Percy Main sheds

After a request here is a selection of photographs showing Percy Main shed. With the later shed with roof, and the earlier buildings by this stage roofless. The shed area is now housing.

Photo credits:

Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust 

Percy Main & Field House

Some brilliant views of Percy Main & Field House.

The first shows the maze of track at Engine shed Junction, with lines fanning out to reach Hayhole, Coble Dene and Albert Edward Dock. In this 1957 view we can see a J27 traveling light engine passed the junction signal box.

The other views show Fieldhouse cottages in 1964, these lay inside the maze of tracks. And a map showing the extent of railways in this area.

Photo credits:

Brian Pearson 

Chain fencing fitting

A delivery of more hooks for the new yard fencing arrived recently which allowed Rob to install the lower down hooks and chain on the new fencing which surrounds the yards loading spur

 

Painting No.6555

Some photos of Tom and John applying the first top coat on No.6555's hopper

Excellent progress compared to the photo in the last post

 

LEV surround

John begins drilling into the ground for the main posts of the LEV surround

Unfortunately no 'during' photos, but the LEV fence/surround is now successfully up

 

Tyne Improvement Commission

At the very Southern end of our line, the numerous railways converged at Percy Main. Here a huge fan of tracks covered Whitehills and the Quays. Many of these tracks were controlled by the Tyne Improvement Commission.

Here we see a number of the locomotives used by the TIC.

There are three survivors from the TIC fleet (North of the Tyne) Ruston TIC 35 (Tanfield, a Bolster wagon (NRM), and a former NER birdcage brakevan (Tanfield).

Photo credits:
Jim Skipsey
Brian Pearson
Ian Spencer

 

Ashington No.5 Update

A short update on recent work which has taken place on Ashington No.5's overhaul over the past few weeks,

Following on from the last post which saw George chop the ends of the new crosshead slippers off, all the new slippers have now been milled and filed back to the right length

The last two jobs on the slippers for George were to cut the oil ways and drill and tap the four holes which take the bolts to fit the slipper to the crosshead

Michael plasma cutting the new axle box face wear plates to size

Three of the six wear plates cut out, cleaned up around the edges and ready for welding

Chris begins welding the first wear plate to the axle box

Two down, four to go

The following day, Michael and Alan trial fit one of the axleboxes which has had its wear plate welded on

A good fit

Tom making a start re-fitting the horn guides

Tom and Alan discussing the work before fitting more horn guide bolts

Tom turning more bolts in the lathe

George setting up the dividing head on the mill...

...to machine bolt heads for the newly turned horn guide bolts