As I arrived for a day of volunteering at the Rocks By Rail Museum this new arrival was parked in the platform siding.
This is an Avonside manufactured loco originally named Barrington and built in 1921 making it 103 years old and to be fair not looking bad despite those years!
Barrington is an 0-4-0 loco with a very tight wheelbase making it an ideal loco for quarry type operation.
It all looks in reasonable condition under the boiler.
From the limited ability to take a picture through a rear spectacle window the cab interior also looks in good fettle.
Barrington was originally built in 1921 by the Avonside Engine Company as an export order for the Bombay Harbour Improvement Trust where she worked for about 9 years before being repatriated to the UK. Back on home turf the loco served in several quarry type locations ending its working life in the early 1970's at the Barrington Rugby Portland Cement works in Cambridgeshire. From there the loco spent time at several other railways including the Great Central and Nene Valley before going to the Colne Valley Railway from where she was purchased by one of the Rocks By Rail Museum members.
Barrington has a strong link to the Museum as Mr. D the diesel undergoing restoration at the moment, replaced Barrington at the cement works.
I have to admit that I have taken to this loco at first sight. It has lovely proportions and a hint of quirkiness which makes it just right for the Museum! Once painted up and various parts fettled it should look great.
Still dealing with steam engines, work continues with the retubing of 1391. However, as with all such jobs, there are complexities like removing all the pipework that is in front of the tubes which is a matter John and Richard are discussing in detail.
Looks as though Richard drew the short straw with having to get into the dirt of the smokebox!
Alex, having a variety of 'persuading' tools to hand to supplement his small dust removing brush continues the seemingly never ending cement and rust removal along with painting of Ketton No1. It will be well worth it once finished.
Pete and Pam continue with the painting of the Sundew cab and Martin has progressed with the dragline repaint project.
For me it was inevitably more grass cutting but with a pit stop to deal with a jammed drive wheel.
Once back on the grass it was time to make a difference in some parts of the site that had not seen any grass cutting in a while like this!
It may not look much in the picture but it does look very different on site. No doubt it will have grown by next week too!
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