(Seat) Back(s) To The Future

Another significant milestone for the restoration of the Suburban Coach was passed recently. The seat backs which have been in dry storage were installed in the first three compartments.

Guy was on hand with his camera to capture the action.  The seats have been stored in a restored goods van as shown in the picture.

Once liberated from storage the seat backs and dividers were installed in the coach compartments.  Here is the view of compartment one with the seat backs in place.

Next along compartment two receives it's upper upholstery, note also the restored picture frames and luggage racks. 

Compartment three followed suit with it's divider now in place.

Here you can see how the open wall is covered by the seat backs to close off the compartment. We are looking in to compartment three from number four.

Here John B is receiving the next seat back for installation.

Well done to the team on reaching this important milestone. It's always nice to see things finally coming together. Thanks to Guy for the pictures.

Until next time.

Park Hall Halt

Norman and the other volunteers have continued with the clearance along the line towards the A5.  They have now reached the public footpath crossing which is about half distance from the halt to the level crossing.

Norman took the following pictures showing the latest state of play with the clearance. First we look towards the A5 with the footpath crossing just behind to see what is in store for the next sessions.

Looking back to the halt we can see what has already been cleared.  This is a husband and wife team working together on the railway.

Work will continue here to keep the line clear.  Thanks to all who helped.

Until next time.

Suburban Coach Update

Over the weekend Reg and the team prepared and sprayed the area between doors 4 and 5.

As those of you who have ever repaired bodywork will know preparation is 95 percent of the battle.  The repairs have been completed and the surfaces prepared.

We start with a look the the coach side just before spraying. You can see how much of the lower body sides have been replaced. Reg and the team have been busy.

The next photo shows the windows masked and the previously painted bays are protected from overspray.

The first coat is on and the next panels move closer to completion.

The temporary spray booth allows us to keep the dust at bay. But don't go near with dusty or dirty clothes!

With the outside done the inner door panel can be replaced, look at the finish! Well done to John and the varnishing crew.

The coach continues to make progress thanks to the volunteers. It will be a beauty when finished.

Thanks to Guy for the pictures.

Until next time.

A Change of Name

The crossing behind Travis Perkins has been renamed Black Meadow Crossing, just in case in future reports the name crops up and you are unsure as to the location. Many hours of volunteer labour have gone into the construction of the line to the crossing. The next section to the cattle creep is relatively straight forward but needs manual attention to bring up to operational standards for passenger trains. It is hoped that the jacker packer can be brought into service to assist with this task.

Although it is quiet on the operating front there is still much to do on our journey to Weston.  The winter months are hard on our finances without regular operating income so please consider supporting our project.  All help is very much appreciated.

If you can, come along to our special events for Halloween or Christmas and see what we have achieved so far. Have a chat about future plans and make plans for return visits to see how we get on. You could also join us and become involved with the team. There are opportunities in all areas and you don't need any special skills, though drinking tea does seem to be a common theme.

Thanks to all who give up their time to volunteer and to you for your support.

Until next time.

Forthcoming Special Events

The next events are the Halloween trains and the Santa Specials. 

The popular Halloween event is running on Saturday 26th October in the evening. This will include Ghost Trains, fancy dress competition and a BBQ.

The Santa Specials will this year run from Oswestry along the new extension. The website is now updated and bookings can be made and paid for online. The dates are; 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st and 22nd December.  Come along and join in the fun.

Further details will be posted later. 

Until next time.

Park Hall Halt Clearance

Further work at Park Hall Halt has seen the rails emerge again from the weeds.  The weed-killing team have been in action working between the halt and the A5. Roger did the honours with the weedkiller and the team tidied up, uncovering the rails. Norman took a couple of pictures to show the latest situation.  We start looking away from the halt towards the A5.

Looking back towards the halt you can see the track.

Well done to all the volunteers who took part and to Norman K for the pictures.

Until next time.

Newsletter and Weston

The latest CHR Newsletter has been published and there are lots of background details of the current extension plans.  You can sign up on the CHR website.

Coming shortly is a track walk along the various sections coupled with two train rides and two refreshment stops. Details are in the newsletter and as part of the complete package there will be transport back to the starting point. On the way it will be possible to view the progress at the normally closed Weston site where work in underway by contractors.

With regards to Weston there is a small update, the following image shows the overall idea of how Weston will look but there may be some detail changes as required.

There is plenty of work to do before the Christmas operating season starts. If you want to come and get involved with any of the activities please make contact.

Thanks to CHR for the image.

Until next time.