Older news
04/10/2003 Harlaxton's boiler was craned back in this morning, as these
pictures show:
Smokebox rigged for lifting
Firebox end of boiler rigged for lifting by hired road crane Tommy Henderson gently adjusting the ashpan!
P.I.C. David Crabb signals the
boiler skyward....and the frames are shunted under and boiler dropped in.
Just needs piped up and painted now!
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 Peckett with its rods off |
29/09/2003: Lovely weather for the start of the autumn maintenance season yesterday. The pway gang were busy lifting the track in platform 1 at Brechin, so the panels can be refurbished with new sleepers and ferules over the next few weeks. Elsewhere at Brechin, Harlaxton's boiler was being painted ready for the big lift into the frames next Saturday. Mike Thompson (assisted by Derek the preacher) was dismantling the motion on his Peckett ready for the loco to be lifted for attention to its axleboxes. The diesel department have been working on 25083's turbo in the shed, keeping everyone else out by playing 'Best of the 1970s' CDs at full volume!
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23/09/2003 Another
season draws to a close with the final train heading out of Brechin last Sunday.
We are now back to the repairs and maintenance season, starting this Sunday with
the lifting of the track in the station platforms at Brechin for refurbishment.
With a tight schedule in place in order to get the line open for the Santa
Specials, extra volunteers are more welcome than ever!
Left: Ross McGregor and supernatural friend have collapsed following the close of the season!
11/09/2003:
"Harlaxton" has passed its hydraulic test today. This test involves the boiler
being pressurised to one-and-a-quarter times its normal working pressure to
check for any any leaks, cracks or potential problems. The passing of this test
means that we can move up a gear in this engine's reassembly, so extra
volunteers are most welcome.
Our regular working parties from Noranside prison are doing an excellent job today manufacturing a new set of firebars for the grate of the 0-4-0 Barclay. The volunteer shower block constructed by the prisoners is now more or less complete, and open to use by staff.
08/09/2003:
The first tangible signs of the Nairn Goods shed project are seen above. On the
left is the area where the shed will go, and on the right the new road allowing
access to the shed from the bus turning circle can be seen.
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05/09/2003: Lots of work was taking place last night on Harlaxton, as her overhaul enters the final stages. We were very pleased today to be awarded a cheque for £1750.00 from the Shell Better Britain Campaign towards formalising the unofficial footpath network just beyond Brechin station limits. Andover Primary School is alongside the line here, and the start of the millennium nature trail is the other side of the railway. This grant will allow us to provide quality, safe access between the two as well as discouraging trespass on this section of railway. Meanwhile, station cat Sulzer has been taking advantage of fires being lit in the station fireplaces again, (see picture, right) as the autumnal weather draws in. |
 Station cat Sulzer asleep on the boardroom table! |
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01/09/2003
Above: Gala weekend pictures
- traction engines large and small. Pics: Bob Smith
Left: Barclay leaves the
newly-opened platform 2 at Bridge of Dun. Pic: Dave Lawson
26/08/2003: This year's gala was a quieter affair than previous years as there was no visiting engine, we still put on a good show. Three traction engines attended, Dundee Model Railway club are mounted a display, both the Barclay and the Peckett were in steam, and the Caley Hotel ran the real ale bar at Brechin station.
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 New signs for the facilities! |
 The signs are meant to replicate 1950s BR examples |
| 28/08/2003: The digital camera is working again, and these pictures taken on it show just some of the excellent new signs which adorn the station. They were made by RGS of Finavon, by Forfar, for a very reasonable price! | |
19/08/2003: Harlaxton is now ready for her hydraulic test. The
hydraulic test involves the boiler being tested for leaks with water, at one and
a quarter times its normal working pressure. As Harlaxton's maximum boiler
pressure is 160 pounds per square inch (psi), she will be tested with water up
to 200psi.
The pway squad were out in force on Sunday and managed to change 12 sleepers
in the day, a very respectable quota.
The diesel department seem to be making great strides with their '37', and have recently been acquiring many of the missing components. George Bett's picture (below) shows 37097 in all her finery!
12/08/2003: The diesel group have been working hard on their latest acquisition, 37097,
since its arrival on July 20th. The lighting circuits, triple pump and fuel pump
are all now working, so hopes are high for an early return to service.
the overhaul of steam engine "Harlaxton" (our Barclay 0-6-0T) is also entering the final straight. Brian Thomson joined us on Sunday with his high-tech tube expanding tool, and most of the newly-fitted boiler tubes are now expanded in. The frames are being painted and we hope we can do a hydraulic test on the boiler sometime next week.
The forthcoming murder mystery event this Saturday is now fully booked, so no more reservations can be taken. These events have been a highlight of the 2003 season and will be repeated next year on a semi-regular basis.
The railway's digital camera is still in the works, so no recent pictures of work can be posted on the site at present. Sorry! Any regular readers of the site with recent digital photos of the railway might like to email them to your webmaster.....
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29/07/2003 We are delighted with the success of the 'murder mystery specials' of which the first was held last Saturday evening. Click on the newspaper cutting to read the full story. In other developments, boiler work on Harlaxton is forging ahead with around half the new tubes now in place in the boiler. A good squad of people have been working on this project including new volunteer Derek, Tommy Henderson, Alex Fearns, Steve Pegg, Frank Peckettson, Graeme Fullerton and Simon Hickman. Even Ian, the barman from the Caley Hotel (our 'local') was spotted annealing tubes on Saturday! The new volunteer shower room is approaching completion, so any potential volunteers who want to drive home clean now have no excuse! Work on Harlaxton takes place Thursday evenings and Saturdays. |
22/07/2003: Class 37 37097 arrived on Sunday for restoration by the diesel group. George Bett has kindly emailed these pictures (below) showing its arrival.
