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Saturday 11am - 4:30pm Sunday 11am - 4:30pm

Gunpowder Railway, Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey (2026)

29/08/2026

Today: Tinkabell's refurbishment starts, Wickham continues and Hanging Pegs!

Cloud and rain set the tone for the day, with several heavy showers rolling through, yet it still managed to stay warm on site. Being a Mills Public Day, two trains were run, carrying just 13 passengers not a huge number, but with only twenty visitors in total it was a respectable showing given the horrible and in challenging rail conditions.

The morning began with topping up the Baguley’s diesel, followed by the start of the next stage in the refurbishment of Tinkabell the Ruston LBU - stripping all of the old paint from the bonnet panels. Also, oddly, a large pump / water feature was unloaded from the Mills site trailer with the JCB and moved into storage on the PW Yard slab.

Work on the Wickham trolley continued at a good pace. Fresh undercoats — both grey and white — went onto the completed end panel, and a wire‑mesh grille was fitted neatly across the low‑level ventilation opening. The final underseat panel was cut and installed, and four new upright timber corner battens were shaped, sanded, and fixed into position. With all this done, the first end panel is now ready to be fitted on Wednesday, after which topcoating can finally begin.

Elsewhere, the spanner rack in Workshop 83B received renewed hanging pegs, restoring order and making it possible to hang every spanner in its proper place again. A small job, but one that makes a big difference to workshop efficiency.

Despite the wet weather, it turned into a productive undercover day, with steady progress across several projects and momentum maintained where it mattered.

26/08/2026

Today: Tracklaying for the Greenbat, water refills and further painting.

Despite some rain early this morning it was dry by the time we arrived on site, and the day soon turned warm and humid. With the regular Wednesday team in, we were able to keep several projects moving while also running trains. It was the final Kids Activity Day, with four trains operated and many many passengers carried, a worthwhile effort, and good to have support from those providing the crew.

First thing, the water bowser was taken down to the far end of the site and refilled which in turn means the water tank in Workshop 83B was able to be refilled, followed by a repair to the milling machine. Meanwhile preparatory work continued on the benches outside ARS2.

Work on the Wickham trolley progressed, with sanding on one end panel and a second undercoat applied to the other. I spent the morning applying the fleet numbers to the ends of the Dough wagon; all lettering is now complete, and only coupling pins and a new timber buffing plate are needed to finish it. Internal decoration of museum shed 83C continued steadily.

After lunch, more coats of paint went onto the benches outside ARS2, and a repair was undertaken on the engine stop assembly of the Ruhrthaler. Undercoating continued on the Wickham trolley end panel, and three of the underseat kick panels were cut and fitted.

Further use of the JCB allowed ten sleepers to be brought from the P Way yard to the new display area at the north end of the upper yard, followed by two full lengths of 35lb rail. A small panel of 18‑inch gauge track was also removed back to the P Way yard. With these materials now in place, we can make the track panel for the GreenBat 6099 (BB307) Mines Research Establishment locomotive and its Cleaning Unit.

Another successful day, with plenty achieved thanks to the hard work of everyone on site.

22/08/2026

Today: The big swap around! Dough Wagon gets its letters plus points get pointed.

It started off quite fresh on site, but the breeze dropped mid‑morning and the heat built up during the remainder of the day.
A good Saturday team on site so we were able to progress multiple projects. It was a Mills Open Day, and we ran two f the four scheduled trains, carrying lots contented passengers - primarily as our principal task in the morning was the Big Swap Around and re‑organization of the main yard area.
The two new Broughton Moor open wagons were put onto the new siding beside shed 83D and were joined by Trecwn chassis TO 448 which was relocated from shed 83E. The "new" metal flat wagon was then moved into shed 83E, whilst the tower wagon was dragged by our Hunslet Gilbert from alongside shed 83C to a position just outside shed 83E.
Finally, the ballast wagon was moved from the turntable siding round to the display siding next to 83C. The result, once everyone had recovered their breath, was a strangely empty main yard — the purpose of this exercise being to give us plenty of room to welcome our new locomotives in a couple of weeks’ time.
Then the final coats of grey paint were applied to the roof of the Dough wagon, and varnish to the seats and floorboards of the Wickham trolley.
The messy job of cleaning and lubricating all the Main Yard points was undertaken, and a necessary repair made to the worn tiebar and point lever bar on pointset seven so it now pulls over smoothly with no play in the joints.
A good clean was given to all the exhibits in museum building 83C, which were getting rather dusty after all the dry weather, and a new belt fitted to the belt sander in the workshop.
The two bench units outside ARS2 were finished with cleaning and undercoating, and a mist top coat applied to one of them this afternoon.
The day concluded with a first undercoat applied to one end panel of the Wickham trolley, and stencilled lettering added to both ends of the Dough wagon, faithfully copied from the original, along with the vehicle fleet numbers ready for painting on Wednesday. Oh so close to completion now!
A big thank you to everyone for working so hard today.

19/08/2026

Today: Wickham continues at speed, seats also move, 4 busy trains and a new driver/guard!

Pleasantly warm on site today, and dry. It was overcast in the morning but the sun came through after lunch. It was a Kid’s Activity Day at the Mills and we ran four trains, carrying loads of happy passengers. Many thanks to those who ran the service, and congratulations to the new Crew Member who passed practical tests for driver and guard today.

First thing, the last fishplates were installed onto the new track behind 83A, so it is now ready to receive designated rolling stock on Saturday. The JCB was then used to lift the two curved bench units behind the mess cabin and move them across to their new location outside ARS2, followed by cleaning down the benches and beginning to apply a grey undercoat.

Work continued across the site: final sanding and smoothing of the two Wickham trolley end panels, undercoating exposed parts of the superstructure metalwork and starting fabrication of the timber protection panels to go under the seats.
The internal painting of museum building 83C also continued to get ever whiter, along with fabrication and fitting of the three main longitudinal roof ribs to wagon B10, and completion of the lighting installation in the container which is a bit lost on a bright sunny day, but it will be a real boon during the winter months.

17/08/2026

Did you know the Gunpowder Railway is just one part of the wider 175 acre Gunpowder Mills experience? Check out the map below to see everything else we have to offer on site for a fantastic history, nature - and obviously train filled day out! With a great cafe too!

(The main railway is numbers 9 and 11 - plus our miniature 7.25" railway is number 8 ).

15/08/2026

Today: Siding extensions, painting and varnishing plus early preparation for displaying the Greenbat.

A hot day on site again, though thankfully not as oppressive as earlier in the week, which made for a better working environment. A good turnout on site, and lots of news to pass on. As it was a Mills open day and we ran two trains, carrying lots of happy passengers and undertaking the usual Railway Works tours.

Work on the Wickham Trolley continued with fitting the beading trims to the second end panel, followed by tidying up the window and vent grille edges while a third coat of varnish was put onto the woodwork, bringing that job close to completion.

Attention then shifted to the Dough wagon roof, where a couple of coats of grey waterproofing paint were applied, pushing that project firmly into its final stages.

Out at the back of shed 83A, a team used the JCB to bring up two track panels from the PW Yard. After some careful ground levelling, the panels were cut and installed to form an extension to an existing siding and giving a second storage track. It sounded straightforward enough, but it took a lot of effort to get everything aligned and seated properly. A few fishplates and some tamping are still needed, but with luck vehicles can start being moved around next Saturday to ease congestion in the main yard.

The biggest news, though, was following a visit earlier in the week to a private collection in Colchester there will now be a further TWO new additions to the motive power fleet. One is powerful enough to serve as a second passenger locomotive, giving the existing engine a well‑earned rest and the other will be an unusual companion for Tinkabell. Both machines will need restoration but appear sound and complete, with delivery expected in early September - watch out for more details and the reveal next month!

With the lorry relocated, a clear space has opened up for assembling the 3‑foot track to display the Mines Safety Greenbat and cleaning unit—another step forward in bringing more of the collection into public view.

Support for ongoing restoration work remains welcome via gunpowderrailway.com/support/

12/08/2026

Today: Dough gets a roof, Wickham gets an end and Tinkabell gets a run

Another really hot day on site, though a bit of breeze helped take the edge off the heat. Only a small team was in, but we found jobs under cover and avoided the worst of it. Two of the team gave the seat and floor woodwork on the Wickham a light sanding and put on another coat of gloss varnish. Then they cut the fabric roof material for the Dough wagon, fixed it over the wooden panels, stapled it all round, and trimmed the excess back to the roof edges. It’s now ready for its waterproof coating.

Work continued on the Wickham trolley as well. The finished end panel had its beading applied, and the second end panel was marked out and cut so its beading can go on at the weekend. It’s really starting to come together and should look impressive once complete.

We also took a few minutes this afternoon to run Tinkabell and the manrider for a gentle trip along the line. A good day’s progress from a small team, and much appreciated given the heat.

09/08/2026

The 𝐆𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲 has 170 years of narrow‑gauge history to tell. Set within the historic Royal Gunpowder Mills, our preserved railway is cared for entirely by volunteers who give their time to restore this special piece of ex‑military heritage.

We’re always working on something from track improvements and line extensions to new rolling stock projects and buildings!

📘𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 for bi‑weekly updates on restoration work, new developments, behind‑the‑scenes projects, and everything we’re doing to grow and preserve the Gunpowder Railway.

Please come for a ride this Operating Season and see what we have achieved so far - and if you can, can you help support us to continue to develop this railway?

🔗 https://www.gunpowderrailway.com/support/

🛤️ Sponsor a Sleeper and help us extend the railway
🚂 Restore a unique one of a kind locomotive
🛠️ Recreate a wagon for passenger service
✨ Or a general donation to help keep things going

❤️ However you choose to support us - donating, becoming a volunteer, or just Following Us on Facebook - you’re helping keep the Gunpowder Railway running, improving, and welcoming visitors for the future.

08/08/2026

Today: Pirate Adventures, Wagon Fires and Wickham gets a front face…?!

Ahoy shipmates. Another blazing, sun‑soaked day down at the railway, with a fine crew aboard to tackle a range of tasks. It’s the Pirates Adventure weekend, so the Mills were bustling with visitors. Three trains sailed the rails and were packed to the rafters with passengers, with the crew fully embracing the spirit of the day. Hearty work, me hearties, but don’t call us, we’ll call ye!

The second gloss topcoat went onto the Dough wagon, and an expert hand took on the tricky job of cutting in the new black paint on the body metalwork with the result looking sharp and shipshape. Next up is fitting the new roof covering and giving that a lick of paint before the lettering goes on, the end of this voyage is finally in sight.

One of the lads welded new buffing plates onto wagon B10 and managed to conjure a bit of drama… Smoke rising from one end where sparks had set the old timber buffing block smouldering. Buckets of water were poured over the buffer shank and the fire was out, or so we thought! More smoke, more water, and finally a new hole drilled through the top to pour water straight down. We left B10 outside overnight, just in case the ghost of the flame fancied another dance.

Elsewhere, the Wickham trolley recreation continued: the exposed timber floorboards and seat slats were sanded and given a first coat of thinned gloss varnish to seal them. A couple of sheets of plywood were hauled from shed 83C, and one of the new end face panels was cut and fitted with much measuring and muttering, it turned out to fit perfectly, bringing the Wickham closer to completion.

The restored 3-wheel motorized pony trolley was started and bravely driven from the main workshop to shed 83C for safe keeping beside the Bishopton rake, while the day ended with the start of cleaning the curved bench units behind the mess room these soon will be repainted and set out for visitors to rest their weary sea legs outside ARS2.

A day full of bustle, laughter, and progress the kind of day that makes a pirate proud of their railway.

Normal service will resume with the next entry – Editor

Gunpowder Railway

29/08/2026

26/08/2026

22/08/2026

19/08/2026

17/08/2026

15/08/2026

12/08/2026

09/08/2026

08/08/2026

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