Work has been in progress on several fronts at Buckfastleigh.

The installation of the new sidings continues apace. The photos show the site of the new sidings from outside the workshops, on Monday of this week, deep in the mud. By Thursday the layout of the yard was beginning to become clear, with the new connections becoming more obvious. Rail for these is being recovered from the store behind the museum’s archive buildings, next to the Carriage & Wagon siding. By Saturday the “new” point had been installed: most of the track between it and the three–way point will be tramway style to allow passage of both road and rail vehicles.

Not to be outdone, a small gang from Buckfastleigh Station Group was fitting new walkways for signallers to reach the token exchange apparatus outside the signal box. The old wood had almost reached the composting stage.

In the workshops, the John Shaw press was in action making new thermic siphons for Bulleid West Country locomotives, of which several are currently being worked on. They are made in two halves - left and right hand, which are then joined. They then have to have stays fitted, and the photo shows a life-expired example still in situ in the firebox, cut open to show the stays. The photos show the pattern in place, staff gathering round with full protective clothing and oxy–propane torches, heating under way, and the finished product cooling down, but still red hot.

And finally – 1420 was moved into the workshops as part of the shunt before access was severed for the new pointwork. What better proof that its overhaul is now well under way?

Best wishes

John Brodribb
SDRT Museum Curator

And now for something completely different...

South Devon Railway Engineering have completed the first of two stills for The Oxford Artisan Distillery.