Another day with NPJ472R

Saturday 16th March

Time to do a bit more work on Alder Valley 251 as it gets closer to being ready for its long awaited repaint. For a number of reasons it has taken longer than first thought, but preparation is vital.

The doors and windscreen have been removed. The doors have been replated at the bottom due a severe attack of the rust worm, the windscreen is awaiting the arrival of a new panel plus some other metalwork needs welding in.

Temporary windscreen

Temporary doors

Some corrosion

Lots of panels have been replaced including most of the rear end.

lots of different colours

A number of the new panels gave a clue as to where they had come from.

Hindhead

Basingstoke

No idea!

As its been a few months since my last working day there It was good to be back.

Todays work involved getting some of the front end ready.

First job, attach a new bracket to hold part of the bumper on. Easy, no problem. Then final sanding down of the some of the removed panels took the rest of the morning.

Refurbished bracket

Paul getting his nuts and bolts ready to attach the bracket

Nuts, bolts, washers and screws

 Lunch was Tesco's Finest Spaghetti Bolognaise.

 Then time to start reassembling the panels and bumper.

The first three panels went on fairly easily for change. For some reason, its often tricky getting the same 3 panels back on in the same place you took them off of.

Then time for the bumper to go back on. It didn't fit. This caused much head scratching. Eventually we realised that the new bracket didn't match the old one. The old one was accident damaged meaning that the holes on the right hand side didn't match the panels. This means more work for Paul to fit a new fibre glass centre panel (with registration plate) and repair the right hand corner panel so new holes can be drilled in both.

A frustrating end to the day but at least we knew how to solve the problem.

Before

After with the the 3 panels attached.

A summary of progress so far:
Rear end complete, sides repanelled as necessary, new emergency door fitted, lots of welding around wheel arches completed, lots of welding at base of pillars completed and new hangers fitted.

Still to do:

Windscreen and surrounding panels, front bumper to attach, fit doors, seat frames refurbishment. Anew pod bracket has ben fabricated and this needs to be bolted to the roof so the pod can be attached again.

Forthcoming events

Awake early this sunday morning (10/3/13) so why not write a bit about what I have planned for you lucky people to read about in the next couple of months.

A couple of beer festival visits planned for March.

Then in April its my first bus rally of the year at Brooklands and the London Bus Museum

April 26th - 28th I will be at the Watercress Line Diesel Gala

followed by a week working on the cellar team at the Reading Beer Festival

and a week later a trip to the Swanage Railway for their Diesel Gala on friday 10th May and possibly a visit the previous day for their 'push-pull day'

Some Leyland National news about the ones I help out on.

I'm hoping to get a day with Alder Valley 251 which should be nearly ready for its repaint.

Also there is the possibility of some bus rallys in the Nottingham area with Trent 421. This is still being planned by the buses owners. Might mean some Saturday pub visits in Nottingham area as well.

Also don't miss the Alton Bus Rally on Sunday 21st July where I will be working (selling MHR travel tickets I think)

So that's Beers and Nationals covered, what about the Steam bit in my blog title? I will of course find time for MHR duties. Starting today I am at Alton station 4 Sundays in a row.  Last weekend at the MHR Spring Gala I was Guard on Saturday and Shunter at Alton on Sunday.

14th Egham Beer Festival news

Details below: I'll be there, maybe even serving behind the outside bar.
Thanks to Bob for his hard work sourcing the beers and providing the info.

Thursday 28th - Sunday 31st March

Opening times:
Thursday 1000-2300 (prices as before)
Fri/Sat 1000-2359 (prices as before)
Sunday 1200-2300 (free entry)

Please note we are open an hour earlier at 10am for the first 3 days!

Here is the draft beer list - still a few TBCs which I will fill in over the next few weeks. It adds up to around 65-ish. As usual there may be last minute changes due to circumstances beyond our control...

Adventure Brewery, Chessington, Surrey (2012)
- New Frontiers #1 (limited edition ale)
- New Frontiers #2 (limited edition ale)
Ascot Ales, Camberley, Surrey (2012)
- Single Hop IPA – March (4.6%) monthly special
- Single Hop IPA – April (4.6%) monthly special
- Last of the Blue Devils #14 Juniper Berry Stout (8.0%) festival special
Aylesbury Brewhouse Company, Aylesbury, Bucks (2011)
- Beta (4.0%) golden ale
- Spring Heeled Jack (4.2%) chesnut ale
- The Whip Hand (4.2%) pale ale
- Tine Roof Rusted (4.4%) red ale
Belleville Brewing, Wandsworth Common, London SW12 (2013)
- Battersea Brownstone (4.8%) US brown ale
- Chestnut Porter (4.9%) porter
- Commonside Pale Ale (5.0%) American pale ale
- Thames Surfer (5.7%) west coast IPA
Black Iris Brewery, Derby, Derbyshire (2012)
- Great Eastern (4.6%) porter
Brighton Bier Corporation, Brighton, West Sussex (2013) – cuckoo brewed at Kemptown
- Maple Porter
- TBC
Brightwater Brewery, Claygate, Surrey (2013)
- Daisy Gold (4.0%) golden ale
- TBC
Brupond, Leyton, London E10 (2012)
- Ain'Cho Mum's Porter (4.2%) chilli choc porter
- The Amber Experiment (5.0%) American amber ale
Canterbury Brewers, Canterbury, Kent (2011)
- Chocolate & Vanilla Stout
- TBC
- TBC
Clarence & Fredericks, Croydon, Surrey (2012)
- Golden (3.8%) – specially DRY HOPPED version
- IPA (5.2%) specially DRY HOPPED version
Downlands Brewery, Small Dole, West Sussex (2012)
- Whapple Way (4.4%) pale ale
- Bee Stings (5.2%) strong amber honey beer
- TBC
Hop Kettle, Cricklade, Wiltshire (2012)
- Adder's Tongue (5.3%) ruby ale
- Flap Jack Black (7.6%) stout
Kemptown Brewery, Brighton, West Sussex (1989)
- Kemptown Gold (4.0%) golden ale
- Kemptown Red (4.5%) red ale
Kent, Birling, Kent (2011)
- TBC
Old Dairy, Rolvenden, Kent (2009)
- Scallop Top (4.5%) dry stout
- Inmanz 58 (5.8%) strong mild
Pig & Porter, Small Dole, West Sussex (2013) – cuckoo brewed at Downlands
- Ashburnham Pale Ale (3.8%) pale ale
- Black Cap (4.6%) coffee stout – collaboration with Downlands
- Red Spider (5,5%) rye ale
Portobello Brewery, London W10 (2012)
- Star (4.3%) bitter
- Market Porter (4.6%) porter
- American Pale Ale (5%) west coast pale ale
Shamblemoose Brewery, Penge, London (2013)
- TBC
Shed Ales, Pewsey, Wiltshire (2012)
- TBC
- TBC
Siren Craft Brewery, Finchampstead, Berkshire (2013)
- Undercurrant (4.5%) pale ale
- Soundwave (5.6%) American IPA
- Liquid Mistress (5.8%) American red ale
- Broken Dream (6.0%) stout
Surrey Hills, Dorking, Surrey (2005)
- Ranmore Ale (3.8%) golden bitter - specially DRY HOPPED version
- Greensand IPA (4.6%) IPA - specially DRY HOPPED version
Thurstons, Horsell, Surrey (2012)
- Maltways (4.0%) bitter
- Milk Stout (4.5%) stout
Two Cocks Brewery, Enbourne, Berkshire (2011)
- Cannon Ball (3.8%) session bitter
- 1643 Viscount (5.6%) strong golden ale
Weird Beard, Hanwell, London W7 (2013)
- Black Perle (4.5%) coffee milk stout
- Single Hop Chinook (7.2%) American style strong ale
Windsor & Eton, Windsor, Berks (2010)
- Conqueror 1075 (7.4%) strong black IPA aged for 4 months
- Name TBC (6.0%+) limited edition Meantime Brewery collaboration brew – a Rye ale