Next weekend is the Carnforth Open Weekend, and two of "our" locomotives (ie ones in our care) are booked to be there: at the moment both are Elsewhere but plans are afoot to amend that situation in time for the Open Weekend.


It sounds simple doesn’t it – ‘just’ take the engines there. In my family we have a healthy dread of the phrase “would you just...” because it so often means that the job in question is going to be long, difficult, costly or hard work – or all four. So we are “just” taking the engines to Carnforth. In the case of 30777 this has already proved to be more complex than we hoped – So far we have had two 200-mile round trip expeditions to Haworth to re-fit the valves, the rod and the injector pipe and install the new bracket. Unfortunately, although the reversing rod has been straightened, it is still not right and means that “Sir Lamiel” is unable to work to Carnforth under her own steam. So it is planned to tow her across in light steam (for lubrication purposes) later this week. Once there we hope to get the rod sorted out and have the engine back in traffic shortly – watch this space.


Getting Oliver Cromwell ready for Carnforth is another ‘just’ job - there are still a lot of little finishing tasks outstanding on the engine. One side of the tender is still waiting lining – the tape is in place and ‘just’ needs the paint applying. The engine has been weighed, axle by axle. The electronics are nearly there – Kevin and Mark have been putting in huge numbers of hours on this job; working every evening when they get home from their day jobs, collaring any volunteer on shed who is electrically trained, bending double under in-accessible spaces to feed wires through conduit and generally working with equipment far more technical than most steam-age people can even dream of. Steve Lockley has assisted with brackets, handy little access hatches and other esoteric pieces of metalwork that look deceptively simple but take ages to make - one is visible in red-oxide near Kevin's elbow in this photo. The rest of the team are also hard at work on a list of trivial sounding but time-consuming jobs which need finishing before the engine is ready - thanks everyone.   

And one final 'Just' - the test run...


As well as getting the engines ready for Carnforth and other Main Line jobs, there is still plenty of work to do on the other vehicles in the Association’s care: painting the Class 33 is taking a bit of a back seat while Cromwell is finished, but the cab doors are on and the engine already looks a lot tidier than she has done for some time. The Peak is in service – special thanks to Alan and Mark who both gave up sleep and home life this weekend to drive the Peak in their ‘spare’ time from getting Cromwell ready. The support coach is progressing well – after waiting for nearly a month for a day when it wasn’t raining, Hugh has now nearly finished painting the roof – he only stopped when he ran out of paint. 

The new inward opening door is in place and the interior is progressing well.