Roof repairs are heading up the winter premises maintenance programme at Buckfastleigh. The works are being carried out by contractors and the major project is the complete replacement of the slates on the former goods shed building. This was erected in 1872 and there is no reason to suppose that the slates have been replaced since. Some patching has taken place over the years since the South Devon Railway took over the custodianship of the building but it has become evident that a complete reslating was the only answer. The opportunity is being taken to provide felt and battens on top of the original tongue and groove roof under the slates. Some of the best of the old slates are being kept for patching up other roofs such as at Staverton. The picture shows the East side of the roof with the old slates all stripped off and new ones being set ready to fix. At the same time as the roof is being dealt with all the fascias, soffits and barge boards are being repaired and painted.
The second roof under repair is the stockshed roof over the lighting-up road. Over the years the sulphur from the engines being lit up has eaten away at some of the A girders that support the roof seriously weakening the structure. If you have steel girders to your engine shed, have you checked them lately! We had quite a surprise when we did - its one of those dark holes you don't look at very often. Gave us quite a surprise when we did see how bad they had got. The 'old hands', always glad to be wise say, 'in the old days, thats why they had wooden roofs to engine sheds!' Yes, Ok. But I seem to recall seeing lots of pictures of old steam sheds with no roof because it burnt down!
© South Devon Railway Trust 2006
