As the Summer Transport Festival approaches at the end of this week, our volunteers been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks working on No.5 Mona in the goods shed at Port St. Mary Station.  Work has included managing to adapt and fit the two clack pipes, re-railing jack, vacuum exhaust pipe (which required making a dummy vacuum ejector to support the cab-end of it), fitting the second Ross “pop” valve, handrails on the smokebox and boiler.  The awkward job of removing dents from the brass dome cover has also been completed.

The connecting rods and back buffer beam have received a few coats of red gloss as a finishing touch, and the driving wheels have been touched up with spring green topcoat.   A huge amount of touching up of little nooks, crannies, nuts and bolts has been also been completed. All this effort now means the locomotive now has all the existing components possible now back in place. Any further items that are still missing, such as the oil pots for the slide bars will have to be re-made from scratch - this can be done after the festival.  The only thing left to do now, is a quick clean before her debut on Sunday.

The railway continues to operate daily to timetable “R” with the evening “U” service running on Thursday and timetable “S” on Saturday.  The extended Summer Transport Festival also takes place at the end of the month from 23rd - 30th July 2023 with No.5 making her first official public appearance during the welcome event at Port Erin Station on the evening of 23rd as part of a line up of locomotives.  Full details of the festival can be found by clicking here.  With the completion of The No.5 Project the Association owed a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who has assisted with the project, from donations to hands-on volunteering.

Work is continuing with the cosmetic restoration of No.9 Douglas by Association volunteers.