Work at Preston has again focussed on the heavy general overhaul of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643. Jon and Sim Dixon have been working on sprucing up the appearance of the driving wheelsets.
Paul Balshaw has been cleaning one of the pistons.
Ed has been working inside the frames, viewed here through the left hand cylinder.
Ian Massey has completed his welding work on 5643’s boiler.
Allen looks on as Keith drills out another of the 300 stays to be replaced.
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, work has also been taking place to de-winterise Great Eastern Railway royal saloon No. 5 so that it can be used on the 10th March. Anne Burton has been busy cleaning the upholstery and carpet.
John Dixon is seen here cleaning a steam heat pipe brass coupling prior to moving it to a rather better pipe. This will then be fitted to GER5 which, for some reason, was missing a steam heat pipe at one end.
Finally, Caliban’s new piston head is seen here being machined in one of the lathes in the Ribble Steam Railway workshop.