Weekly Progress Report - 12/05/14 - 18/05/14

A relatively short blog this week!

A few members took the opportunity to travel to the Amerton Railway in Staffordshire for their first diesel gala yesterday. An excellent fleet of various diesel locomotives were working or on display, from Simplex to Hunslet, Deutz to Ruston, all with various backgrounds and ages. Amerton's running shed and workshops were very impressive and dwarf our own at Steeplehouse. Many different operations sparked many ideas for us back at Steeple Grange, with the motive power department taking particular interest in the sophisticated air braking systems in use on the coaching stock, and with many of the different restoration projects being undertaken, including Hibberd 2025, a recent undertaking.



Dreadnought arrives back at Amerton

Running shed at Amerton.

Left to Right - Dorman, Deutz and Ruston in the yard.

Motor Rail Simplex Dorman arrives back at Amerton

Motor Rail Simplex arrives back at Amerton, in the background, Gordon and the Wickham Rail Trolley

 



Sunday saw a rather scorching day at Steeple Grange, with a basic service on the cards, a rather hectic day all round!






Weekly Progress Report - 6/5/14 - 11/05/14

A relatively quiet week this week leading up to the NGRS visit yesterday.

Thursday the engine house had a little spring clean before the weekend, ready to accept the visitors. After that was complete a quick re-shuffle of the stock ready for the movements on the Saturday morning.

Saturday morning was an early start with locomotives Peter, Greenbat and ZM32 prepared and off shed by 9. The running line up for the Narrow Gauge Railway Society was a double manrider coupled to ZM32, Greenbat headed a freight train and Peter did the normal branch returns. With sunshine early on some quite pleasant trips were made up the mainline, but as forecast, the rains came, unfortunately with Greenbat and ZM32 at Sandy Lane, making the return trip a battle against the elements, with torrential downpours ahead. After lunch, the rains did come to an end, and retained as an on and off rain and shine sequence, therefore the freight was stored away and Greenbat was coupled to the back of the double manrider, and Greenbat and ZM32 top and tailed for the rest of the afternoon. The afternoon was rounded off with chairman Lawson Little opening "Lawson's Loop", named in much gratefulness of the money which he has put in to allow the loop to be installed.

Locomotives ready to make a move

ZM32, 103 and 104 sat at Dark Lane Quarry

The freight in the loop

ZM32 passing the freight in the loop.

Coupled up!

Greenbat at the rear of the train after the first run

The Top and Tail train at Steeplehouse

The special Unveiling!

 

After the Saturday's event, Sunday did see more rain with a more simple service on the cards.

Weekly Progress Report - 28/04/14 - 05-05-14

Another successful bank holiday has come and gone, Rocks and Rails definitely a success!

Thursday saw the completion of the point change at the passing loop, finally back in action again after the y-point was removed two weeks ago. The jobs from there ranged into Rocks and Rails preparation including a range of shunting operations.

Rocks and Rails was an excellent weekend, all three days saw two train working on the mainline with Greenbat and ZM32, however, Greenbat did see some attention Sunday morning as the compressor failed, but was fixed in the couple of hours after the problem occurred. After the problem was fixed Greenbat joined the action.

Today saw the mainline services back in action, in the diesel department, ZM32 was prepared for the todays operations, first being pressed into action moving a double manrider train with Lizzie on the back, destination, Steeplehouse! Lizzie was propelled on the traverser in order for the brake blocks to be removed and sent away for a new set to be cast. Hibberd 4008 also was having attention to the engine, with the fuel pump timing re-set, the fight began to get the engine to remove an air lock, after constant turning, bleeding a firing, the engine finally kept a constant rate.

All in all, a mixed, tiring weekend at the SGLR!

Greenbat operating the Rocks and Rails service

ZM32 moving in charge of shunting this morning

Lizzie on the traverser

Meanwhile in the Diesel Department

Greenbat passes Lizzie in the headshunt



Weekly Progress Report - 22/04/14 - 27/04/14

A rather busy week at Steeple Grange with a lot of work focused on the Permanent Way.

After the Easter Weekend has passed it has shown up the weak points along the line. Literally! Starting with the passing loop the Permenent Way team marked up a replacement point for the Recreation Ground Station side point, this was then propelled up to the loop, once the old y- point was removed, the new right handed point was placed down in the gap. Connecting up would be completed early on the Sunday morning. In other news from thursday, Hibberd 4008 was also on the list, with the underframe being restored, by the end of the day the whole of the external underframe was protected with red oxide.

 

The new point installed

Work progressing on Hibberd 4008



Today started with the Permenent Way team starting early to re-connect the mainline, this was completed in good time to allow for the first proving run to be completed. ZM32 was also having attention, with the valve clearances being examined and other parts on the engine. With mainline services underway, the motive power department turned attention to Hibberd 4008, with red oxide being applied to the cab area, by the end of the day this was completed and is now looking splendid!

 

Hibberd 4008 at the end of the day

ZM32 being prepared

Greenbat arriving at Steeplehouse

 

 

Ready to bank the last train to Dark Lane Quarry

Weekly Progress Report - 14/04/14 - 21/04/14

There we have it, Easter all done and dusted!

Thursday saw the final test for the new loop, this was a test with a double manrider train made up of ZM32 and Manrider's 104 and 103, it was passed off with flying colours, after being tested to its absolute limits! The double manrider train was then bound for Steeplehouse, where after a quick wash and clean out, was re-shuffled and Manrider's swopped over ready for departure back to the Carriage and Wagon Shed. Thursday also meant the last day for the major work and the minor jobs to be done before the weekend, one on the list was to re-install "dukes platform", the small platform at Sandy Lane where the guard alights to flag the train across the road, a larger platform has been designed and build, this should be a lot more rugged and survive the season.

Ready to depart after a re-shuffle

Testing in the loop



The Easter Weekend started on Easter Saturday, with Greenbat operating with Manrider 103 on the mainline and Peter on the branchline, the day was fine and passenger numbers were steady. Easter Sunday was rather a fight with the weather forecasts, but, none the less, a start in the torrential rain saw ZM32 prepared for traffic, on collection of Manrider 103, the train made its way to the loop where training on how to use it properly was undertaken. After training was given, the train made its way to Steeplehouse where passengers awaited eagerly for the ride up the 1 in 27! The weather forecast turned out to be very wrong, as the sun blazed down, the passenger numbers continued steadyily. As volunteer numbers were in abundance, it was time to errect the marquee out the rear of the engine house which would allow for vehicles to be worked on outside in all conditions. Hibberd 4008 in no time was parked up under it wo allow for remidial work to be carried out on the starter motor which would hopefully turn the engine over without the need of hand cranking the engine.

The Easter Sunday Service

 Easter Monday was much better than either of the days beforehand, blessed with a good forecast and scorching temperatures of 17 degrees! The first two train operation was to be tested out as passenger numbers were on the increase. Early on in the morning the vegetation clearance team were laid up in the loop carrying out strimming duties at Sandy Lane to improve site lines. The afternoon saw work carried out on Hibberd 4008 regarding the body panels, the majority on the cab, which would allow it to be placed on and painted, the chassis was also rubbed down and given a coat of protective red oxide. However, ZM32 reared its ugly head on us at the end of today, as the call was given for a stationary train in Killers Dale, unfortunately the service was dead in the water with the locomotive suddenly only firing on 1 cylinder, giving for little power, certainly not enough to push the Manrider up the 1 in 27. ZM32 was brought to Steeplehouse and took out of service, after much investigation and tinkering, the verdict, a blocked diesel filter not allowing fuel to be delivered from the fuel tank to the rest of the engine. After this was finally sorted, it was clocking on 5:00, this locomotive was in need of a test, therefore a banking trip was in order and the loco was tasked with propelling Greenbat and Manrider 103 up to Dark Lane, which after an unblocked fuel pipe, it undertook flawlessly.

ZM32 and Manrider 104 at Steeplehouse

Rubbing down Hibberd 4008

Red Oxide starting to go on!

ZM32 finally at Dark Lane Quarry after Banking the mainline train.

After a very tiring and challenging weekend, its now time to think about the rest of the season........now, any volunteers!

Weekly Progress Report - 07/04/14 - 13/04/14

As the countdown to Easter is in the final week, here's what has been happening at Steeple Grange.

Thursday saw the Permanent Way team carrying out work on the mainline, mainly work on the passing loop with regard to fitting a point lever to the far point for the time being with the nearest point at the Recreation Ground Bridge being clamped for the time the time until the second point lever is fitted.

Today saw the Permanent Way team back in action fitting the first point lever to the loop, which has been fitted and tested, working really well and making the ease of using the loop much better. Then the attention turned to parts of the line where track and sleepers have dropped causing the track to either fall to one side or the other, these were dealt with and are much better now.

Today saw Greenbat laid up at Steeplehouse for axlebox slide inspections, these were all completed and all boxes returned and greased. After all this work was carried out the locomotive took to the mainline with one of our Ladywash Manriders, and performed with excellence. With coupling the pair together it brought in passengers, therefore for the afternoon the first services of 2014 were operated, a week before Easter!

This is the news from the front, now, here's to the next week and the countdown to Easter!

Greenbat on a return trip nearing Recreation Ground Station

Greenbat and Peter at Sandy Lane

The mainline service at Steeplehouse

ZM32 ready for Easter!



Weekly Progress Report - 31/03/14 - 06/04/14

As another week passes by, here’s a roundup of what’s been happening.

Thursday saw the arrival of the much anticipated delivery of sleepers which will allow for sleeper changing operations to take place of the time between now and Easter – which isn’t very long now, only another two weeks! Permanent Way also fitted a point lever to the mainline set of points, allowing for easier access and point locking to this set. In other news, Manrider 104 had its problematic axle seen to, which resolved to a welding job taking place on the end axle box hanger box.

Today’s working plan was to get Manrider 104 back on all fours and get proving runs in to officially pass the vehicle off as fit for traffic this season. As with all jobs, it wasn’t finishing without a good fight, several stages of ups and downs on the jacks before the axle was positioned exactly in the right place in relation to the body, and up it glided into the chassis slides. Next, the plan was after passing the No. 2 end off as fit, No. 1 end had to be jacked up to fix a slide slop in the axle hanger box, this in turn causing the wheel to rumble, having found a solution to this problem, the only other job was to replace the end nuts and split pins, which as on every 50 year old vehicle wasn’t as easy as it sounds, taking the job into the lunch break. Having passed both ends as fit, the vehicle was coupled with ZM32 and proving runs undertaken, all proved satisfactory, a resounding success for the team after the work undertaken in getting Manrider 104 serviceable.

In other news, Permanent Way were seeing to the point levers going to be used for the passing loop above Recreation Ground, which, at first had to fished out the bushes of Dark Lane, before being brought to Steeplehouse for maintenance and renovation.

A great week for the team of volunteers at the SGLR, now, here’s to another!

Carrying out work on No. 1 End

Manrider 104 on the traverser at Steeplehouse

Late Afternoon proving run to Sandy Lane

ZM32 and Hibberd 4008 return to Steeplehouse

The new point lever fitted at Steeplehouse (Photo : Robin Jeffcoat)