Here we are, a day late due to Christmas demands on our time, and into the last month of the year!
A key step forward with the restoration of Great Eastern Railway Royal Saloon No. 5 was achieved on Friday when the fabric on the walls of the west end saloon was completed with the remainder of the missing wooden mouldings being made by Phil Bell and then fitted.
The saloon was then cleared of materials and the carpet vacuumed by John Davis – just don’t tell Mrs D. that he has been passed out on the vacuum cleaner!
With Anne and Phil Burton still busy on the chaise longue in the east saloon, Phil Bell and John Davis will now turn their attention to the kitchen area. We show therefore a ‘before’ photo that we will eventually be able to compare with the finished job.
Ed has meanwhile continued his lone work on the woodwork in the guard’s compartment – we let him out for lunch!
Sam has been doing the majority of the dirty work in FR 20 and is seen here busy cleaning the firebox.
Friday saw FR 20 receiving its boiler washout prior to its 14-month boiler inspection. Jon Dixon and Neil Glover travelled down from Lancaster to give us a hand and can be seen here with Sam aiming water down one of the firebox washout plug holes in the cab.
Sam seemed to get rather wet during the process but saw the funny side of it.
Sam has also been working on Caliban, seen here in the process of removing the ring underneath the chimney hole in the old smokebox ready for re-use. And John Dixon has been preparing new sections of metal for Caliban’s cab.
And Keith has been working on the flanges that connect the main steam pipes to Wootton Hall’s smokebox.