Sunday saw both the Pway and Signals gang working. The Pway team worked from Ongar, removing and greasing fishplates, as well as attending to some of the dips in the rail alignment. They will also be ensuring there is the correct gaps between the rails to allow for heat expansion. The Signals gang worked at North Weald and continued work on the interlocking install under the signalbox and also installing transformers which will provide power to the point machines. Outside other members of the team also fitted point operating parts to NW9b, which forms the west end of the run round / passing loop (the east end, NW13, is already fitted up).
Tuesday saw 13 volunteers down Ongar, working on the station’s restoration. The repointing of the front of the station was continuing, with the mortar being mixed and placed to match the original colour and pattern. Meanwhile inside, following the damp treatment to the lower half of the “Taxi Office”, these walls were painted in undercoat and the sash window fettled to make it open and close easier.
Members of the team continued with the decoration of the Parcel’s Office (which will become the museum and educational display), and replacement glass was fitted to the Porter’s Room window which was accidently broken a few weeks back. The interior of the Porters Room is coming together with its original GER noticeboard now restored, sign-written and re-hung and the coathooks installed ready for winter!
Inside the coaches was not forgotten with cracking paint being stripped from the window frames inside the 117 DMU, and fitting of interior fittings as we get TSO 5005 ready for service.
Thursday was also another hive of activity, with a number of teams working on the various important tasks to get the railway ready for reopening. The Thumper gang have fitted the replacement fan drive clutch (thanks to P&BR for their help) and its working well, with the unit being run up for 3 hours without any issues.
The electrical connection to the oil pump has been fixed and the unit now pumps its own oil pressure up prior to starting (so no more need to manually pump it up!). The team are currently investigating a fault with the air braking system with a possible sticking value currently thought (hoped?) to be the issue! The outside was also not forgotten with continued painstaking work removing rust, scale and old paint from the solebar, ready for repainting.
Meanwhile Doug worked on Badger’s braking system, and a team went up the line to tackle some vegetation, in particular improving the sight lines around the first foot crossing, to enhance the safety of footpath users to sight approaching trains.
Another team worked in the 117 DMU, replacing ceiling hardboard and re-fixed metal trim as some of the more modern fittings are removed and the unit returned to an older decoration to match the all-over green exterior.
All this progress is only possible thanks to the friendly teams of volunteers who come down and contribute their time and hard work as we get the line ready for re-opening, and there is always extra jobs for new faces that wish to join us.
Report by Simon Hanney, General Manager