dear all,

A day of high winds in the Ecclesbourne Valley saw us receive several
donations, including a very large blue UFO, which proved to be a
trampoline, deposited in the yard next to the Paint Store this morning,
rather to our surprise. Its owners duly came to collect it this evening.
Last week we "received" a bicycle at Wash Green Bridge, and if any of
our esteemed neighbours have lost a child-sized purple bike (in good
condition) they may joyfully reclaim it as their own by letting us know
the make, which is written on it. Our general policy regarding lost
property is that items are kept for a year and a day and if not
reclaimed then disposed of. Clearly many of our younger people like
riding bikes and Connor in particular is reputed to have ridden the
station bike at Preston.

A great deal of other activity has taken place around the yard. The
Embankment Garden has been weeded. The new Information Room has
continued to be fitted out. The LMS brake van has progressed as far as
its doors and is now quite cozy. The monthly safety checks were carried
out by the windswept Safety Officer and we are declared compliant for
the present moment. The DMU team, who are now able to give the class 119
their full attention, spent the day chipping yet more of the foul orange
Formica from that vehicle's vestibule and have been repairing the window
trims as well.

In general we have had yet another day of major woodwork, with repairs
to the Community Garden bench, which was duly returned to its high
vantage point, and the rest of us have been doing pre-fabricating work
and are now suffering from Sawyer's Elbow and Driller's Armpit, which
can only be resolved by the application of embrocation.

All the best,
Anton