Thursday, 31 July 2014
Progress Thursday 31st July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Progress Wednesday 30th July 2014
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Progress Tuesday 29th July 2014
Monday, 28 July 2014
Supplementary British Legion Day Monday 28th July 2014
Progress Monday 28th July 2014
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Progress Report Sunday 27th July 2014
Another beautiful sunny day where the passenger trains pottered up and down gently with plenty of happy passengers onboard.
The DMU team worked on 50253 in the yard and some tinkering continued on the complex FO air conditioning problem. Jon touched up the booking office paintwork quietly this afternoon.
Just a note about this week, we have lots of operating days this week and there are some positions left on the rota. There are a couple of Third Man turns Tuesday and Wednesday but also importantly, we need a driver and guard 1 on Tuesday. Please e-mail the rota system if you can help.
ATB
Anton
(Sent by Leigh due to e-mail issues)
Friday, 25 July 2014
Progress Report Friday 25th July 2014
Dear all,
A sweltering day during which we entertained a number of hot but happy driver experience guests.
Down the yard the LMSCA proceeded with their roof vents on their Brake Third Open and baked gently under the tin roof.
Cooke Family Enterprises completed many parts of the platform waiting shelter's repaint assisted by Newcastle University Civil Engineering Department
JCB Purves stripped some poster boards on the front of the Booking Hall ready for a further repaint.
The usual summer mowing and weeding took place with the usual suspects faint from the heat.
Inside Track attended for their charter and a jolly good time was had by all.
ATB,
Anton.
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Progress Thursday 24th July 2014
Progress Wednesday 23rd July 2014
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Progress Tuesday 22nd July 2014
Monday, 21 July 2014
Progress Monday 21st July 2014
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Progress Report Sunday the 20th of July 2014
Dear all,
A very warm summer's day saw us busy with passengers and visitors
attending the Classic Vehicle gala, some making up for yesterday in rather wetter weather. The sound of our trains running to time without fuss or bother was the main source of interest.
As most effort was being directed towards the event there is little to
report in other fields of endeavour apart from some leisurely gardening and some useful improvements made to the newly reconstructed carriage
watering system by Stokes Greenfield Industries.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Progress Report Saturday
Dear All,
The Gods were not kind to us this morning as the heavens opened with torrential rain for the start of our Classic Vehicle Weekend. Still a surprisingly high number of hardy souls braved the monsoon conditions and paid us a visit.
The miniature and model railways were open and the buffet ably coped with today's demands. Grateful thanks to the operational staff who, despite the atrocious conditions at times, ensured all our train services ran to time and our passengers enjoyed a safe and comfortable journey along the valley and up the incline.
Finally, I would like to end this report with a feel good factor. The Bird Man of Mickleover AKA Graham Walker found a baby Chaffinch under one of the LMS Brake Vans. Obviously lost and looking for its parents, our DMU ornithologists went into action and following a few phone calls and a visit to the local vets, Charlie the Chaffinch has been adopted by a veterinary nurse who will look after him until he is ready to make his own way in life. Well done lads!
Here's hoping for a bumper crowd tomorrow when sunnier weather returns.
All the best,
Tom
Friday, 18 July 2014
Progress report Friday the 18th of July 2014
Dear all,
A day of intermittent weather. Intermittently wet and Intermittently
sweltering. We chuffed up and down with our gold experience guest and I am most grateful to all involved for their help.
Down the line at Duffield the staff had an extravaganza of painting and gardening, and back at base the LMSCA carried on with their vents and sides in the BTO and TO.
The Passenger Department carried out its routine readiness checks on the hauled stock, resulting in the application of the screwdriver to a number of locations including compartment tables, door trim and panelling in the CK and some tidying in the BSK.
The carriage watering system was completely repaired by the Station
Foremen using 40 metres of new alkethene pipe and this can now be turned on from the box between line 1 and line 2 opposite the running-in board.
For the benefit of our Operations Dept colleagues, the tanks on the hauled stock were filled by way of testing the reconstructed system. Can I remind all staff that part of the purpose of this system is to prevent hoses being trailed along the platforms.
The door on Sharon The Cleaning Cupboard has also been repaired to prevent it falling on people's toes.
A reminder to Booking Hall staff - ALL vouchers must be collected in exchange for tickets.
Have lovely evening.
All the best,
Anton
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Progress Thursday 17th July 2014
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Progress Wednesday 16th July 2014
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Progress Tuesday 15th July 2014
Monday, 14 July 2014
Progress Monday 14th July 2014
Another manic Monday with the Booking Office processing another load of phone calls, whilst dealing with other associated items. The Pullman saw plenty of customers who came out in the sunshine.
The VCT and flail team were out and about keeping nature at bay for the benefit of all and the LMSCA continued working on the Brake Third coach.
A lone member of the DMU team put some thought towards ensuring all of the drivers indicator lights in the vehicles read correctly. This is, in part, as a result of fixing the through-train start on the centre car yesterday.
Trains again tomorrow!
Leigh
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Progress Report Sunday the 13th of July 2014
Dear all,
After a bit of an indifferent start the day developed quite pleasantly and we tootled up and down with a useful number of passengers and lunch guests, as well as a number of visitors to a small Morris Minor rally
held on the top dock.
Around the station the Duty Conscript did some edging and perhaps by the
end of another 12 weeks he might have managed a whole kerb. Meanwhile, the Passenger Department undertook a great deal of Ragwort pulling, an annual task to prevent the spread of this invidious weed around the site, and while there are still some odd patches to be dealt with, six bags of the stuff have been consigned to the Gods. After all this pulling, much of the rest of the day was spent pushing and various
places were mowed and then strimmed, at least before the strimmer battery coughed.
In the Booking Hall, Stokes Industries removed the long redundant water
heater and the former sink, and in a massive investment programme worth £9.84, inserted a new work top where these former items had been, this also resulted in the return of the original Booking Hall chair from the
museum to its rightful place in the Booking Hall.
Down the yard the EVRA carriages received further attention both to
their interiors and to their exterior panelling, and in the shed the DMU
team painted Iris's underframe and carried out a rather complicated
rewire on the Centre Car which (drivers be aware) resulted in the
engines of the whole set being capable of being started from the cab rather than locally. In addition to this Greens of Ashbourne and several
glamorous assistants changed a buffer on Fanny, or possibly Johnnie: we get a bit mixed up as both our box vans look the same, and are of course named after Fanny and Johnnie Craddock, for those of you who like doughnuts.
All the best,
Anton
Friday, 11 July 2014
Progress Report Friday the 11th of July 2014
Dear all,
A pleasant day of leisurely steam and diesel experiences barely causing
a ripple of excitement down the valley. The Booking Hall occupied itself
with the now familiar selection of people wanting to come "next week"
for their assorted teas and lunches and being astounded to find we were
full and having to be booked in September.
Down the yard the woodman arrived and LMSCA received a large load while
they were firtling their carriage end frames, as well as replacing the
lower carriage side steel panelling on the BTO.
In the shed, the slightly thinned out DMU Team carried on with finishing
touches to Iris, notably in the wheel, buffer and door handle areas.
On the Ravenstor line Jenkins Perkins carried out a vastness of
weedkilling and lopping as well as painting the Ravenstor Station
benches black in readiness for tonight's rave, which will probably
consist of sharing a small can of diet coke, tearing up several
bad-tempered newspapers such as the Daily Mail and staying out of bed
until after 9pm. A sweeping brush will be left on the morning train.
Will the person who has recently washed his pants with the Class 33 key
still in them please return the said key. We will not be requiring the
pants.
All the best,
Anton
Supplementary Royal 10th July 2014
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Royal Progress Thursday 10th July 2014
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Progress Wednesday 9th July 2014
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Progress Tuesday 8th July 2014
Monday, 7 July 2014
Progress Monday 7th July 2014
Relative calm around the place today after the activities of the weekend but nevertheless, busier than the Mondays of old.
The Booking Office was kept busy by a constant stream of calls as well as organising events coming up. Other members of the Passenger Dept continued painting the shelter on Platform 3.
Down the yard, the LMSCA continued working on the end of the Brake Third coach whilst work was done on the incline with the flail. Mick Thomas ably hosted the test customer also.
Leigh
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Progress Report Sunday the 6th of July 2014
Dear all,
Today saw us virtually entirely occupied with the Bus Gala, this went
very well and we were delightfully busy all day. As well as our trains,
the vintage bus services to Duffield and the circular tours of Carsington went extraordinarily well. We were also delighted to see the Battle of Britain Flight's Dakota on a flypast this afternoon.
Away from the hustle and bustle, the Austerity Team carried on with the
application of paint and work to the frames and wheels. The master
electricians continued to address the mixture of small but irritating faults which have affected the air con in the Pullman First Open, and are gradually problem solving their way through these.
Bramson Stokes Enterprises engaged in an afternoon of woodcutting followed by the construction of a section of revetment and path gravelling at a station between Idridgehay and Duffield.
We are most grateful to Trent Barton for their kind loan of Mr Mango and his many entertaining parts, in the absence of the railway having a mascot which we can loan Trent Barton in return we have offered the
Wirksworth Station Cat, Spank, for a weekend of complimentary rodent
removal at Derby Bus Station.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Progress Report Saturday 5th July 2014
Dear All,
What a glorious day and fantastic start to our Heritage Bus weekend. Our train and bus services to Duffield were very busy and extra steam services to Ravenstor were inroduced to cope with passenger demands. The model railway too was well visited and passenger queues formed at the narrow gauge as 'Lenny the Lister' coped with full loadings throughout the afternoon. Unfortunately No. 3 suffered a fractured gauge glass mid afternoon and was replaced by our trusty 'Bubble Car'. I'm happy to report the gauge has been successfully repaired and the locomotive is again fit for traffic.
Down the yard both Oaks enterprises and the 8F group were busy on the Duke's restoration and up at Ravenstor Anton tackled the excess vegetation around the path to the stone centre. Our buffet was also very bus keeping our guests suitable fed and watered.
Today's photographs are of a small group of 'sixes drivers' from our friends at trentbarton on a busy Wirksworth station platform and 'Mr Mango' entertaining our younger guests during the incline service.
A most enjoyable and rewarding day!
All the best,
Tom