Friday, 31 December 2010
Progress Friday 31st December 2010
Supplementary Progress Thursday 30th December 2010
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Progress Thursday 30th December 2010
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Progress Wednesday 29th December 2010
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Progress Tuesday 28th December 2010
Monday, 27 December 2010
Progress Monday 27th December 2010
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Thursday 23rd December 2010
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Progress Wednesday 22nd December 2010
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Progress Tuesday 21st December 2010
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Progress Report Sunday the 19th of December 2010
It is with some relief that we have despatched Santa back to the North
Pole so he can get himself ready for his upcoming round-the-world tour.
This year's Santa Trains have been, as far as we can tell from visitor's
comments, well received, and many people feel this is because of the
rather unique approach we appear to have. Many thanks, therefore, to all
who have helped in any way with this seasonal jollyfication. We can all
feel the warmth of this endeavour, particularly now that Connor is no
longer standing in front of the buffet car heater.
Meanwhile, down at Stoke Shed, sorry Wirksworth TMD, the steam team have
been addressing the axle box oilers of Henry Ellison, and have rebuilt
the back cab panel, as well as repaired the front buffer beam, in a
necessarily highly complicated and time-consuming manner.
While all this was going on around them, the conscripts, oddly seen to
be skipping along the platform, which can only be due to festive cheer
or tight underwear, have moved further cut brash from various locations
to be disposed of.
In advance news, we will be running a service to Idridgehay, "weather
permitting", on New Years Day and the 2nd of January. Details can be
found on the website.
As this is my final DM slot for this year, may I wish all our
volunteers, shareholders, members and readers a very Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas
Anton
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Progress Saturday 18th December 2010
Friday, 17 December 2010
Progress Friday 17th December 2010
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Progress Thursday 16th December 2010
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Progress Tuesday 15th December 2010
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Progress Tuesday 14th December 2010
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Progress Report Sunday the 12th of December
A pleasant and successful day of Santa Trains, thanks to all concerned
for a world of effort. For next week, all our reindeer have been fed and
are ready to fly, as are several of our pigs. Various other business was
conducted including the cosmetic painting of J94 "The Duke" prior to its
display shortly; the conscripts continued to clear snow from the
platforms, cleaned Iris, and moved some brash which has been a
long-standing and unwanted addition to the south end of platform 1 to
the fire; the class 20 received routine maintenance from its seasonally
bedecked fitters.
All the best,
Rudolf
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Progress Saturday 11th December 2010
Friday, 10 December 2010
Progress Friday 10th December 2010
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Progress Thursday 9th December 2010
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Progress Wednesday 8th December 2010
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Progress Tuesday 7th December 2010
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Progress Saturday 4th December 2010
Friday, 3 December 2010
Progress Friday 3rd December 2010
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Train Service Suspended - Saturday 4th December
Progress Thursday 2nd December 2010
Progress Wednesday 1st December 2010
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Progress Tuesday 30th November 2010
Train Services in Bad Weather
Monday, 29 November 2010
Progress Monday 29th November 2010
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Progress Sunday 28th November 2010
Today we mainly ate pies. At the start of the day, the temperature was
minus 12 at Idridgehay and by the end of the day it had risen to an
almost bucolic minus 9 at Wirksworth. The staff warmed their noodles on
the Mess Room radiators and defrosted their pies in the GLV microwaves,
only to have them re-freeze on the way back to the Mess Room. The locals
were found to be quietly skiing to the shops.
The principal thrust of the day was the repair of the cab windows in the
class 108, the only feasible work in such conditions, though the Duty
Conscript continued to clear the quad of snow and removed some man-sized
icicles from around the station. The weather took its toll of our
equipment and will staff please note that LJ Breeze is whores de combat
with a frozen reversing system which requires fitters attention. The
Mess Room pipes are frozen up and despite heroic efforts, heroic I say,
not all the washing up has been done. Water can be obtained from the
Booking Hall, where the heat generated by the till is keeping the pipes
clear. Staff were reported at Duffield and polar bears were apparently
eating the residents of Middleton.
Today's picture is actually yesterday's picture of Lewis closing the
gates at Idridgehay, kindly provided by Richard Buckby.
The Mess Room cooker has also gone south for the winter, so if anyone is
disposing of their old one and replacing it with a new multi-million
pound B&Q kitchen, we may be interested in your old one (electric only,
hob and oven type needed). I can be contact on my direct email of
anton.shone@btconnect.com to save everyone the deep joy of a discussion
about cookers.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Progress Saturday 27th November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Progress Thursday 25th November 2010
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Progress Wednesday 24th November 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Progress Tuesday 23rd November 2010
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Progress Report Sunday the 21st of November 2010
A rather chilly day in parts, with some of our parts being more chilly
than others. A host of activities occupied the many volunteers who
attended today. Starting at Duffield (for once), the entire and utter
staff of that station tidied up around the station office and moved
various items of brash and tat which had sadly accumulated there.
Meanwhile, the conscripts had arrived at Wirksworth and the word
"drains" was the first instruction issued, followed by "spades" and
"boots".
In the yard, the steam team, using the full power which the yard can
provide (having first turned the kettle off) welded parts of the boiler
of Henry Ellison as part of the restoration programme of that
locomotive. Also in the yard, Santa's Helpers (High Peak Division)
completed the major works on the Emporium de St Nicholas, and it also
looks very fine, with an especially fetching window, that Bob Cratchet
will be peering out of, come Christmas.
Around the Training Room, complete with its new step, the Global
Marketing Dept held a meeting to determine a cunning plan to take over
the world using the Bubble Car and a crack team of specially trained
dogs from Turnditch.
While this was taking place the Gat Ex Fitter (Bramson's Grease and
Tools Plc), addressed the droplights in the Buffet Car, which have been
known to give our guards back-strain trying to open them. In addition,
the reputed failure of the FO motor alternator set was traced to a loose
wire, with the full force of the railway's engineering skill having been
brought to bear upon it, and for which we are hopeful of a resolution in
a very soon moment.
The DMU team, being so populous as to have to split themselves into two,
firstly engaged in assorted repairs to the cab of the class 108 and then
assembled and arranged the recently arrived and newly painted seat
frames for the Met Cam centre car, and this is the subject of today's
picture, which shows them laid out ready to be bolted down: we hope to
be able to compare this picture to the finished product very shortly.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Progress Saturday 20th November 2011
Friday, 19 November 2010
Progress Friday 19th November 2010
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Progress Thursday 18th November 2010
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Progress Wednesday 17th November 2010
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Progress Tuesday 16th November 2010
New Version of the Stock List Available for Download
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Progress Sunday the 14th of November 2010
A foggy start, which soon cleared. In a highly unusual move, the Duty
Conscript was out of the door to start work before our own staff. The
first task of the day, was then, to finish the removal of the remaining
ballast bags from the north end of platform 1 and transmit the contents
down the yard, by the miracle of the hand trolley, to complete the Shed
Drain. The completion of this work was rapturously received by the Steam
Team, whose joy at not having to negotiate the drain after 2 1/2 years
was plain. The balance of what remained in the ballast bags was used to
fill in the cribs next to the fuelling point, as many staff walk in this
part of the yard as well.
Meanwhile, the DMU team, aroused by this show of interest in work,
managed to stagger out of the Mess Room in the direction of the Class
108. A fruitful day saw them finish the painting of the chassis parts of
that unit, with a great deal of underframe black slapped around, closely
followed by red, white and orange. Other members of the Team attached
both handrails and steps. In an effort to prove Mr Fergy-Lee's statement
about our ability to attach pictures to this edifice, which is the daily
report, I attach a picture of the DMU Team being "supervised" by Mr Rob
Green, who is looking very cheerful, having just passed his ECS exam
(L-R in the picture: Brad, Leigh, Connor and Rob). Further driver
training took place on the M55006 during the day and the train crew were
refreshed by the the station staff at Duffield. Also at Duffield, a
mammoth leaf clearing exercise took place, closed followed by the
replacement of the boarding on the down slow footbridge abutment, which
had been blown off by Al-Quaeda. Oh, I'm sorry, I wanted that to sound
more interesting than it was, so I made it up, like they do on the TV.
Actually it fell off and has been restored by Rodders.
Back in Wirksworth, the small but perfectly formed Steam Team were
engaged in preparing the cab floor plating on Henry Ellison and, er,
delivering a boat. Also in the yard, the Class 20 received routine
maintenance, principally involving a bucket, and the Elves were hard at
it preparing Santa's Toy shop. We were all, quite, quite exhausted.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Progress Saturday 13th November 2010
Friday, 12 November 2010
Progress Friday 12th November 2010
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Progress Thursday 11th November 2010
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Progress Wednesday 10th November 2010
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Progress Tuesday 9th November 2010
Monday, 8 November 2010
Progress on the 10th Anniversary Day Monday 8th November 2010
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Progress Sunday the 7th of November 2010
A bright, if chilly, winters day here with volunteers pottering around
dealing with a wide range of necessary tasks. For the first time this
year, there was no Sunday passenger service, though there will be a few
trains on Saturdays in November to Idridgehay. In this blissful peace
some jobs were got to grips with that couldn't be done while passenger
services were running, including the removal of several ballast bags
from the north end of platform 3, with a couple still to move. The
conscripts were occupied in this task and also broke the back of the
shed drain job, which should be complete next week if all goes well.
Around the yard the newly arrived J94 received painting attention in the
shed, and work also proceeded on the LMS brake van. One of our other
brake vans received its cosmetic wooden cladding from the Rod and Mary
Show, in preparation for the scheduled visit in December of one Nicholas
S Claus. Also on the woodwork front, the Training Room steps were
repaired by ASM Woodhouse and the interior checked for leaks, after the
roof was recently treated, and this appears to have done the trick.
Further remedial work took place on the Gat Ex doors and the Gat Ex
water tanks and toilets were checked and winterised.
The DMU team first attended to some computer work and Mr Kilroy's cat
will shortly be on-line. The team then devoted themselves to checks on
the Bubble Car, which proved satisfactory. Duffield Station was
inspected, along with some passing Black Fives, and a station ladder,
the disabled ramps and the solar unit battery were transmitted to that
station; however, an immediate return was delayed while tea was made
using the slowest boiling kettle in Christendom.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Progress Saturday 6th November
Friday, 5 November 2010
Progress Friday 5th November 2010
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Progress Thursday 4th November 2010
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Progress Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Progress Tuesday 2nd November 2010
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Progress Sunday the 31st of October 2010
A foggy start in Wirksworth resulting in the rest of the kingdom being
cut off from civilisation. However, the day cleared and small groups of
volunteers emerged from the murk to carry the railway forward once
again. The passenger service had a modestly successful final timetabled
day of the year and the Day with a Driver guest, from London via
Sheffield, was happily satisfied with his experience.
In the yard, work proceeded on Ferrybridge No3 and the ashpan was
removed and the firebars were scrapulated. On our other steamer, Henry
Ellison, the foundation ring was cleaned and the bottom edge of her
firebox was ground with a grinder. The other grinder (powered by the
Passenger Dept bicycle) was used on the doors of the class 108, as
eloquently described by Leigh yesterday, wherein the old paint and
Formica was removed by several members of the DMU Team wearing small
round white hats. The doors on this vehicle are now finished, to
considerable rejoicing, as well as dancing round the bicycle.
It being a day of doors, Team Bramson took another of the faulty GatEx
doors to pieces, greased it up to its cotter pins and several other
parts and returned it to working order: only one more to go. While the
doors were being fettled, the middle yard gate received a modest repair,
which, while not quite as railway-like as one might hope, will at least
stop it scraping along the ground and giving us a hernia trying to open it.
The Duty Conscript was once again delegated to the shed drain effort and
this is coming along nicely, if not especially quickly. Meanwhile,
Higham Enterprises was engaged in fulfilling the recent request of the
LMSCA to have BSK 34625 (a BR mark 1 brake corridor coach, little noted
to date in these historic annals) cleaned, in readiness for the start of
its repairs. Said BSK was tidied up, swept and mopped, much to its surprise.
Meanwhile, as Mr Tarry has now left the building, an application has
been made to the Department for Transport to have the Mess Room
re-franchised. A new franchise will start as soon as the 15 year
fast-track tendering process is complete, at which time the Mess Room
will be renamed the "Characterful Leisure Area". It will receive a new
livery, double the number of seats in the same space and have all the
windows removed, so people don't waste their time looking out of them.
All the best,
Anton