Brake hanger fitting to NCB No.69

George has completed the arduous task of rebushing the brake hanger for NCB No.69.

Here he is seen testing the 'swing' of the right leading 'RL' brake hanger to identify any areas that require precise filing to eliminate rocking.

George then sets up the brake hanger in the Bridgeport milling machine to bore out the out bush that holds the brake block pin.

Completing this, he machines a new bush with an interference fit of 0.001" and a 3/16" lead in that is 0.004" undersize to aid in alignment. (old bush shown for severe oval of pin hole)

New shelving in the Guard's Van Shop

With the 2025 running season now in full swing, and with Christmas behind us, the Guard's Van Shop has received a new addition. To give extra storage space, a shelving unit has been constructed to advertise our expanding stock of NTSRA, 401 (Vulcan) and NCB No.69 branded merchandise.

Previously being freestanding, Cameron has fixed the unit to the walls of the Guard's compartment to prevent the likelihood of the unit falling over whilst the train is in transit.

Repair work begins to Consett No.10's starter motor

A few weeks back, Nev and Paul removed the starter motor from the engine compartment of Consett No.10.

Placed on the work bench, Bob is seen beginning to strip the main housing to enable his inspection of the internal components and give them a deep clean.

ACC5's Valve Gear

This week Joe has been busy completing the assembly of ACC5's valve gear. The valve gear has been re-pinned with pins fabricated by stalwart machinist, George.

Once finished, attention will turn to re-fitting the cylinder drain linkage.

Miniature Railway Arrivals

Tom and Adam have been representing the miniature railway and N.C.B. No.69 at Narrow Gauge North in Pudsey today. Following the show, they travelled to Barnsley to collect the two carriages to be used on our miniature railway.

On Sunday, they visited Foxfield Miniature Railway in Staffordshire to collect a petrol electric locomotive for use on our miniature railway. The locomotive, inspired by a Hibberd Planet and named "Kibworth Castle", was then tested along with the coaches on their line.

A taste of what is to come!

The current miniature fleet of steam, battery and petrol electric.

Planting of the NTSRA Christmas tree

Aaran and Robert have spent the morning relocating the Christmas tree of the NTSRA to the entrance of the site.

Having previously being located in the picnic area, the tree is required to be moved due to the construction of the Miniature Railway.

Having dug a hole and removed the tree from its pot, it is now in the ground at its new location.

With shovels already in hand, they reduced the pile of donated wood chippings by scattering them in the garden area to aid in the growth of plants and seasonal foliage.

Repair work to Sentinel 9559's regulator valve housing

Steve has began the task of repairing the housing which accommodates the regulator valve for Sentinel 9559.

with the casting being cracked prior to removal and dismantling, above, Steve is seen filing back the cast iron to create a surface to rebuild with weld.

He plans on forming a welded surface to then drill a new hole into the casting across where the crack formed so that the housing can be reassembled to form the regulator body.