A 'wet' and 'cool' Wednesday rather than cold.  Another one of little odd jobs.  I put masking tape over the joints in the monitor planking on C side so that when we apply the canvas and its waterprooffing the gunge doesn't run through onto our nice clean varnished ceiling. Later on I mixed some mastic and white spirit and applied some and success, no dribbles inside. Jim and Stephen spent the day filling and rubbing down the rubbing rails so that we can give the whole outisde a coat of primer.  All those lovely big countersunk holes we drilled have now disappeared from view.  After the ceiling I made a start on fitting the various bump stops and rails for the doors to travel on.  Some of these are now screwed in.    Bernard spent the day straightening out a door runner and various other small jobs in the workshop.  Nothing spectacular but next week we hope to start applying the canvas.

Away from the tram a quote for the axle steel has been obtained and we are sorting out the machining and where and how the wheelsets will be assembled.  The drawing is in progress for the axle so the plan is to get our wheelsets made within the next 4 months.  Also timber for the stairs has been ordered and on Friday I went to Kansa at Elsecar and got the glass that we need for the few broken ventilator lights inside the tram.  Another steady week.

Another day doing different small jobs.  Jim and Stephen filled and rubbed down the newly installed rubbing rails so that they all the screw heads are hidden.  They will be ready for undercoating soon.  I spent the day dismantling a Milnes Door off an electric car that has most of the same frame as our D end door. An interesting afternoon was spent removing three No.12  4" long screws that held one rail on.  Bernard made a tool that helped us to get the old lock out that  is the wrong type for our car.  These door bits with the decent ones from ours will make the new door, all from 110 year old timber.  A good planning session was held at lunchtime, which we were able to have outside, talking about the axles and axlebox design. Bernard and I then spent time examining the old solebars to sort out how the axlebox assemblies were attached to the frame.  Much research is going on behind the scenes to source the steel and get the drawings done as soon as possible.  Tomorrow I'm taking some samples of wood to get the stain for the saloon ceiling.  Next week more work on the roof sticks to fettle the joints.

At long last the four rubbing rails are finally finished and wet fixed with very sticky mastic.  All 130 odd No 14 screws are done up tight and the rails are in primer. Isn't it funny how a job that you thought will only take a couple of says has taken nearly 2 mon ths of working parties to finish.

Things are really progressing.  We actually had to think hard about what our next jobs are.  Jim is now starting wortk on the doors.  We have both but one is in very poor condition so we are hoping to modify another very similar Milnes door that we have acquired.   I am going to start on final fettling of the roof structure now that it is in position to close up all the joints and tighten all the wedges after the move and refitting.

On other fronts enquiries are ongoing to procure the steel for the axles and we ahve found the right definition for the thread that the nut that holds the loose wheel tight needs, DIN 20400.  Real progress.  I just need to get my finger out and order the timber for the stairs now that we have the stringers.

Another good day.  First job was to collect the staircase stringers which have now been rolled by Fidaport in Batley.  Then up to the tramshed and Paul, Jim and i got stuck into drilling and countersinking the last rubbing rail.  One of the others then had to have it's holes opened out to the correct size for No 14 screws.  That took us up to lunctime.  After lunch Jim and I spent our time screwing both rubbing rails onto A side.  This is the cramped side up against the wall and it's difficult to get presssure on the brace and bit for tightening the screws.  However we persevered and got both rails attac hed and most of the screws fixed.  Next week we'll drill the corners and ends and hopefully get them finally dry fixed. 

What we thought would take us only a couple of weeks has turned into a 2 month job with sevceral broken drills. 

Al in all a good day especially taking delivery of the stringers for the stairs.  We also managed to decide on the dimensions for the treads, risers and landings as well as the kicking board for the platform steps.  I can now get the timber ordered.  That will be the last timber we need for the exterior of the tram.  After that it's all metalwork and the interior.  Progress is also being made on the drawings for the axles so there is real progress.

Here you can see the stringers looking quite strange but they do fit and seem to be the right height.

Only Jim and I there all day and Bernard for half a day, however a lot was achieved.  Jim finally finished the B end platform so that is all fixed, screwed and masticed.  Bernard finished marling out the staircase stringers so those are going for rolling tomorrow.  I carried on drilling feather edge bar.  Altogether there are 120 holes to drill and countersink.  Both C side bars are now dry fitted and the upper one for A side is drilled.    During the week the canopy and staircase brackets were cut and are now being fettled.  We also got the first ceiling plank out of store and cut it to length.  All in all satisfactory progress.