With Easter only 4 days away, and the start of steam engine services, Baldwin "Keith" is out on a test run having had a new boiler fitted over the winter, has just come round Hadarford Hill, accompanied by a diesel shunter just in case of problems.
Keith
Busy this morning thinking up names for the occupants of the various houses, cottages and businesses in Hadarford so I can refer to them in my postings to make sure I am consistent in using the same names.
The race day special is off to Alfa Central with Susan Smith from Hadarford Farm, her horse "Special" and their trainer Bill Thomas safely stowed in the horsebox.
Hope they have a great day out with their friends 🏇🏇🏇
Keith
Quite a load transferred from canal to rail awaiting opening of the level crossing and clearance to proceed from the signalman.
Keith
Having finished the water well yesterday, today I have to decide where to place it.
I have 16 possible places.
Keith
The water well is now finished, just got to find somewhere on the layout for it to go.
D471 on the down passenger service and D661 (out of view) on the up passenger and mail service.
Keith
A few days ago Built this well from a kit of parts, today I primered it and 4 cats, 4 ground signals, 1 scooter, and 1 scooter rider.
Keith
Following a busy winter program of running repairs to the railway, the 3 works train coaches are off to the shed at Alfa Central for a much needed refurb before Easter.
Keith
The wagons that I repainted yesterday.
Added to some of my existing similar wagons behind D031 passing Hadarford lock.
Keith
The local fire brigade are out trialling their new pump ladder engine, the centre one of the three, which arrived yesterday. 🚒
Keith
Yesterday some shiny new chain arrived in the post.
This morning I replaced the temporary rusty length I had used to test the theory on the short lift-bridge.
These 2 photos show how the chain and tensioner takes up the variable gap, due to expansion and contraction of the hull dependant on outside temperature, between the bridge and the layout.
I then fitted the remaining length of new chain and a new tensioner below the long lift-out bridge.
It still needs some adjustment on another day.
Keith
Not a lot different from yesterdays photo, but this morning I applied the glue to the ballast, and as Eric Morecombe would say "you can't even see the join!" 😲
Well you can ever so slightly where the wet ballast meets the old dry ballast 😊
Keith
This afternoon I resoldered all 4 rails to their respective locating screws.
The 2 large screwheads are part of the rebuild, the plywood baseboard was lifting due to not enough screws holding it down to the timber frame.
Keith
