Contact: Iain Wilkinson iain@slatewagon.com 07990 520254
As many of you will know, in 1998 the railway was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to renovate and restore slate wagons. An assessment of the wagon fleet had taken place, leaving it up to YOU to let every wagon have flawless wheelsets, axleboxes, couplings/drawgear, sound floor and acceptable bodywork. All this is to be protected for what is hoped to be a long time to come by layers and layers of high quality paint, applied by high quality painters.
Progress is hard to report as very few wagons are really FINISHED. Although there is some overlap, the most efficient way to manage the project has been task by task, rather than wagon by wagon; i.e. all the wheels get done, all the couplings get renewed etc. This said, I would guess we are about half way through. Much painting, floor and body replacement, wheel set removal etc has taken place.
So guess what - there is much of this highly. pleasurable work stuff to do! See below how YOU (Yes! You hiding behind the armchair.) can help. Even someone who can rarely make it to the railway can help. I have many homework tasks (a wagon fits neatly into a garage!).
The mass re-wheel should have started by the time you read this, thus the logistics of moving wagon bodies (some of them still loaded - please don't ask how we move them!) a thing of the past.
As Diller has now 'retired' as Heritage WPO, it now falls to me to ask MORE people to work on wagons and viciously graze my forehead on the nearest brick wall. Come and work on the slate wagons on the World Famous Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Network (Southern Division)! The work can be tedious, repetitive and seemingly pointless, but is a great laugh and can be very rewarding especially around gravity train time.
The next official working party is 1/2 June, along with a concerted effort all summer long. However, work can be found all the time, especially for groups, who could attack a single task in a weekend (e.g. shunt 260 out of 9 road, replace the floor, paint it and put it back). Any offers of this 'piece' rate type of work or any other type of labour or cash should be addressed to me at iain@slatewagon.com or 07990 520254. Come and learn to hate me as only my fellow workers can!
Cheers mate, thanks for that.