This website has been updated, changes have been made to most of the text. Further developments have included attention to the images. These are hosted here (external link - opens in new window) The announcement of a major change or three has now been made. However, we are currently expecting some further developments, so check back, very soon.
Please, scroll down for updates - Latest News at the end !
With Effect from 01 April 2009, the company name is changed to "Stanegate Restorations and Replicas", with Ian Yates as managing director.
The restoration of the William Riley is now complete. Visit the Whitby Historic Lifeboat Trust website to find out more about their open day and inaugural launch. "William Riley" has now begun a new life, as a fundraising and educational vessel, the trust website has details of some past and present exploits, with the outlines of some of those planned for the future. We follow "William's" adventures, and will add one or two suitable images, as the opportunity arises. July 2009 sees William pay a short visit to our workshop, for some attention to the paintwork on the hull, and the varnish. The next booked visit was to take part in the Jubilee Pageant on the R. Thames.
Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. The restoration of WHR Buffet Car is now completed, it is now running, after signwritting, at Gelerts Farm. We machined and supplied all the requested components to finish the project. The replica WHHR Number 25 was built in our workshop, and then painted into "Midland Maroon" livery and varnished internally. After our open day, the carriage went off to Wales on Wednesday 15th April 2009. This has resulted in several, very nice, reviews. Click on the links here , here and here , to read three of them (last two links no longer work / Feb 2016). Once at Gelerts Farm, it was put onto the new bogies, some other mechanical work is still to be done and the sides signwritten and then varnished. The official unveilings for both carriages were at the WHHR Gala in early May 2009. A future project, for the WHHR musuem, which has been under discussion for a while, will see us design and build a number of interactive models for the new displays at Gelerts Farm, currently this is on hold, as funds are not available.
The Bowes Railway : We had successfully tendered to rebuild several waggons that were damaged by vandalism, including an arson attack. Some preparatory work had been started, and once Number 25 was collected in mid April, we were able to devote more workshop space and time to progressing them. Update - June 2009. Work was started in late April on the first two waggons, following up the exploratory work done previously. There are now two large piles in the workshop. One 'heap' is freshly painted Ironwork, the other is the new timber parts kit, and work has started on bringing the two together. Very carefully! This is all very heavy compared to the narrow gauge items we finished recently. The finished Kibblesworth Drift Bogie has been returned to Springwell. Update - September 2009 - Work has now started on the Grey Waggon, B-49. It took less than a week to deconstruct the waggon, the ironwork has been away to be shotblasted, and is now black gloss painted. The timberwork for the frame had a trial build stage, and was then painted in undercoat. The final assembly work on the timber body followed. After applying the topcoat and signwriting, B-49 went home to Springwell in January 2010. Latest News - June 2012 - The Drift Bogie has been displayed by the NRM, York at Railfest 2012.
Locomotion : the NRM at Shildon, asked us to produce headstocks for the GER Directors Saloon, which was being restored to run in passenger service on the demonstration track. Subsequently, we have been asked to quote for another pair of headstocks, these will be for the electric traction locomotive NER Bo-Bo No 1. When the BoBo headstock patterns arrived, they came with the footplate for "Sans Pareil", and a request to make a replica. So, we did! These are now all in place at Shildon. A major project had been under discussion - to illustrate the dilemmas involved in restoration of items with a varied history for museums - but funding has yet to be agreed.
Beamish : North of England open air museum. After calling into our open day, Paul Jarman invited us to visit him and the transport collections. We were asked to survey a number of proposed jobs, to clarify the work that may be required so that Paul can work out the costs likely to be involved, and then raise the necessary funds. Amongst the items we looked at were the NER "Birdcage" Brakevan, Sheffield 264 and a (cute little) handbarrow! A further visit, when it was NOT raining, was needed in order to look over the items that were outside. We then produced a report, and what have had to be guideline costs. Hopefully, we will get some work to do as a result, this is quite usual with estimated 'budget' costs, as without a crystal ball, a visual survey only gives a guide. You need to take panels off to examine the structure, which is when you either breathe signs of relief - the work is not too difficult, or nearly have a panic attack - there is something nasty growing in the corner post joints. Whichever we find, we can deal with it. Subsequently, we have been asked to do some minor body- and paint-work maintenance on Sunderland 16, whilst the mechanical and electrical servicing is underway. A further report has been produced for two horse drawn vehicles (a bread van and the chip van) which have just arrived at Haltwhistle, and a replica water pump housing has been built. The Bread Van has already returned to Beamish, and is in use as a supplementary catering outlet. We have done some bodywork repairs to Blackpool 31. (March 2010). Berriman's Chip Van has been completely rebuilt - incorporating some original parts - and now forms part of the displays around the new coal-fired fish and chip shop (in the pit village, and which opened Summer 2011). Our final project for Beamish has been the Forcett Coach aka Stockton & Darlington 179, which is being rebuilt for occasional operation on the Pockerley Waggonway, this was delivered to Beamish in April 2013.
September 2010 - Saltburn Cliff Lift : We have been commissioned to restore the two passenger cars of the oldest operating water balance cliff lift in Great Britain. The cars have been overhauled, to the extent that one has been completely rebuilt, and then the 'Victorianisation' process was completed in time and on budget for the re-opening on Friday 22nd April 2011.
Over the past year or three, we have also completed a number of smaller (?) projects, rather more in the nature of individual and bespoke items. An example of these is the replica three seater chair installed in the Pullman Holiday Coach at Ravenglass. The "marine division" had accepted the challenge of restoring a classic '15 foot' ski boat, the inboard Volvo Penta is also in need of some TLC!
EHSI News : 2011 - The North East Civic Trust and the HLF are running a scheme to encourage the retention of Engineering Heritage Skills. As part of this Initiative we have offered a placement for each of the next three years, and at the start of May 2011 the postholder completed his induction...and he will start work on NER70 and then will be mentored with a project of his own. Our second postholder started her placement with us in April 2012. Our third trainee will begin his placement in March 2013. For the fourth and final year of the scheme, our trainee started with us in February 2014. See here for details : EHSI scheme. (link broken by NECT / Feb 2015) The EHSI scheme expended all their HLF funding and closed, as planned, during March 2015.
News : April 2012. We have been commissioned, by the private owner, to build the timber components for - and assemble - the cab from a Sentinel Steam Waggon, currently the subject of a longer term restoration project. We have also painted the metal apron. Further details will be made available as the main project nears completion, such as the identity of the vehicle - now updated.
News : May 2012. After suitable grant funding had been agreed - from the "Staffordshire Environmental Fund", the NSR Rolling Stock Restoration Trust has awarded us the contract to fully restore the bodywork and interior of ex-NSR 127 (the "Manifold" coach) for operation on the Foxfield Railway as part of their "Knotty Coaches Appeal" together with NSR 61 (which is currently under restoration at Blythe Bridge by NSRRSRT volunteers) and if all goes according to plan the restored coaches will be in operation during 2014.
News : During 2013 - February 2013. We have two small projects underway, due to start next month, a set of replica callout (shout) boards for a lifeboat museum in Seaham and the repair of a set of internal doors from a Grade 1 listed building in our local area, which had been damaged during a break-in. (June 2013 - both now completed)
News : June 2013. All our projects images are now hosted on Ipernity, following complaints received after changes at our previous image hosting site.
News : August 2013. The NSRRSRT have awarded us a further contract, to complete the restoration of NSR 61, after they obtained a PRISM grant. The completed NSR127 has been swopped for NSR61 and work on the latter is now under way. The completed NSR61 returned to the Foxfield Railway in March 2014
News : During 2014 - February 2014. The Friends of Maud Railway Museum have commissioned us to restore the convict van from the Peterhead Quarry Railway as part of their "Rocks, Rogues, Rails & Refuge" project, now the funding and transport arrangments have been completed, this will arrive shortly. Our fourth and final EHSI trainee began his placement in February 2014 (the scheme is finishing as all the funding has been spent). A local private owner has asked us to build the timber back, cab and other parts from a 1914 Latil TAR (a 4 wheel drive gun tractor). This month we will begin some further work on NER70. August 2014. On the 7th of the month we attended the "Official Launch" of the Knotty Heritage Train and public service trains ran from the weekend 9th/10th August. October 2014. The Knotty Coach Trust have retrieved three coach bodies from Rea Cliffe Wood, Rudyard Lake. The sad remains were of two first class coaches and the even more derelict remains of a brake third. "Bellerophon" and NSR61 are the centrepeice display at the Warley Model Railway Show at the National Exhibition Centre. The fundraising campagn to build the Accessible Brake Coach is now underway. November 2014. The two Murton War Memorials restorations and the refurbishment of the High Altar from St Mary's Church are both underway. The later was completed in time for Christmas.
News : January 2015. Early in the month we inspected another NER coach, and expect it arrive for a staged restoration during February. Towards the end of the month, we attended the fourth and final Graduation Ceremony for the EHSI Scheme. This was held in the private Preston Collection by the kind permission of the recently widowed Mrs Richard Preston.
NEWS : December 2015. The restored "Miller Fifer" was relauched into Whitehaven Marina just before Christmas 2015, and was subjected to some very stormy weather over the next few weeks. She behaves very well and receives many favourable comments, both from fellow berthholders and others walking around the harbour.
News : January / February 2016. Work is still continuing on the 49ft 7 compartment NER coach and, hopefully, some more work will be carried out on NER70 shortly. The PQR van is due to visit Beamish Museum this spring, before returning to Maud Railway Museum. The Knotty Coach Trust have suggested that NSR228 (the first class carriage currently at Churnet Valley Railway) may come north to us for some finishing work in the near future, they are also fundraising for their Accessible Brake Coach project, as they making a number of grant applications, including to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
NEWS : During 2017. We have five major projects undeway this year; together with a few smaller tasks. These have been :- the work on the NER 7 compartment coach has finally been completed; we built a part replica & part restoration of the last remaining 3ft gauge carriage for the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Museum; an incinerated coal waggon is being rebuilt for the Bowes Railway; work has continued on NER70 and we will be starting on the Accessible Brake Coach for the Knotty Coach Trust towards the autumn. The major staff change in 2017 has been that Ian Yates, the founding MD, has formally retired and Jonathan Crowe is now in charge of running the projects and the workshop. As part of the NSR ABC project, and in line with our aim to pass on traditional skills, we intend to employ an apprentice. We have also expanded back into our original unit, as part of a move to re-organise the workshop.
NEWS : During 2018. The Bowes waggon - "ordinary" 971 - went back to Springwell at the end of March. Work is progressing well on the NSR Brake carriage and NER70,the two main current projects. At the begining of July the Isle of Man Steam Railway sent us the "pairs" coach F62 for restoration. This vehicle is unusual as it is formed from two 4wheeler bodies from 1873, which were mounted on a steel underframe in 1926. The arrival of F62 allowed us the opportunity to both acquire some lengths of light weight rail and have a re-shuffle in workshop and project locations. A small number of minor projects will have been completed during the year.
NEWS : During 2019
NSR23 (AKA the Accessible Brake Coach) entered into public service at the Foxfield's Victorian Gala over the weekend of 4th, 5th and 6th May 2019.
The "Pairs" coach, F62, is progressing steadily, although B1 is a little more advanced than A1. We could tell that they were both prototypes !
The MRT 'PalVan' arrived in June 2019, in a well cremated state, by the start of October, just the task of building the new doors remained outstanding. On the way, unexpectedly we found that we needed to lay new floor timbers as the original were rotten.
Work continues on rebuilding NER70, the main area of work has been the interior panelling of the main saloon and the structure and panelling of the "privy" compartment.
Fortunately, given the current economic climate, we are lucky enough to have a number of other projects in the planning and development stages, to which we are looking ahead for future orders. Watch this space - further announcements will be made as news becomes available.
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