Efforts are being made to tidy up Wansford station site to give a better impression to visitors - more volunteers would be very welcome to help with this, no special skills are required but it makes a huge visual difference to the place. All you need is to be a NVR member. Here we see 0-6-0ST 'Jacks Green' after being scrubbed up to meet his visitors - a big improvement. The face is not always present - it tends to be put in place for 'Thomas' events as our younger visitors recognise the engine as a cheeky green 0-4-0ST from the Rev. Awdry's stories. Longer term, it would be nice to see this engine return to the authentic light green it wore in service at Nassington ironstone quarry, a truly local locomotive. It is a sister engine to 'Ring Haw', also preserved and currently restored to operating condition at the North Norfolk Railway.
As a comparison, here is an earlier shot of 'Jacks Green' last year before cleaning. It shines now!
Sister loco 'Ring Haw' at Sheringham, North Norfolk Railway, in authentic Nassington livery. Could 'Jacks Green' look like this one day?
More panels of the Southern Railway TPO No.4920 have been washed and T Cut, quite a difference to its appearance of the last few years as can be seen when compared to the panels not yet done on the right. The 'Night Mail' project aims to provide desperately required covered accommodation for all the TPO vehicles and the two Wagon-Lits cars on the railway. The work will be done in a phased way, modifications to the trackwork at Ferry Meadows to allow rail access to the site are planned this Easter as a first step.
View from the ground of 4920. The metal sheeting really requires repair/replacement due to corrosion, but this will have to wait until manpower is available. However this major clean up helps its appearance a lot for now. Using T cut/general cleaning has been recommended rather than a quick repaint, because it will make life easier when full restoration work of the bodysides (needed quite soon) is carried out.
Comparison shot of 4920 before work started. The battered and bruised trolley in the foreground was removed from public view some months ago for restoration, I am pleased to report that its restoration is now very nearly complete!
The distinctive headlamp has been refitted to the Swedish 'B' class 4-6-0. It appears to have been designed to assist trainspotting at night, which is most thoughtful.
The new 'Nord Express' line up in the late afternoon sunshine. Quite an improvement on the jumble of tatty withdrawn locomotives that were in this prime location until a few weeks ago...
The previous arrangement, seen here one year ago almost to the day. Have I really been doing this that long?!
