Saturday’s team worked on three projects – Van 40, Coach 7 and
locomotive “Blyth”. All the timber drilling and rebating on the van
underframe was completed, and the last section of coach ceiling
(Southwold end) rubbed down, filled, and primed.
The frames of Sharp Stewart 2-4-0T “Blyth” have always faced into the
end of the workshop: Bernie had the idea of turning these so that they
face the entrance, and also moving them into a more accessible position.
The idea is that the existing parts (smokebox door, chimney, and other
parts as they are made) can be displayed better, mounted in the proper
relationship to the frames, while the frames, complete with buffer
beams, can be presented at the finished height. The ensemble will
therefore give a much clearer idea of the size and presence of the
complete loco. The idea is, of course, not new, having been used by many
of the standard gauge locomotive new-build projects for the promotion
and marketing of their funds.
However, the frames/stretchers/beams assembly is much longer than the
workshop is wide, so we could either have dismantled the assembly (which
has been temporarily bolted together), or moved it in one piece. We
chose, of course, the more difficult, but more spectacular way!
After about two hours’ hard work, we now have a chassis in the right
place, and, after the next workday, it will be raised (on blocks) to its
appropriate height, so that design of the structure which will display
the components can begin.
The workshop doubles, on days when we run Bus Tours (Thursdays and Bank Holidays), as a working museum, so we hope that the exhibit will now become more attractive and understandable to the public.