Quarry Hunslets are like busses.

Well, OK they aren't very like busses except that they seem to come along in groups in my life.

 

In this instance its King of the Scarlets, or is it? It seems that like most of the preserved locos in this and its related classes, all is not what it seems. Because of the way in which they were used and maintained in the quarries, boilers, frames and tanks all got swapped around to keep the fleet running. This one has Maid Marians frames I believe and the tank from a different one... any way we call it King of the Scarlets and now it has taken the space which Princess formerly occupied in Spooner's.

 



The process of getting her inside was pretty much the same, but in reverse of how we got Princess out.

The grubby state of the loco is explained by the fact that when she was sold in 1965 she went to Canada, was put into storage and stayed there until repatriated earlier this year. The paintwork had been slapped on before the sale in 1965 but otherwise she is in ex quarry condition. The dirt is what 50 years in a barn can do for you..

A bit of fresh timber wouldn't go amiss

 

Next year she will leave the bar and go to Stafold Barn for a careful restoration which will get her running but keep the work worn look of her.

 

You can see the video of the process here. It looks quick in the video but took all day.



Apart from that I've been out and about with the camera capturing the railways in the sunshine, just in case it doesn't last.

 

 

Today I popped out onto The Cob work site and got some up to date shots of the work, over the last week they have laid some track past the signal box which now has windows with glass in and everything. Plenty to do still.