A Magic Carpet…..?
A Magic Carpet…..?
by: Buffs
The redevelopment of Western Depot is not just about buildings and containers although much has been written in this Blog about them. The extra space in workshops and stores has been welcomed. In the case of storage space the opportunity to reorganise and rationalise has been grasped, in some cases a little too strongly… The plaintive lament “it was here before the move” has become more of a refrain than a verse. The hunt for that special item is not without benefits. We are all becoming familiar with the new storage and stowage arrangements if only because we spend time muttering in dark corners as we embark on yet another hunt for that special widget.
In at least one case newly created space is now a distant memory. Or perhaps it was just a mirage dancing before our eyes as the shutter rolled away for the first time. Where once we tiptoed and clambered to get at a strimmer from a container we now tiptoe and scramble through a maze and over an assault course in a cavern to reach the precious tools.
There are successes. Our welders are enjoying a space at least three times as large as before. The blue long mobile workbench has found a new home under cover. And during a short lull in the pace of jobs arriving the chaos of the rapid move into the space with boxes lying where they fell was brought under control. On a good day you can even see the far wall.
The machine shop which dwarfs the two lathes and two drills is now filling. Rick and Ken have managed to find homes for the jumble of machine tool compliments and accessories and are now welcoming a ‘new’ milling machine. ‘New’ because it is at least 30 years younger than the machine it replaces. The industry cherished Bridgeport universal mill will fill a longstanding gap in the capability of the workshop and improve the range of repairs and tasks which can be accomplished by the Depot. Some say it arrived on a scarlet magic carpet which still adorns the workshop floor. It must have been a bumpy ride if the garlands and streamers of crimson now adorning the autumnal trees along the highways and byways is any guide. Or perhaps it is the glorious flouncing of Virginia creepers before the slumber of winter.
Colin’s small engine shop will be the last to be reconciled into the new arrangements. Previously squeezed into a single container and shared with the lock maintenance hardware the final move into two adjacent containers was delayed by the takeover of the extra space by the electrical fitters as they completed the wiring of the woodworking end of the yard.
Will the end of the redevelopment phase fast approaching will it be marked with at least a cake (or may be two)?
Watch this space…
