Another day of split site working.  Jim and I started on the dashes today and after drilling them for their supports they got a rub down and a coat of primer.  Some tidying up got done and then Paul arrived with the prototype long seat for the ends of the upper deck.  We tried sitting on it and decided that it definitely needs its centre support. After a visit to Ipswich Transport Museum yesterday I saw what looks like an original Milnes seat and the stays for the long ones will be of that design.   After lunch we set off to Middleton and Jim and Mike spent their time fixing and measuring more floor latts on the platforms.  I worked with Stephen on the brake gear and tried the brake hangers in their final positions.  Some of the fixing holes needed some adjustment but by the end of the afternoon we actually had the brake shoes hanging on D end.   Next week we might get the brake rigging finished. The other three short seats were put up on the top deck so it really is looking different.

Well it was back to work with a vengeance today and it was a Cold Wednesday, at least in the morning.  Paul had been busy making seats at home while we were away so three of them arrived at the old tram shed this morning.

They looked great and we tried them out.  No movement or creaking so they were put in the cars to take to Middleton.  Jim Paul Ian and I then started drilling fixing holes in the dash panels and Ian also carried on with some painting.  At lunchtime as usual we set off to Middleton and spent the afternoon sorting out and refitting the latts on the platforms with Mike's help.  I also managed to finally put all four bolts in the sway bar bracket and did a trial asembly of the brake gear. This revealed a few minor clearance problems which hopefully will be sorted out quickly next week. We also had to find somewhere to store the three completed seats and the obvious place was to put them where they are supposed to go up on the upper deck. We can't work up there until the handrails are fitted but they looked good.

All in all a good day and it's nice to be back at work on 107, even though Jim and I are doing various drawings of Bemis truck components for the Roundhay Electric project.

Sorry to all readers for the long gap between posts but your scribe has been in the USA watching trains and trams and also measuring up some very old trams as research for our next project.  However work didn't grind to a halt and Mike Waring continued sorting out the latts on the platforms.   Meanwhile Richard Syms and Paul carried on with the upper deck seats and produced a prototype.

One or two minor problems emerged as they are not the easiest of things to assemble.

Designing them has been a mixture of guesswork and research as we have not been able to find an original Milnes seat but have obtained a lot of information from photographs and the shape, size and location of the feet from the old roof planks. Hopefully there will be more to report this coming week, however just a taste of one of the lovely objects that we saw on our travels.

Another split personality day. Paul, Ian and I started early making drilling jigs and trial assemblies for the upper deck seats. Ian painted the new metalwork that had arrived during the week, including the first four stanchions for the dashes.  Richard arrived and carried on with the work while at lunchtime Ian and I went down to Middleton where Mike met us.  We caried on refitting the brake gear.  By the end of the afternoon we had manged to refit the sway bar bracket but two of the four bolts still need fitting and adjusting.  Mike started to dismantle the old underfame and Ian took all the masking tape off the windows.  By the end of the day a lot of preparatory work for the seats had been done and Jim, who was away, is busy at home varnishing the seat latts. Hopefully over the next few weeks the seat assemblies will be built. No pictures as I forgot my camera but still some progress.

Well after the excitement of the last two weeks it has been back to a more humdrum rate of progress.   Paul and I got to the depot earlier than usual to make a start on making drilling jigs for assembling the upper deck seats.  The now rather empty garage was then tidied and Jim and Ian joined us and spent the rest of the day drilling various parts and painting others.  Meanwhile, having got things started at Whitkirk, I went down to Middleton to meet Mike Waring and we started fitting the various parts of the running gear back on that had been dismantled last week. By the time we finished the tie bars were on and the cross stays were part done.  We also sorted out various nuts and washers.  In the process we moved 107 twice and there was a very satisfying low rumble as it moved sweetly along the track.  Also Mike commented on how the suspension was moving when I walked about inside.  All positive stuff.  For the next few weeks this is going to be the pattern with work taking place at both locations.  All good steady progress.