NGRM - The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

Saturday 4 September Working Party at Tywyn

The working party was attended by Ray Brooks, Keith Theobald and Winston McCanna. The duty attendant, Pauline Place also worked hard with her contribution.
Ray started by thoroughly cleaning the display space below the signal lever frame, after Winston had removed the cover. This is the first time since the new museum was opened that this had been cleaned and it needed it. The area cries out for being illuminated.
Winston cleaned the glass on the staircase, and the outside of all the show-cases.
Keith and Winston then made a start on measuring up the brass plates currently in the Recent Acquisitions show-case in order that fixings can be devised to secure them on the recently installed grid over the industrial show-case on the ground floor.
Winston, Ray and Pauline them cleaned and polished the principal artefacts. As a result the total display looked much improved.
More could have been achieved if additional volunteers had assisted.
The next working party will be held on Saturday 2 October and your assistance would be very welcome. WMcC

Friday 13 August Working Party at North Ings

A day of very heavy showers with thunder and longer periods of lighter rain. Malcolm, Tom, Oliver, Declan and Chris attended. Progress was somewhat hampered by the wet weather but work continued on INDIAN RUNNER: the engine covers were cleaned up, rubbed down and given a good coat of dark green undercoat, the fan belt grill received its final coating of gloss black, several other parts of the bodywork were cleaned down in preparation for painting and the grease point for the main bearing between the engine and gear box was re-filled, various detail adjustments were made to the pipework of the oil pressure gauge, the throttle control and the excess fuel overflow pipes. After lunch it proved possible to start PENELOPE but the starting handle and the dog with which it engages need repair and the loco had to be pull started by one of the resident locos with electric starting. PENELOPE was then used to start INDIAN RUNNER which successfully completed several circuits of the track, the cab (formerly on TR No5 MIDLANDER) proving very welcome for the drivers. It was then time to return the locos to the shed, clean them down and clear up. It was noticed that the hand brake on INDIAN RUNNER jumps to the off position as the ratchet is worn and needs repair.

Cleaning the engine covers ... Painting the fan belt grill

Painting the engine covers .... Filling INDIAN RUNNER with diesel

INDIAN RUNNER returns to Pear Tree Junction after a trip round the line

Wednesday 21 July Working Party at North Ings

Oliver, Malcolm and Chris attended on a fine dry day. The nameplates were re-affixed to PENELOPE: these have now been painted red with the lettering picked out in off-white paint in the hope that this will give a better appearance than unpolished brass. The loco frames and various other parts including the spring buffers were painted black gloss and later in the day the buffers were attached to the loco once again. A problem has developed with wear in the starting mechanism and this will need specialist attention off-site to correct but otherwise the loco appears to be in good running condition.
The lower side plates were fixed back on INDIAN RUNNER with new bolts into the frames to replace the ones that had been sawn off by previous owners: future working parties will concentrate on the re-assembly and painting of the loco.

Painting the frames of PENELOPE ... Fixing the side panels back on INDIAN RUNNER

Re-fitting the spring buffers on PENELOPE and giving the coupling pin some black gloss

Wednesday 21 July Museum Trust helps movement of historic locomotives

The Museum Trust has provided the finance for the removal of the electric locomotives "Eclipse" and "Coalition" (converted from Bagnall steam locomotives in the 1920s) from Llechwedd Slate Quarries to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway at Porthmadog for indoor storage pending future restoration.

Loading "Eclipse" at Llechwedd. Photograph Tim Wilkinson

For more details see the BBC Wales web site.

Thursday 14 July Working Party at Tywyn

Chris and Kevin, on informal work experience, attended. The Museum wagons, used on the train on Sunday, were returned to their customary home on the Wharf edge. The recently re-painted wagon 136 was finished off by having the number painted on both sides. The ex LMS (LNWR) slate wagon was completed by a touch up of the black and picking out the axle box, numberplate and builders plate details in white. It was noticed that the axleboxes on one side had the date 1887 on one side and 1897 on the other. The STORES sign over the Gunpowder Shed door was re-painted. Various additions were made to the computer catalogue (Catalist).

Painting the white lettering and numbers on the wagons

Talyllyn Railway Slate wagon 136 in the rake of three varieties of TR slate wagon in the museum collection

The information on the cast plates of the LMS (ex LNWR) slate wagon can now be clearly seen

The Corris Railway Mail Waggon is now on display at Tywyn again after its outing to Maespoeth on the Corris Railway

Sunday 11 July Accreditation Special

The Museum operated a special mixed train for invited guests to celebrate our recent Accreditation. The weather was fine and a good time was had by all who attended.

The train takes water at Dolgoch, watched by some of our guests (the rest were with the photographer, taking pictures!)

Some of us posed in the traditional "extra passenger accommodation".

Photographs by David Mitchell.

Saturday 3 July Railway Experience Day & Working Party at North Ings

This annual event sponsored by the Museum and the East Midlands Area Group of the TRPS attracted a record attendance this year. Besides the 12 young people taking part in the actual event a further group worked on painting parts for PENELOPE and INDIAN RUNNER which was filled with water and diesel and the lubrication systems checked for the first time since renovation started.
The young people received instruction in signalling, guarding, ticket issue and inspection, learnt how to drive the Simplex loco PENELOPE and assisted on the steam loco SWIFT. At the end of the events INDIAN RUNNER was started up and completed a few circuits of the track without any major problems. It now remains to paint the loco, correct a few minor faults and re-assemble the platework and we hope to make progress with this during the next two months.

Right Away for PENELOPE - - Green undercoat and anti-rust primer for INDIAN RUNNER

Malcolm supervises on SWIFT - - Chris admires the exhaust from INDIAN RUNNER

Saturday 3 July Working Party

Those attending were Richard Evans; Ray Brooks; Winston McCanna and Ann McCanna who was the duty attendant in the morning but pitched in with the cleaning as well.
The date co-incided with the Tywyn Model Club exhibition held in the Slater Room in conjunction with an open day on the Lechfan Garden Railway and the TR Have a Go Gala.
While Richard started by sweeping the floors through, Winston finished preparing the wall over the Industrial Loco showcase on the ground floor in preparation for making good the paint: this is the position chosen for the new display grid to mount the additional brass name plates in the Recent Acquisition showcase: the area previously used for fixing items which have been relocated was prepared and two coats of white emulsion applied. Meanwhile Ray had started polishing the
brass-work on the locomotives and Ann and Winston joined in with this task while Richard completed a job for the shop in their store room sorting out the late Phil Guests papers. Don Newing was working in the office on both NGRM and Archive Officer duties .
Keith Theobald arrived, having completed his session up the line with the flail mower. On his way through Pendre he had requested a "Drive a Diesel for a fiver" as part of Have a Go. He brought with him a member of his Outdoor Week gang called David, and they erected the Museum scaffolding tower and brought over the new grid which was placed up against the wall. The position for the fixing holes were marked on the wall, ready for installation during this coming week.
David Broadbent arrived mid day and joined in and dusted and polished the signal equipment at the head of the staircase, while Winston and Richard cleaned all the glass, including the display cases and the stairs.
Winston took over as duty Attendant in the afternoon and, assisted by Richard and David, completed polishing the collection in preparation for the Accreditation celebrations to be held in the Museum on Sunday 11th July.