Of catches

22nd September 2019

Aah, space for another thought-provoking, pithy observation on life and heritage railway activities. What a pity I haven't got one.

I arrived at Tunstead on Monday to a bit of a surprise. After expressing concerns over the fact that it was just down to me and Andy H who were now working on RS8, Tarmac had risen to the challenge and no less than 4 apprentices were waiting for us and expected that I would have plenty for them to do. In a sense it is rather late in the day - most of the work has been completed and we are now down to the nitty-gritty, but I endeavoured to set them all to work as best I could. So two of them extracted the (still contaminated) oil from the filter assemblies and refitted them, then filled the sump up with fresh clean oil ready for a further foray. They also managed to make a piece of steel fit over the top of the fan cowl  which should prevent air recirculation. The other two tackled the casing door catches, and succeeded in fitting the catches to all seven, though for the moment they are spaced off with washers and will require shim plates to ensure they stay firm over time.

We hoped for the steel balls we had been promised (Andy H suggested we could keep the apprentices occupied by having them file the round balls square so as to fit into the ballast boxes better!) but alas they are still awaited. I had brought up the two transfers for RS8, which had been produced to match the original sign-written ones as best we coould, and Andy was cajoled int putting these on.

Here he is with the first, and here's the second with a couple of casing doors to add to the effect.

Fortunately our assistants were only with us until lunchtime, as thereafter they were off to Chesterfield to register for courses at the Technical college: but in the interim, the Tarmac photographer was down getting pictures of the lads at work. Andy too had to leave early, leaving me alone for the last hour to make notes and review a few jobs that would help keep any further apprentices occupied. I came to looking at the battery box retainers. The originals had been smashed when the battery box was ripped open and the batteries stolen many years ago, and the pictures suggest that there were brackets on the battery box lid and wing nuts holding the two together

I extracted the remaining parts of the assembly from the box end, leaving just the two right angles from which it pivotted, and pondered this as an apprentice project for this week. Admittedly a little late in the day with the box lid finish-painted, but this loco has defied a logical plan from the outset. As I was preparing to leave Bryan P arrived and we had an informal meeting regarding the apprentices and the planned oral history/publicity meeting.

Tuesday was reserved for the funeral of our good friend Terry Day and after a quiet morning we travelled over to the Sherwod Forest Crematorium near Ollerton. It was rather appropriate that Terry, who was seldom on time for anything, arrived late in a traditional hearse drawn by four immaculately turned out horses. It was a humanist ceremony, and the minister referred to his volunteering on the 'North Yorkshire Railway', with afterwards Andrew presenting a Eulogy. Terry was quoted by his partner (who runs a stables) as saying he 'didn't trust anything where the Emergency Stop button was a shotgun' which brought a laugh as we could all picture Terry saying it. There was much reference to his love of practical jokes - afterwards I remarked to Andrew that I didn't recall ever being the victim of one: his reply was that I probably just hadn't noticed! Later we transferred to a pub at Cuckney for a little while before taking our leave.

Much of the rest of the week has been involved in commercial stuff - the trailer for example finally got its two new tyres fitted after I managed to get down to the haulage contractor and recover my spare, which was unfit for further use, so it and the one on the trailer that had punctured were changed and swapped around so that the tyre with the least tread depth remaining has come off to be the spare. I had a strange call on Friday, A Tarmac lady was apologising but 'finding it neccessary to move the meeting from October 17th to the 21st, was that alright?'. I assured her it made no difference to me as I hadn't even been informed about the 17th - it seems that may be our oral history/publicity planning session date. Hopefully I'll learn more about what's planned soon.

On Saturday Andrew had social duties elsewhere, so after doing some paperwork in the morning I was at the shed in good time to welcome a pre-arranged visitor and do the usual guided tour. The weather was sunny and hot, and I had the transfers for the trailer headboards so busied myself mounting these, one reasonably succesfully and the other not so. I really should have had another to use for practice first! While up on the neck I realised that the extra height gave me an interesting improvement in view, though it wasn't until Sunday that I availed myself of the opportunity, and the weather was much duller.

Anyway, I remembered the battery box catches, and taking the recovered parts, cut off what was left of the shaft, drilled the ends out 6mm and cut off a couple of capscrews to make new parts for Andrew to weld together.

Today we were joined by Tony S and Jagger: well to be specific Tony, Jagger and finally Andrew arrived. Jagger was working on Jack's engine and Tony on a wooden crate of parts

When Andrew arrived I discussed with him the receptacles for the fence posts for Station House: the owner was pressing us to get on with it (rightly so, we've been a bit tardy) and the complicated web of reinforcing wires Andrew envisaged would have taken ages to put together. Instead Andy H had suggested a single bar through each to anchor it and Andrew reluctantly accepted: he had a further go a braizing RS8's frost damaged radiator while I drilled holes though each of the 6 box sections, after which he tacked bars through them, ready to install.

Sadly the radiator still isn't right: it is so thin in places that even at braizing temp he's as likely to create a new hole as fill one - but he will persevere. So as everyone went their separate ways I loaded the van up for Tunstead tomorrow before returning to the Briddon Country Pile.

And a brief look at the forthcoming week? Haven't a clue: I know that Monday and Friday are committed but as for the rest it's anybody's guess. Tell you what, why not pop back in next week and find out? See ya then.