I nipped down to Winchcombe yard to take a couple of photos of the work inside the Siphon. As you can see, it is very much a work-in-progress environment:
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| Looking one way |
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| Looking the other |
The bench outside could do with some new drawers making for it.
Tuesday 26th
I was persuaded to do a warming fire in 2807 because she’s in service on Wednesday. Had to clamber inside the firebox and rake out the ash; ditto the smokebox. Lit a small fire and adjourned to the TPO for a cuppa. Packed lots of things in boxes while I was there, ready for the move. Our 20ft container is due to arrive on 3rd August. I have also found an alternative place as a temporary store (i.e. rather than the second-floor container!). It’s almost 8 pm, and I’ve finally got time for a shower!
Wednesday 27th
I briefly popped in at Winchcombe to discuss potential layout inside the siphon (when it is completed) and to pass on the good news: that I have found us a van in which to store items pending the completion of the siphon. Fred, John G and Alistair were all in painting mode.
At Toddington, Gilbert, Bruce and David were having a good clear out. They were sorting through
tool boxes and selectively ejecting duff equipment. David even took to testing every file on a lump
of metal! A bucket full of duff files subsequently bit the dust!
We had a discussion about the options facing us (re. the 20ft container and the van) and the
majority decision was that the container should be equipped as the workshop and the van as a store.
The container was preferred as a workshop because it will be closer to the loco shed.
I spent the day clearing rubbish out of the van, hoovering up the swarms of dead flies (actually, there
was one live one … plus a very fat spider), and rearranging the remaining contents to maximise
space.
Loco Dept will provide a 240V single-phase power supply to the container. We may well ask them
to equip power points and light inside, for a fee. Our very own Dixie Dean will be busy removing the
wiring from the TPO (as we don’t want to let that go with the vehicle!).
Thursday 28th
I spent a couple more hours tidying up and disinfecting the van in readiness for a move of items for
storage out of the TPO and into here on Saturday.
Saturday 30th
Gil, Bruce, John T, Dixie and I dedicated the entire day to clearing stuff out of the TPO and preparing racking to be moved into the 20ft container.
Earlier this year, we had to buy 300 brush heads for use in boot scrapers - quite a lot of boxes to
move! There was a minimum order, you see. The FLA sales stock consists of quite a few boxes of
second-hand books. We discovered a large number of wagon plates and other railway related items.
Anyone live at house number 44? There’s a nice GWR-style house number open to offers! A couple
of large crates of model railway items were discovered. Dixie took one away to sort through for sale
at the next exhibition. We still have a few boxes of the 00 scale Dapol local coal merchant wagons
that we had specially made some years ago. Tombola prizes were moved, too. There was a pair of
boots, but the soles were obviously made of biodegradable plastic material, and they were all gooey
… Yuk!
Dixie and Gil removed all of the electrics from the TPO. Some of this will be reused in the 20ft
container. Bruce fitted a mortise lock to the van. John & I trudged up & down with trolley loads and
John also visited the skip on several occasions.
Everyone chipped in to clearing shelves and dismantling the shelving. We found lots of “spare” bits
of loco and tender.
Roger
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