Museum Halt Ballasting - Final Day

Today we completed ballasting at Museum Halt, which has been a real team effort. We think it looks fabulous and makes the platform area look much better than before!

Gala Weekend!

Museum Halt Ballasting - Day 4

Further work has been completed at our Museum Halt platform regarding ballasting. A few pictures are below.

 As the track stood this morning:

Arrival of the Ballast:

 The completed product of the days work:

One final day is required to complete the new siding's ballast and then our next project can begin.

Museum Halt Ballasting - Day 3

During the process of getting the flat wagons, we need an area to store them when not in use. We currently store them within the Loop, however, to ease the use of the main sets of carriages during running hours, after some planning we are currently creating a storage siding to store them in.

Over the past two days we have started on the ballasting and creating of the siding for them.

Three of the completed track ballasting.

Stages of creating a ballast base for the new siding.

Finally the start of the siding. The first three sleepers and track layed down.

We need to complete the ballasting next week, then create a set of removable points. Keep an eye out for how we plan to construct them!

Museum Halt Ballasting - Day 2

Today we have been out and about again ballasting. The pictures below show some of the work we have been doing.

Before Starting Ballasting

After Ballasting

The Completed Section

Some Training Shots:

Overall a successful two days. Now we just need to create a new siding to store the Wagons in, along side the Gantry.

Flat Wagon Update 28/4

So, we finally completed the work in creating a ballast wagon from the flats today.

 Preparing the Flats for the days work.

Loading up the wagons!

Filling up the first load into the wagon.

Rio-Gen sits at Lakeside awaiting the digger to be loaded back up for the return journey.

Flat Wagon Progress Report 22/4

So today we finalised plans for our flat wagons, and prepared one of the wagons for sides to go on tomorrow. We shall be around from around 10:00 tomorrow if you want to see the progress in person.

Catch the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/153361121356847/videos/vb.153361121356847/1154747897884826/?type=2&theater

The three flat wagons have identification plates as: 

NGF 4015, 4022 and 4044. Still to get names.

New Driver to the Team

Today we welcomed James to our Passenger Driver team after he successfully completed his test this weekend.

Fancy becoming a driver or a guard too? Give us an email and we will send across an application form to you.

Plans for the conversion to a ballast and personnel vehicles are coming together as well as plans to create a second siding to store our flat wagons in.

Tickets Please

Today we are running to the Red Timetable with work completed through this week on our new ticket hatch.

Plans are coming together to convert two of the flat wagons into a ballast and Personnel trucks.

Post Easter Week

So the Easter Bunny has been and gone, lots of chocolate has been eaten and the trains have been chockablock! A big thank you to all who came down over the weekend and we hope you had as much fun as we had!

On Saturday we saw a mass of bikers arrive for the annual egg trail, setup in partnership with Blyth Valley Motorcycle Action Group, of which there was over 1,000 to complete the trail:

See more here too!

On Monday saw the Birds of Prey within the Museum too!

We are planning some maintenance at Lakeside tomorrow, from around 10:00-14:00. Rio-Gen might be out and about too!

2012/2015 comparison.

Comparison shot from 2012-2015:

Trains are scheduled to run this weekend Friday through to Monday. The Birds of Prey are around on Monday.

Easter Weekend

This weekend is Easter! We are planning to run services on Friday through to Monday. See the website for specific timetables.

We also are planning a bit of light maintenance tomorrow (Wednesday) so if your around you could see the flats on duty!

'Through the Token'

Quick atmospheric snap with the Token and Hunslet 'Black Diamond' in the background.

Saturday Service

After a poor start to the day weather wise, trains started operating from half ten. We have decided that trains will run over Easter from Friday through to Monday. Other days will be advertised through our Facebook, Twitter and here.

Wednesday Maintenance

After a intensive track check at the weekend it was agreed that a couple of sleepers at our second crossing needed replacing. We decided on a day, at that was today.

What a lovely day it turned out to be, heading down to the location of today's work.

First three out.

Check the gauge!

and then the last seven done!

finally getting ready for a test.

All was good, services will resume on Saturday.