NGRM - The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

October

Saturday 3rd October Working Party at Tywyn

Present: Keith Theobald, Don Newing, Winston and Ann McCanna, Ray Brooks, Phil Sayers. The Museum attendant on duty was Janet Handcock.

Ann and Phil commenced dusting on the 1st floor, and Ann cleaned the stairs.

Ray and Winston made room in the gunpowder store to make room for 3 bar Talyllyn slate wagon 136, the next candidate for heavy overhaul. Keith then fired up the “Bobcat” loader, and moved a pile of sleepers in the station yard to allow the newly repainted LNWR slate wagon to be placed back on its short length of 2 foot gauge track.

Keith, Winston, Don and Ray, with the assistance of Mike Carpenter of the TR outdoor gang, then hand shunted wagons on the wharf edge siding to allow access to wagon 136, which Keith picked up with the Bobcat and placed outside the gunpowder store. The wagon was then duly pushed inside where it will be left to thoroughly dry out before stripping, repairing and repainting.

Don returned to clerical duties in the office, and Phil, Ann and Ray for further cleaning on the stairs and the locos on the ground floor.

The next Saturday working party will be on 7th November. The winter season Thursday morning working parties will commence on 5th November and will continue weekly whenever trains are not running.

Saturday 10 October Working Party at North Ings

Present: Chris White, Malcom Phillips, Kevin and Jack

A fine bright day so Malcolm pulled PENELOPE out of the shed using the resident Lister loco and Chris, Kevin and Jack moved INDIAN RUNNER towards the light with Kevin winding the starting handle and the other two pushing.
Kevin had brought his bolt extractors and set to work to remove the remains of the five bolts that had been left in the frame by a previous owner. By the end of the day he had removed all five although one hole may need re-threading.
Chris and Jack took the diesel fuel tank off and Jack painted the cradle and tank with anti-corrosion primer. The next task will be to paint these components into the final deep bronze green lievry and re-assemble before the main painting of the loco takes place. One lower side sheet was treated in the same way. Further holes were drilled in the new front platform but a larger drill needs to be obtained to open out the holes enough for the bolts to be fitted.
After lunch Malcolm soon started PENELOPE and it was tested and found to be in full running order. Chris and Jack took off the engine covers and Jack removed the Name/Owners plates in preparation for the forthcoming re-paint into deep bronze green.
The next working party at North Ings is on Saturday 24 October from 11am to 4pm

Kevin at work with the bolt extractors and his ever-present mug of tea

Jack has just finished painting the fuel tank

Chris prepares the lower side panel for painting

PENELOPE on the final run of the day minus nameplates

Saturday 24 October Working Party at North Ings

Present: Chris White, Malcom Phillips, Kevin Gracey, Stuart Hendy, Dale Coton

A damp and dismal day but nevertheless, after some initial shunting to clear the tracks, Stuart and Chris started PENELOPE and INDIAN RUNNER was drawn out towards the front of the shed. While Dale painted the fuel tank and its cradle in dark green undercoat ready for final assembly, Chris and Stuart freed off the water drain cock on PENELOPE and let out some coolant before adding anti-freeze. Then of course it was time to take the loco for a run to make sure the anti-freeze was properly mixed through the colling system. The tool box was cleared out and several treasures unearthed including a much needed spare coupling, a brand new Ruston axle box assembly which will suit one of the locos owned by Malcolm Phillips, spare drive chain and quite a lot of rubbish which was sent to the rubbish bin. The loco is now ready to re-paint in the the Spring.

The main attention was given to INDIAN RUNNER. The new checker plate was fitted to form the front platform and the two fan belt covers offered up in their final positions. Kevin applied Gunk to the engine and it was hosed down revealing some original green paintwork. Further work with Gunk is needed on the engine and the gearbox covers in the cab. Dale cleared out the cab, made a little hook to hold the tool box lid open and removed the replica RH plate from the back of the loco which is not original and will not be required on the final finish. Considerable further cleaning and preparation is needed before the loco will be ready for final painting.

Next working party will be on Wednesday 18 November

Saturday 31 October Draw Gear

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum held a "Big Draw" event. Big Draw is a national programme, now in its 10th year, with Quentin Blake - well known illustrator of children's books - as patron. Drawings were provided for colouring in or painting and blank paper for those rising to the challenge of creating their own drawing, many taking inspiration from exhibits in the museum. A "continuous story" was produced, each participant adding a sentence to stories about Dot and the Dundee Gasworks engine. The photos below show some of the participants. The paintings and drawings will remain on display in the museum until at least 2 January. The event will be repeated on 30 October 2010.

November

Thursday 5 November Working Party at Tywyn

Ray Brooks; Ann McCanna; Phil Sayers; Brian Kelland; Dick France and Winston McCanna attended.

Outside Ray started the task of transferring slates from GWR wagon into the newly re-painted LNWR wagon, to free the GWR wagon for major repairs. This will have to include re-riveting the floor in place, needle gunning all over other sundry repairs to the wagon and a complete re-paint.

Inside, Brian acted as duty attendant, (there were no visitors am,) while Phil, Ann and Dick started the job of marking in an approved fashion the accession number of every item in the collection. Dick dealt with all the large items and those on top of the show cases on the upper floor, while Ray and Ann, assisted by Winston started the task of dealing with the contents of the show cases, by enumerating the contents of the Irish/Isle of Man case and the L&B etc case. Some preparatory work was done to prepare the Signal case for similar attention.

Steve Thorpe changed the spent lamp bulb in the pendant in the Awdry Study.

The future programme of working parties for the coming winter is as last year, i.e. every Thursday morning from 0930 to 1230 and the first Saturday in each month. The work we intend to undertake is the complete the identification of each item with its accession number. This is part of the preparation for Accreditation of the Museum. We also have to make good the effects of approx 20,000 visitors this year has had on the décor. There is also work to do in installing facilities to display further items in store.

We therefore do need your assistance. It isn’t expected that you could commit yourself to every session, but attendance at just one or two would be of great help. Please let Don Newing, secretary to the NGRM Trust or Winston McCanna on 01654 712052 know beforehand. Therefore there will be a working party on Saturday 7th November and also on Thursday 12th.

Saturday 7 November Working Party at Tywyn

Most of the usual small but faithful gang attended the Museum Working Party on Saturday 7th November 2009. Present were Ray Brooks; Richard Evans, (who was in Tywyn for the Outdoor Week, but had a permit from the bqm to work on the Museum working party); Ann McCanna; Winston McCanna. Sue Whitehouse was the duty attendant, as trains were running and the Museum was therefore open to the public, and she lent a hand.

Ray and Richard worked outside and completed the task begun by Ray on 5th of transferring the slates from the GWR slate wagon to the LNWR wagon on the Wharf Edge. They managed to finish this before the rain swept in. Ann and Winston continued the job of removing items from show cases and checking that each was carrying its accession number, and putting one on where any were absent. Another two show cases were completed, those containing the Corris/Glyn Valley items, and also the signalling show case. Sue meanwhile prepared sketches of other show cases to act as a guide when re-assembling each of them, in preparation for the continuation of the job at future working parties.

The next Working Party will be on Thursday 12th November, and the next on a Saturday is to be held on December 5th

Thursday 12 November Working Party at Tywyn

A well attended working party gathered in the Museum at 0930. Present were – Ray Brooks; Brian Kelland; Dick France; Phil Sayers; Chris White and Winston McCanna. It was also good to welcome back two stalwarts, Eric Wooding and Frank Yates. Neither had been in good health. Ann McCanna came in mid morning and produced coffee and biscuits!

Work continued on the challenge of marking each item with its Accession Number. All the items in the TR showcase alongside the Awdry display and the TR items in the case by the door to the balcony were dealt with by Phil; Eric; Winston and Chris. Dick continued with the identification of items above head height by using a ladder and in this Ray assisted. Dealt with were the head boards, sundry notices and plaques, the Isle of Man centenary poster, (it was only when I saw the reverse that I remembered that I had donated it!), and the FR signal. Chris also spent time on the office computer identifying numbers as required.

Ray and Brian also worked on cleaning tasks. Ray then started thoroughly cleaning parts of Rough Pup that normally escape attention, as did Frank on the “cab” of the Guiness loco.

Work by the Outdoor Week gang on the Weigh Bridge Hut outside continues and it is looking very impressive.

The next working party will be held on Thursday 19th November at 0930. WMcC

Wednesday 18 November Working Party at North Ings

Chris White and Malcolm Phillips attended.
The main work was to inspect INDIAN RUNNER and replace various nuts and bolts which were missing.
The fuel tank and cradle were given a finishing coat of Deep Bronze Green and it was pleasing to see how easy it was to apply the paint ordered specially from Craftmaster's. It also appears to have given a good finish. The engine oil looked remarkably clean when the dipstick was lifted out. In the spring it will be possible to fit the fuel tank, add diesel and cooling water and start the loco once again before completing the paint work. Arrangements were also made by Malcolm and Chris to visit Peterborough to inspect NUTTY and consider plans for the future display of the loco.

Thursday 19 November Working Party at Tywyn

A much smaller working party was attended by Ray Brooks; Ann McCanna; Phil Sayers and Winston McCanna.

In view of the appalling weather, work was concentrated inside the museum and the main thrust of our activities was to continue marking each item with its accession number. Ann and Phil dealt with another two display cases, the Recent Acquisition case on the first floor, which completed the show cases up stairs, and they then, on the ground floor, the case by the entrance to the café containing Ffestiniog Railway items. Winston supported them by resolving some accession numbers by referring to the lists on the office computer.

Ray meanwhile continued with the challenge of cleaning parts of “Rough Pup” which had not had any TLC for generations, and he also managed to clean parts of the museum floor which normally evade the cleaning gang’s beady eyes.

Winston meanwhile got a coat of grey paint onto the pedestals for the interactive display and the Gisel Ejector

Wednesday 25 November Inspection of Sentinel loco NUTTY

Malcolm Phillips and Chris White undertook an inspection of NUTTY in store near Peterborough and then visited Railworld to discuss the possible public exhibition of the loco there in due course.

NUTTY stored outside under a cover

NUTTY as revealed

The other side of NUTTY showing the reversing gear and water tank

Thursday 26 November Working Party at Tywyn

Those attending were Ray Brooks; Dick France; Eric Wooding; Brian Kelland and Ann and Winston McCanna.

Ray and Dick continued with with the identification of items in the show cases: by the end of the session the cases in the screen by Jubilee 1897 (which Winston had actually done while on duty as the Attendant last Sunday) and the large case opposite Guinness No 13 were completed. This only leaves two still to tackle, the Heywood case and the Awdry case.

Ann and Brian erected the Christmas Tree and decorated it after Winston had modified the base on which it stands. Since last year upright posts had been fitted carrying the information labels for the Dinorwic Rail and these now fouled, so the boards were cut down to fit. Fortunately the Outdoor Gang were at Wharf and had an excellent panel saw which they loaned to Winston for the purpose and the job was done in a trice.

Eric accounted for recent cash donations while Winston resolved questions about accession numbers on the office computer.

There will be two working parties next week, on Thursday 3 December, and another on Saturday 5 December. In Winston's absence for both Don Newing will be leading and is having an Archives Week, so will probably employ the available support on archive tasks. Once again all are welcome. WMcC

Saturday 28 November Start of Archive Sorting Week

A considerable quantity of archive material has accumulated and sorting started on Saturday to list the items and decide on their future: most will be deposited at the County Record Office. The work was expected to take the whole week.

December

Thursday 31 December Visitor Numbers for 2009

Happy New Year All

When Winston made up the attendence figures in the daily diary at the close yesterday, they showed that 19,153 Adults and 5,195 Children visited the Museum during the year. This totals 25,348.
(This figure is subject to final audit)

Thanks to all who helped in any way to ensure that the visitors enjoyed their experience and the collection is maintained and enhanced.