Rolling Stock and Railway Promotion

The Trust Rolling Stock team can turn their hands to most things. Bernie and Bob spent a day (extra to the schedule) completing the panelling on the Southwold end of Coach 7 – it will all have to come off again to be treated and stained, and then be fitted back like a jigsaw (each piece is – not surprisingly – a subtly different shape from every other). The facetted ends which give this coach its Art Deco feel are complemented inside by this final timbering – which looks very well. Toby spent a day fitting a hardwood bar top against the non-operational doors at the Halesworth end: the timber he used is considerably older than the coach. And while on this subject – Coach 7, having been built as a tram trailer in Charleroi, is 100 years old in 2015 – so we will have to think of how to celebrate that. Perhaps a Belgian-themed party might work?
James and John, after a morning spent re-organising the workshop, trial-fitted and further modified the (GER blue) Trust promotional stand, which has been rebuilt from 10 feet to 6 feet. Hopefully, a less unwieldy stand will make life a bit easier for the volunteers who promote the Trust at various events.
Preparation is well in hand for the collection of some lightweight rail we bought from Bressingham – so there will be another drilling saga, as the panels will have to be removable (so we don’t block the yard) – conventional sleepers would be too heavy. Thus each section (of, say, 15 feet or so) has to be drilled M13 at frequent intervals so that metre-long studding can be bolted on, to gauge, through the rail web – and of course, if we have to cut any rails, then each new plain end has to be re-drilled M19 for the fishplate bolts. We cannot take any chances when moving a 6.5 tonne coach. However, the 30lb rail can later be re-used – on proper SR 6’ x 6” x 4” sleepers – in sidings (but not the running line) at Wenhaston – a few extra holes will not weaken it enough to matter, as it will be very firmly fixed to the sleepers with impact-wrench-driven track screws through track clips.
Next weekend (September 13th and 14th), we will be at the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum’s Gala at Wetheringsett, just off the A140 – and the weekend after (September 20th and 21st), at Henham Steam Rally near Blythburgh just off the A12: come and see us, have a chat, see what we are up to – and of course also enjoy these very high-quality events, which we strongly recommend.