2021 has been a notable year for rolling stock acquisitions. Since we are now visiting 32mm gauge lines more regularly, I decided that a 32mm gauge battery loco would be a useful acquisition. Fortuitously, in July we had the opportunity to purchase Mountaineer, a battery-powered model of the Ffestiniog Railway's eponymous George England 0-4-0T+T. After appearing on static display at the Brambleton meeting in July (see below), it went straight into the workshop so that its original R/C receiver could be replaced by a Deltang version. This allows the engine to be operated off the same transmitter we use for No. 2. The loco is now ready to enter traffic.
Another acquisition from the VWHR has been a semi-open tourist coach. This was built from an IP Engineering VoR kit, but reduced in length from seven compartments to five. For the time being, it retains its VWHR livery of plain carmine with custom VWHR crests.
The VWHR have also assisted us by refurbishing an existing member of our wagon fleet, namely our Lehmann tank wagon. It had always been our intention to anglicise this continental wagon, and repaint it white for use as a milk tanker; however, for various reasons we never managed to undertake this work ourselves. The VWHR kindly stepped in and offered to undertake the project for us during the spring; the wagon was ready to return to traffic in early July. We are very grateful to the VWHR for undertaking this work, which, as always, has been completed to the highest standards.
With all these new acquisitions, I felt that our exisiting rolling stock numbering scheme was no longer adequate to reflect the variety of rolling stock types in service, particularly passenger carriages. I also wanted to replace the original, haphazard allocation of letters for different goods wagon types with new, more descriptive letters (e.g. "O" for open wagon, "V" for van, etc.) We have therefore implemented a renumbering scheme, which is fully detailed on the Rolling Stock page.
In terms of lineside structures, the only major project has been the continuing construction of a new station building for Box End. This continues to make slow progress but, as the picture shows, all the walls and internal partitions are now erected, doors fitted, and a good start has been made on the wooden cladding. We have also been given a new coaling stage, which we intend to install beside the steam-up siding at Rutton. This one-piece resin model has already been undercoated and will be fully painted when time permits.