As well as preserving our unique industrial and transport heritage, it is important to establish the conditions and facilities that will enable us to conserve what has been saved for the benefit of future generations. In that respect, we are establishing a collection of machine tools and equipment which will enable us to carry out as many repair and re-manufacturing tasks as will be necessary to maintain the collection in good, safe operable condition for many years to come.

Essentially, the engineering processes and skills connected with historic steam engine conservation fall into two classes:

(i) boilermaking and repair, and

(ii) machine-shop work.

A further category is:

(iii) welding and fabrication , including heating (eg. for rivets), brazing and gas-cutting.

Also, because we have wooden artefacts like a thrasher, living van, etc.,

(iv) woodmachining facilities are not only useful, but necessary.

It is obvious to us that, because of the size of the equipment required (let alone the area one needs to operate in, and the size and weight of steel plate, dies, etc.), boilermaking is beyond the scope of what we are able to tackle.

That said, we do have a selection of pneumatic riveting tools, with which a new smokebox was made and fitted to traction engine number 33348 a number of years ago. However, that item is not part of the pressure-vessel side of things. All the other categories, we can, and should be able to do.

Engineering Workshop:-