THE CROSSNESS ENGINES The Vintage Scene’s Sharon Trewin finds out what you


need to know about the 11th of July Open Day


Crossness has been closed for the best part of a year. How has it been managing the site without visitors?


Over the past year, the Trust has used the Lockdowns to improve our site infra-structure, by using non- shielding volunteers (we have a few!) to do essential tasks. These include:


a) digging a 900 metre trench for a fibre-optic cable supply (essential to improve our broadband and other IT services. This now awaits connection); b) installing a fresh air system in the Basement of the Boiler House (for the benefit of our volunteers working in that area;


c) upgrading lighting and sound systems in the Exhibition Gallery (for our visitors);


d) we will shortly have an on-site virtual tour and a live streaming facility (for our on-line visitors).


The upcoming Open Day will mark the first time visitors have been allowed back in the building(s). How are you preparing for it? Having achieved ‘Good To Go’ status, we had an Open Day in September 2020. We took all the usual measures (masks, social distancing, etc). Pre-booked


tickets (via Eventbrite) for the day (10.30 am to 4.30 pm), a preferred time of a 30 mins slot to visit the Beam Engine House (BEH), controlled numbers of people in the BEH at any one time to 40 adults, plus their children, Volunteers acting as traffic marshals, first aiders, etc (we have two defibrillators on site). Similar measures will be in place for future Open Days.


What will there be to see and do on the day? Will there be a guided tour, and if so, what can visitors expect from it? Our site consists of:


a) the Beam Engine House, containing the World’s four largest Rotative Beam Engines (regret currently can’t steam on Open Days),


b) the Boiler House (with Exhibition Gallery, Cafeteria and WCs),


c) the Fitting Shop (where much restoration of Beam Engine parts has been done), d) the Valve House (originally the Schoolroom, but now housing our collection of restored small engines and pumps);


e) the RANG Railway Engine Shed (to and from which


16


JULY/AUGUST 2021


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