Work in Progress: 29th August

Still busy!

1. As new Heritage Carriage No.5 is being fitted with its couplings, it was today stabled for a short time in the loading dock with the other 4 carriages behind, creating an early view of all 5 L&B carriages together at Woody Bay.

2. LYN being prepared for today's use with driver Graham Bridge and fireman Dave Hallett.

3. Before the first train, Guard Bob Ayres takes a moment out to study the map on display for the railways expansion plans.

4. LYN looking superb as she arrives back at Woody Bay later in the day.

5. After each arrival the platform was thronged with visitors. It was another near record day with many passengers carried.

Thursday Gang Work

6. & 7. The first job for everyone was to unload all the scrap wood from the 'DZ' wagon. This wood is used daily for locomotive fire lighting.

8. Later Roger Bye and Steve Hilsdon fixed some shuttering doors to help keep the wood dry.

9. In the workshop Peter Wainwright machines a new nut for Coach 5s coupling.

10. Close up one of the large nuts he made earlier.

Paint Shop Boys!

11. & 12. The other DZ wagon is in the Paint Shop being repainted L&B goods-grey by Jim Pounds and Geoff Long. Numbering and lettering will be added in time for the forthcoming gala when this wagon will feature in an L&B mixed train.

13. Keith Lamprey was busy strimming around the grassy areas adjacent to the woodland walk path and the hedge bank by Mooreland's path.

14. Another odd job was to lift a stored lattice post signal onto trestles for assessment by signalling engineer, Dick Gunn.

15. The gang pose by this new project for the signalling team. The post will be stripped of fittings and the corroded sections removed to be replaced with other lattice-post sections we have in store. It is intended that these lattice-post signals will be installed at Blackmoor to recreate the look of the original railway.

Words and photos by Nigel Thompson