Work in Progress: 23rd May

1. With passenger trains operating as normal today, maintenance work continues around Woody Bay Station. Dave Evans and Jim Price refurbished and repainted the poster board near the fire bucket stand and the original 'Gents' toilet.

2. Next to the main shed, John Villers and Graham Bendell paint creocote wood preservative onto the loco-mens' shed, whilst on-loan Hudswell-Clarke 0-6-0WT loco GP39 pauses for servicing in between working the passenger train.

3. After LYD's return to North Wales and with AXE still under overhaul and repaint in the shed, GP39 (Bronllwyd) on loan from Statfold Barn is the mainstay providing passenger train steam haulage.

4. Today's guard Bob Ayres keeping an eye on the run-round procedure from the signal cabin.

5. GP39 is dwarfed by the larger Baguley-Drewery diesel PILTON stabled alongside in the loading dock.

6. GP39 (ex-BRONLLWYD) at Woody Bay.

Many will remember BRONLLWYD's stint as our main steam engine between 2005 and 2007. BRONLLWYD, then as a cabless 0-6-0WT on loan from Bressingham Museum operated the first regular steam trains with one, two, and then three carriages, as we began services to Killington Lane. For a while a temporary wooden cab was fitted to protect the footplate crew from the inclement Exmoor weather. In 2010 BRONLLWYD was sold to Statfold Barn then overhauled and refurbished, and fitted with a new cab in the style of her original Surrey Council condition with the "GP39" identity.

7. John & Graham continue the creocoting programme, painting the fence leading down to the woodlands below Moorlands Hotel.

Later Graham & John tackled the Woody Bay Station guttering by clearing out the accumulated leaves and debris. Other work undertaken by the Thursday Gang included moving materials from the car park.  And then down to Chelfham to carry out some work there as well.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson