Sunday 4th August was a nice afternoon, though it was interrupted by occasional light showers.
Steamworks was busy with visitors and we were particularly pleased to welcome Dave Cragie with his Morris Minor van containing a display of old radios celebrating 60 years of Radio Caroline.
Dave will be back at Steamworks on Sunday 11th Aug with some of his friends with their stationary engines and implements which should include water pumps and a hacksaw.
This Sunday also saw the return of Corby to the Blyth Valley Light Railway.
Her boiler has been out of ticket for longer than we had hoped due to a lot of rust scale in her boiler.
Thanks to a good deal of work from our volunteers she was thoroughly washed out and then booked in with the boiler inspectors of the Halesworth and District Model Engineering Society on Sunday morning where I’m pleased to report she passed both her hydraulic and steam tests. With her fire dropped she was loaded into our trailer and headed back to the railway.
Returning to Steamworks after we had opened, visitors were treated to a display of how to drag a heavy 7¼ inch gauge locomotive across wooden sheets to get her back on the rails. Her fire was then re-lit and steam was raised. Visitors were soon queueing to take a ride behind her. Many thanks to all involved in getting her back running.
The team in the cafe reported a busy afternoon, they were very enamoured by a returning visitor showing them his beautifully built cardboard model of Blyth.
You can have a go at this model yourself, we have the kits in the shop.