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The work of the railway has received a big boost from the contributions of junior soldiers from the Army Foundation College
near Harrogate.
Up to 45 junior soldiers, have been helping in a range of tasks previously delayed due to lack of person-power. They have been repainting coaches, restoring wagon and reinstating drainage at Holywell; the work has been supervised by railway volunteers. Materials for the drainage work have been generously donated by Tarmac Northern Ltd. The junior soldiers have been working as part of their Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, which they do as part of their year at the College. There are plans for the young soldiers to work with the Carriage and Wagon Dept. from October, when they will be taught repair skills while working on railway stock.
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Embsay news
Wendy and Betty are very pleased with the work Andy Lister has put in to refurbishing the buffet work area. Unfortunately, the machine for putting fizz in soft drinks was defective and had to be removed; there are no plans to replace it.
Carriage and Wagon
Coach No.4 needs new steelwork, and four of the 2nd class compartments are to be reupholstered in brown moquette; work could take 18 months. The junior soldiers have been doing a lot of the stripping, cleaning and painting. Work on Coach No.5 continues; the interior has been washed, the luxuriant growth of moss and mildew being removed from the north side, much more needs to be done. Coach No.3 is coming out of traffic soon for body repair and repainting of the south side; Z-section steel is being made by the fabricator. Wendy Anderson checked over the vintage stock before its return to service for the summer. Eileen Sanderson and her friend have cleaned the Gresley coach, and cream tea runs have resumed; don't forget to get yours. Coming work includes repairs to the SR brake van and the shark. Most of the coaching stock will be fitted with new brake blocks. At £700 per 100 and 16 to a coach, this will be expensive. In the mean time, could all drivers be sure to brake gently to minimise wear to the existing blocks. |
The old Mark 1 sleeper has finally gone for scrap and the Railbus may be going soon. It has been put on the market, it will
be better to see it put to a good use than to see it go to rack and ruin at Embsay - a waste of the hard work that went into
its restoration.
Bolton Abbey news
Work on erecting the building from Hellifield has been put on the back burner while more pressing jobs are done. Work is going ahead on a new miniature railway for use during Thomas events.
Shop news
Would anyone like to volunteer for a day at the shop at Bolton Abbey? There is a need for more people, so if you'd like to give it a try, contact Matthew or Stuart Bell.
Wanted
Don't forget that the engine shed and coal dock always need rags for cleaning material; some charity shops will give away unsalable clothes if you ask nicely! The Newsline hasn't been coming out as regularly as in the past. This is because my work entails work on two weekends out of three, and it isn't as easy to keep track of what's going on or get reports on the work of the departments. I have decided that I must either give up and let someone else have a go or get someone to help me. So if anyone is interested, please get in touch.
Bachmann news
Deliveries to date:
April: May: Due June: Due July onwards: ?2004?: |
The latest Yorks Railway videos
Marston Rail No 28: Harrogate & District. This video is made using footage shot by Michael Marston, but put together after his death. It shows Leeds Central station, then the Leeds-Northallerton line from Bramhope Tunnel north, Harrogate to Knaresborough, Knaresborough to Boroughbridge, and the Pately Bridge and Masham lines. The footage of the Boroughbridge and Masham lines is taken from goods workings. We also see demolition trains at work on the Pately Bridge line. The video shows some interesting scenes on the lines and different locos including Deltics. There are interesting glimpses of Rigton Signal Box! The last scenes are of a visit of the Royal Train hauled by the LMS Jubilee Alberta taking Prince Phillip to Nidd Station when he was visiting the Army Apprentice College in 1967, after the closure of the line. This video is a worthy addition to the Marston Rail series and should interest many of you. There are a couple of mistakes, though - Crimple Viaduct was built by the York & North Midland Railway, not the Leeds & Thirsk, and the platforms at Harrogate are not up and down as the line is up in both directions! East Yorkshire Steam. This video, which really should be North Yorkshire Steam, as the only footage in East Yorkshire is a few shots of the line to Bridlington! The video shows the York-Scarborough line, including scenes of Malton and Driffield, the Driffield-Malton line, the last freight on the Rydale line, the Esk valley line, Pickering-Whitby line and Whitby-Scarborough line, with footage of workings in Scarborough, including three Black Fives coupled together. Further footage follows of the line from Seamer to Bridlington and Filey Camp, including the Great Marquess and K1 No 62005 on a special run. Footage of demolition contractors and track lifting on the Scarborough-Whitby line may cause distress to some viewers. This is a good quality video with some interesting footage of workings and even a few brief shots of signal boxes. Marston Rail No 13: Brake Van to Whitby, another Marston Rail video, shows similar footage. The video is not of such high quality as the previous, but has Michael Marston's commentary with some interesting comments on what was his home territory. Most of the lower quality, as he says himself, is from the fact that he made the trip to Whitby in a brake van. Steaming Through Yorkshire. This video shows a wide range of steam workings through Yorkshire, including some vintage footage from the 1920s and 1930s. there are some interesting shots of Harrogate station including the former station with its glass canopy - a sad loss - and goods working with scenes of delivery vans (much of this footage appears in the video of Harrogate). There are interesting scenes of the Aire Valley and Worth Valley lines, and also the Settle-Carlisle line up to the county boundry at Ais Gill. Other interesting scenes are the old engine shed at Holbeck and track laying on the Selby diversion. There is even a glimpse of Embsay in the early days of preservation. West Riding Steam 2. This video combines steam-era footage with some recent shots for comparison. The video captures shots of a wide range of steam locos, though the photographer tended to concentrate on the locos, rather than show the trains, annoying when the commentator refers to the coaching stock on one. The LMS Jubilee Leander appears a number of times. There are interesting scenes shot at Copy Pit of banking engines, and of the derelict engine shed at Mirfield. There is footage of the Worth Valley line both before and after preservation and of the line through Skipton. There is footage of the track lifting train working on the Clapham-Low Gill line, and driver's eye views from the cab of a diesel on the Settle-Carlisle line. Another interesting video with good quality footage and a wide variety of locos.
Editor: Lesley J Bird
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