Heritage Open Days

It was Heritage Open Day at the Rocks by Rail Museum which meant that in line with many other attractions in England we opened our Museum for no admittance fee.  As the Heritage Days website says 'Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together thousands of volunteers and organisations every September to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all FREE.'

There were certainly a lot more visitors then a normal day and despite not charging admission the cafe was busy and more than made up for that in monetary terms. It also brought in visitors who had never been before and there were comments made by some that they would be returning another day.

I don't think that any of us got much work done as we were talking to visitors but that was nice and for the Museum this was a once in a year event so there will be plenty of  other opportunities to catch up.

Vegetational excellence at its best so I had nothing to do with them!

 I walk into the Rocks By rail Museum to see this!

You may not recognise what the yellow bulge is but this close up may help!

That is a hard hat! Now what it is doing buried in the ground like that open to all sorts of theories! Did someone step into some quick sand and that is all that is left of them? Is it some form of portal to another dimension? Much as these theories have their attractions I suspect that under that hat is something to do with the wiring for the colour light signals. I could be wrong but not having been teleported to another World so far I think my last theory may be right!

Anyway, elsewhere in the Museum more painting of steam loco Uppingham sees the buffer beams in top coat and much of the chassis now painted.

In the Restoration Shed, things continue to get done to the Southern brake van which now has most of the rotten wood replaced and parts of the vacuum braking system are even being painted.

Outside, Rob is slowly getting the Euclid dump truck into solid metal and grey primer ready yo be painted hopefully before Winter arrives!

Also preparing for Winter is Gary and his new purchase - the LIMA crane. He hopes to make it watertight so that nest year he can get the engine running.

Not yet ready for Winter are the flower boxes and this example brings some real colour to the site - vegetational excellence at its best so I had nothing to do with them!

My only vegetational skill is in butchery but the grass was fighting back!

Was it only a few weeks ago that lot was brown and dead looking?

What have we been saddled with at the Rocks By Rail Museum?

What have we been saddled with at the Rocks By Rail Museum?

Well, it is the saddle tank to steam loco Elizabeth that has returned from repairs at an outside specialist contractor.

Unloading involved lifting slings and the CAT.

And this is where it was heading to - the Lowmac wagon which already had the cab to the loco on it.

Because there are two valves and a number of bolts protruding from the bottom of the tank it has to be rested on some wooden supports.

I got entrusted to move the supports around to miss the protrusions and there was not a lot of margin for error - no pressure then!

Due to my shill or more likely luck, the saddle tank was lowered into place without incident! Richard took the slings off and the Lowmac with its load was taken back to a siding where the tank and cab will await further work.

Whilst at that end of the line I did notice this.

I am informed that these sleepers will be used to demark the edge off the narrow gauge exhibits from the gassed area. The sleepers will stop the gravel which is to be laid from spilling onto the grass.

Back in the Restoration Shed things are progressing with the Southern Brake Van.

John was also bust stripping paint from the grab handles that he has removed.

Whilst walking round the brake van I noticed something that I really should have noticed before.

At various points along the chassis are welded in  markings for British Steel who produced the chassis members - all the wording is upside down though!

Going outside I noticed Andy and Richard working on the mesh to the ballast washer.

They have remade the mesh with stronger stainless steel individual rods which needed tying together.

They have been using welding wire twisted in place - a labour intensive task indeed! As they had done about a third of it I helpfully suggested that rebar gun would be a lot easier! They had never heard of such a thing so I used the wonders of the internet to illustrate and all I got was 'Why could I not have suggested that before they started!' My defence of only just seeing them do the work did not go down well! I think there may be a rebar gun arriving soon!

For me? Well for the first time since June I got Morris Mower out!

He obviously enjoyed his Summer break and started first time before leading me on a vegetational butchery spree!

With the amount of rain that we are now getting it may be a while before Morris takes his Winter break!

Shunting on a Bank Holiday!

 It was a day of shunting for me at the Rocks By Rail Museum on Bank Holiday Monday.

Whilst many of our guest were enjoying brake van rides....

...the 'action' was taking place in the quarry!

...

That is the coupling between the locomotive and the first wagon of the rake to be shunted.

Mr D was the shunting loco ably driven by John.

This is the face shovel ably operated by Martyn.

Every hour or so we swop the rake of wagons. So this set of tipplers is replaced by these four hoppers.

The hoppers do make an impressive sight.

For those doing the shunting swapping the two rakes over, getting the brake van on the right end of the outgoing rake and the loco at the other can be a hectic time but having done this for many times we can generally swap the two in about ten minutes!

Then the outgoing train sets off back down the line with everyone happy that it has gone well!

My fellow shunter, Gary, took the opportunity whilst being in the quarry of looking over his new purchase...

.. one of only two LIMA cranes in the UK. It needs a lot of work but hopefully Gary will be able to get it into some form of working order in the next few years when it may be able to be on show to visitors!

I do like a nice bit of cake!

 Its a wet and rainy day at the Rocks By Rail Museum!

So what happens on such a day?

Well, it seems as though everyone gathers round something in the Restoration Shed! But what?

It is actually Richard who is the centre of attention using Oxyacetylene to try to separate the mounting flange from the broken chimney of steam loco Uppingham! 

Not sure what is going on here but yet more volunteers sheltering in the Shed!

And yet more!

Even I kept in the dry sorting out some more banners!

However, not put off by the rain, Rob continued work on the Eucild dump truck. However, even he had to admit welding as not a safe option but he could grind and paint in the shelter of the tipper body!

It is birthday on Sunday, Happy Birthday Rob, so he brought in cake!

I do like a nice bit of cake!

Shady goings-on at the Rocks By Rail Museum!

 Following the lunar eclipse on Wednesday it appears that the sun was out for revenge on Thursday having had its rays disrupted by the Moon.  Well that is how it felt at the Rocks By rail Museum.

Just like one of those apocalyptic films, you could see where things had been done like more painting on Uppingham.

The new timber sections in the Southern brake van had been painted.

More work on steam loco 1931 had been done.

The flowers on the platform had been watered.

But where was everyone? Seeking the shade! That is where they were!

Well, everyone was in the shade! John here enjoying some iced water!

Rob who appears to have given up on painting!

Dave and David were in the shadow side of steam loco Uppingham!

Barbara was counting money in the shade of the cafe!

And the all inspiring Ray was resting whilst watching Barbara!

For me there was no vegetational butchery but I used the shade of the Signing In Office to sort out the banners!