We often report on this tram has been through the workshop and that tram has had some attention in the workshop at the Crich Tramway Village but we very rarely think about the equipment which the staff and volunteers who bring trams back to life use. Thanks to the Tramway Sponsorship Organisation (TSO) and London County Councils Tramway Trust (LCCCT) new equipment has just been installed into the workshop which will both allow for more work to be completed in-house and to improve the working environment.
The tools which have been installed include a planer thicknesser, a spindle moulder and a band saw whilst a commercial dust extraction unit has also been added to improve the working environment. The new equipment should also save time and money with woodwork projects being completed in-house instead of having to be sent over to contractors.
Graeme Wigglesworth, Engineering Manager at Crich Tramway Village, said: “The benefits of the new tools are that we can work quicker and more efficiently in-house, using the correct tools without having to outsource work. The addition of the dust extraction unit means that the dust from the woodwork will not be ‘floating’ about the workshop, making it better for health and safety and enabling us to paint and carry out woodworking at the same time.
“As we are about to embark on two wooden bodied tram restorations (Blackpool 298 and North Metropolitan Tramways Horse Tram 184) there will be a large amount of cutting and dust creation as part of these projects, so the new investment is well worth it.”
The equipment will also enable the workshop team to consider taking on woodworking projects for outside companies.