Halle 903

Grimsby, Athens and 50 years

Finally at the back of the depot, Grimsby & Immingham 14.

We are flying to Athens in the morning and I don't expect to visit Crich again until May 3rd when I will hear the result of my appeal against 'my work in the Library no longer being required'. This will be just 50 years and one day since I first visited the Museum.

Blackpool to Gateshead

Four trams being towed or pushed by the electric loco last Wednesday. Blackpool 167, Glasgow 1297, Blackpool 166 and Gateshead 5.

Snaefell to London

1. The Snaefell (Isle of Man) plate frame bogie very rarely ventures from the back of the depot.

2. Blackpool 40, J'burg 60, Edinburgh 35 and LCC 106.

3. Sheffield 330 on the traverser.

4. MET 331 (London).

1959

I have been scanning and OCR reading copies of the TMS Newsletter from 1955 until 1960 in preparation for a forthcoming Journal article. Whilst I remember my first visit to the Museum, I wasn't sure of the date, only that it was before Cardiff 131 arrived. I can now confirm that it was on Saturday 2nd May 1959 when I met Dennis Gill and several other Manchester area members. Dennis was very enthusiastic and made sure I took a membership form home with me. I joined the Society a few weeks later.
The July 1959 Newsletter reported a donation of £7-1-10d toward's 131's restoration and made the followinging statement:
'131 will be one of the first cars at Crich to be restored, and work will commence on it as soon as the car shed is errected.'
So 131's restoration is just 49 years late. What will the next 50 years bring?

Leeds 602

Yesterday lots of trams were moved round the depot yard just for me to take photographs.
(More to follow)

Tram crews

Bird's eye view

New Wakebridge with trams

I called in at Crich yesterday to get some pictures of New Wakebridge in use with a 3-car tram service. These will be used to complete a photo album of the track replacement project for the contractors, Balfour Beatty.

Misc.

These are the last of Tuesday's pictures.
1. A Sheffield Transport Department notice being restored.

2. Oporto 273 in the workshop.

3. The depot doors were being serviced by a contractor giving us a glimpse of LT 1622 and Halle 902.

4. An unusual view of the Exhibition Hall - behind the canvass.

New Wakebridge

1. New Wakebridge is looking good.

2. The toilet door has been replaced by a contractor. Perhaps a volunteer will step forward to paint this edifice.

3. Repainted railings and new gates.

4. A new vista without the railway wagon.

Thanks for the comment Aaron. I'm reluctant to volunteer for anything new at the moment and am concentrating on finishing a couple jobs. These are the compilation of a Wakebridge photo album for Balfour Beatty and the preparation of text for the Special Issue of The Journal. The Museum needs new, young, enthusiastic volunteers and shouldn't rely on grumpy old men with long memories like me.

In the meantime Anonymous has sent this advice:

Interesting comment Aaron, well here's one for you!

"Not My Job"This is a story about four people named Everybody,Somebody,Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got upset about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everyone wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have!

Think on before passing the can!

Rail Greasers

I continued my walk to Wakebridge on 31 March and found holes being drilled in 35G rail for the rail greasers.

Tomorrow I will show pictures of New Wakebridge.

Thanks for the comment. I don't know why the pictures sometimes disappear. I just reload them.