December 2023 update
Well, it’s been a while. Despite the radio silence here online, progress has been going very well over the past months, particularly in the workshops where three of our five locos have received attention. Take, for example, last Saturday:
Even with a team of only three, we successfully managed to reinstall both drive chains; the large and small air tanks; the middle dividing wall; the fan; the battery; and the throttle/reverser control on ex-NCB Hunslet ‘Linby’. The chains took up most of the morning as the loco had to be jacked up in order to independently rotate the rear axle.
All of this work is part of the heavy overhauls that both the Ruston (260712) and Hunslet (8917) have been receiving over the past year, bringing them up to passenger-carrying standards in preparation for next year.
Spondon has also had a bit of a ‘birthday’, in the form of a new Air Compressor. This will be followed by the rest of the air brake fittings once the two Diesels are back in action.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s been going on. For a more in-depth report, keep an eye out for the Winter Edition of our WTRE magazine, which you can access by signing up as a member of the ALRS. Better still, join us as a volunteer to come and see the progress for yourself: we’d greatly appreciate the help.
