Saturday March 7, 2009.

A beautiful autumn day with mild temperatures was a welcome change from the summer scorchers we have experienced on previous work days. An early phone call from the guys at Eveleigh was pleasing to note as on this day work is progressing in parallel on many fronts all over NSW. The new smoke box floor is now fitted and the temporary attachment of the blast pipe will facilitate the final fit of the smoke stack. The superheater header is work continuing with the lapping in of the pilot and drifting valves. The clean down and assessment of the boiler cradle revealed no issues and a coat of grey primer was applied to the entire right hand side. The two main reservoirs were disassembled in preparation for internal inspection and hydrostatic test. Work continues on the hind unit and the headstock received its second coat of red paint.

Alan Gardner

While the work continued in Canberra, work is also being undertaken in Sydney at the Large Erecting Shop in Eveleigh. The guys from 3801 Limited have made some space, and along with a few of the Canberra regulars, are restoring the cab to its previous glory. Ron Denholm has done a great job of removing years of grime and corrosion, having spent many a day with the needle gun, and now we are starting to repair the damage of years in the open. There is a lot of corroded material to remove and replace, some pieces to be re manufactured, and some modifications to be done before it is reunited with the frame in Canberra