March 2021 Update

On Friday the 5th March a small team of 4150 Fund volunteers were allowed on site, Tony H., Philip H., D Mc., and Gary M., to jack up the loco and spray oil on the top of the journals. This is to get the loco ready to be shunted out of the tent, in readiness for the move to Bridgnorth. The fruit D van was oiled up and checked over by the boys of the wagon department and is now fit to move. On Monday 8th another small team were on site to start to tidy the site, to get it ready for the next tenant. Warwickshire will be moving into the tent, so the lads can get on with their overhaul. We wish them well.

Now for the bad news, the shunt has been postponed, the P-way department condemned siding number 3, which is the one in the car park. The P-way started work on relaying on Tuesday 16th. They replaced all the rotten wooden sleepers with secondhand concrete ones.

The day before the shunt, Monday 29th., all the tarpaulins had to be removed, a new one fitted and the loco oiled up. The steps removed from the van and the electrical supply disconnected.
On the day of the shunt, Tuesday 30th., fund members were on site at 0900 hrs. for a briefing. The first job that we did was to oil up and check over the loco and van for anything foul.

As you can imagine, it is a big job to shunt out the loco from the tent, almost everything has to be moved. Therefore when a shunt is planned as many jobs as possible are done. First all of the stock in the siding next to the car park must be pulled out, and stabled in the station. Then the Ruston 0-4-0 will go in and pull out the stock, one or two at a time, the DMU spare bogies will be pulled out ready to go to Kidderminster for overhaul. Then all of the stock in front of 4150 will be removed. Then 4150 and the van was moved out. Warwickshire and vans will go where 4150 was. Then everything will be put back. Whilst this has been going on 9581 and 4786 have been to Kidderminster to be turned. We hoped to get all this done in one day and we did, just.

4150 and our van now sits right at the front of the yard, ready to go as soon as it can be arranged. Before the loco goes to Bridgnorth she will have to go onto the pit and have a fitness to run exam.

We hope we are on the home stretch with the Covid, when restrictions are eased we can get back on track and see the job through to completion. I would like to put on the record our thanks to all of the boys that gave of their time to get the shunt done. Great day, thank you all.