16 March 2024

An Empty Bay Road

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

A continuation of the window cleaning and lacquering job, which is now around 75% of the way there!

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

We have received another comprehensive image update from our contractor LS Engineering, who continues to make excellent and exciting progress on the BTO. The two doors which we supplied from a donor vehicle to replace 16631's originals (which were missing when the vehicle was purchased) have been test hung and found to be too short at the bottom! We believe this to be a consequence of 16631 being Cravens built rather than in the LNER's own workshops - and during this restoration this is not the first difference we have found when trying to use parts from different, supposedly standard, Gresley coaches. Our spare roof hoops were also unusable on 16631 for the same reason. Luckily the doors are all good for hinge and body alignment so it will be a simple case of an easy modification to the bottoms of the doors to make them match the rest of the body.





Droplights for said doors are being prepared on the bench for fitting.



The end gangway faceplates are having the new bellows material attached and other preparations prior to fitting.



On the mechanical side, steam heat pipework is also progressing well ready for fitting.





Termination of vacuum brake piping has also been done on the vehicle ends with the pipes on the sides now also at an advanced stage. The upward pipe to the guards compartment with setter valve is also in place.





Finishing with the interior, some woodwork has been prepared and in some cases fitted to the newly glazed window apertures. 



British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

Bodyside metalwork cleaning on the landward side has continued really well with a greater section than usual recently completed. This landward side is now over halfway meaning that the coach as a whole is now 75% stripped of old paint.



British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second M35148 (SILVER)

The repaint continues with all the bodyside lettering now applied to the ends, sides and underframe, bringing an end to the signwriting.





The two coach roundel transfers have been applied, another sign that this vehicle is very much on the home straight now!



The bogies have both been removed from the coach and taken outside for steam cleaning. Whilst out they have been inspected and greased up in normally inaccessible areas. Some failed axle box oil seals were also replaced in an attempt to stop the oily wheels that this vehicle suffers from. This task entails the axles to be removed from the bogie frames which includes quite a bit of dismantling and reassembly work.

With the coach lowered back down onto its bogies, ride heights have been checked and set and the underframe (with bogies included) has been returned to the team responsible for cleaning down all the visible surfaces and repainting them black. Different parts of the vehicle are all at different stages but the task is progressing well. The Holt end bogie is fully cleaned and in undercoat.



Reassembly of the Holt end vestibule is now completed except for beading of the ceiling. Ceiling strips are now in the process of being machined and test fitted prior to final sanding and painting. All the walls have had their final varnishing coat and damaged "do not lean out of the window" transfers replaced and sealed in with varnish.



As part of the varnishing work, the sliding compartment doors and corridor window poles have both received a final coat.

An in-built battery charger has now also been fitted inside the guards cupboard and tested successfully, and will be used for this year's Santas and Norfolk Lights trains. A mains socket has been provided which will allow charging to be done without these staff going trackside after dark. The conversion is similar to that done to dining car 3116 last month, so we now have two vehicles on the new system.



British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)

Work on the doors continues, with the final door (middle passenger door on the landward side) now repaired and sanded and filled horizontally on the bench. It was then refitted to the vehicle and is now back in place and closing properly. The more heavily disturbed drivers door continues to have its woodwork fettled, weather strips fitted and grab handle returned to place.

Body prep is now almost complete, with current attention on the areas of green bodyside on the roof - a design feature peculiar to the Metro Cammell DMU's. There are strips above gutter height and at the cab and corridor ends that are steel and coach painted rather than being included in the main roof itself. Unfortunately this design creates some very exposed upward facing areas which tend to get hammered by the sun and the elements. This vehicle is no exception with large areas of paint breakdown and surface corrosion. Luckily it has not gone through yet so has been treated, in some cases filled, and sanded back to a good finish ready for painting.



At the rear of the vehicle an old patch covering a missile scar which punctured the roof in BR days has been removed and cleaned up ready to refit - it had been letting some water in. At the same time, some cosmetic treatment has been done to some of the toilet water pipes, though we have not gone over the top as these are long out of use and unlikely to be reinstated.



British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918

No progress to report.



British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 "Fruit D" W92097W (SILVER)

The first gloss coat has been applied to Holt end, which is the most advanced side externally.



Most of the rotten timbers have also been replaced at the Holt end, other than all the doors, which can only be done when there is fine and dry weather and the wagon can be pushed out into the open!




Recently all the tables, chairs etc. have been moved from the Sheringham end, after a vacuum clean, to Holt end in order top facilitate the start of remedial work to the Sheringham end.



Maintenance

Our quest to get the main service coaches vacuum tight had spread to TSO 4958  this week, which is now behaving correctly once again. Sister 4236 was the next target but new seals haven't cured the problem so further investigations, probably to the "direct admission" valves is due next. Much brake testing has occurred to get a coaching set ready for the March weekend services, as we draw ever closer to the start of the main season.

Workshop

The upholsterers' latest project, station bench seats, are doing well. One particular example has been extensively repaired with a new leg made and fitted. It has been stripped, stained and revarnished. With a solid frame to now work from, springs have been resecured to the bottom and tied up in a suitable mesh which can be further built on with padding and material.



Outside in the yard at Weybourne, we were treated to the extraction of all the vehicles out of the "bay road" next to the station, including the model railway van from the very end which very rarely moves. We prepared the vehicles for movement and this included refitting a coupling to the model railway van, which had been pinched a few years ago to replace the worn out example on the Quad set. This swapped, three static freight vans were removed allowing some rare photographs to be possible of both the empty track as well as the vans which are normally very hemmed in by fences and buildings.






01 March 2024

March News Part 1

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

A further two window frames have been cleaned down and lacquered.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

No progress to report.

British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

Bodyside metalwork cleaning has continued with a further section completed.



British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second M35148 (SILVER)

The lining out of the carriage has been completed this week with the waist height lining being applied following the vehicle's move from the staging area back to ground level.



The new found access has also allowed a great start to be made cleaning down and repainting the visible areas of the underframe. The seaward side has been the focus so far with the solebar cleaned and undercoated and lots of battery box and electrical cupboard lids cleaned down and rust treated ready for further paint.



British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)

As per last wee, the focus has remained on hanging the drivers door and prepping the bodysides for paint. The door is now complete from a setting up point of view and now opens and shuts correctly. Attention has now turned to the weather capping strips and the surrounding wooden jambs to compliment the door itself.

The vehicle's relocation into the staging temporarily has allowed better access to undertake sanding and filling to the upper areas which is progressing very well. The windows apertures on the landward side are also receiving much attention to achieve a better fit than last time.



British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918

Limited work has restarted on this project, with the Holt end filled, rubbed down and given a first coat of brown, on one of the few dry days we have had recently!



British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 "Fruit D" W92097W (SILVER)

No progress to report.

Maintenance

Exams continue, with a major breakthrough to some of our vacuum brake issues in the form of BCK(D) E21103 passing its leakage test after much investigation. New piston seals in the vacuum cylinders have cured the leaks on the vehicle, so all being well further seals will work successfully unlike the previous "bad batch" we were working with.

25 February 2024

February News Part 4

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

No progress to report.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

The contractor visited Weybourne this week with many parts exchanged, both leftovers from the restoration coming our way and newly prepared parts going the other way to be fitted to 16631.

British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

Cleaning down of the exterior paintwork back to bare metal has started on the landward side, with long way to go!

British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second M35148 (SILVER)

The repaint has now seen the upper lining applied to both sides along with the wheelchair symbols to the accessible area doors.




Also on the exterior, the Holt end corridor end hood has now been fully fitted and the end sliding doors have both been painted back in their original brown colour.



Internally has been steady, with further assembly of the Holt end vestibule ongoing. The toilet compartment is now finished after a final day was spent varnishing and cleaning in there.

British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)

The paint preparation has continued on both sides of the vehicle, particularly towards the rear which is the most advanced end.



The drivers door is now fully repaired and is now in the process of being hung back onto the vehicle.



British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 "Fruit D" W92097W (SILVER)

Timbers continue to be replaced and the Holt end is now complete and in primer.



Maintenance

TSO 4641 has see some attention this week before it returns to service in the Spring. Three unstable door locks/catches have been re-secured properly which required quite a lot of stripping down. A saloon light which had failed is also being investigated.

16 February 2024

February News Part 3

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

No progress to report.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

Soon the contractor that is making so much good progress on 16631 in Derbyshire will be visiting HQ back at the NNR, so this week has been dedicated to gathering an preparing many parts ready to undertake an exchange. There was however still time o progress the handbrake wheel which is now built up to black gloss.



British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

The bodyside paint cleaning has now reached the corner on the seaward side, which marks the official half way point. There are a few small areas still on the seaward side which were too high to reach on our smaller set of steps, but this can be finished off later once the coach is moved to an area where we can get access with the wider and taller steps. As part of cleaning to the end, the toilet window was finally removed from the bodyside. This window was left behind when we stripped all of the others out, as the toilet at that time still had residual asbestos in it, limiting access.



British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second M35148 (SILVER)

The painting work is now complete, with two coats of maroon applied to both sides. Lining will commence next week. The corridor connection rain hood has been fitted to the Sheringham end, with the Holt end equivalent now in progress.



On the interior, all of the seat bases have been rotated around, so that the most worn positions by the windows are now facing the corridor to even out the wear. At the same time, the upholstered side cards and armrests have all been checked and re-secured where necessary.

The Holt end vestibule continues to be a major focus. Ceiling panels have been adjusted to fit and most of the veneered wall panels are now back in place.



British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)

This week a major milestone has been reached in the form of all of the welding having been completed along the landward side. As expected, much less was required compared to the earlier side.

Focus has now turned to the filling and paintwork preparation. The landward side has suffered much sun damage so despite the lack of welding there will be much required in terms of sanding and filling to get a sensible finish on this side. However we are now dedicating significant resource to the task so already some large areas of bodyside are starting to look good.



British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 "Fruit D" W92097W (SILVER)

No progress to report.

Maintenance 

The failed generator for the Gresley Buffet car (9128) has now been repaired and tested successfully, and will now await the coach's arrival at Weybourne to be fitted back into place.

A vacuum cylinder change has been made on dining car (FO) 3116 whilst it is with us at Weybourne, as part of the preparations for the new season.

Examinations and leak testing continue at Sheringham, with a four coach train prepared for Half Term week running.

09 February 2024

February News Part 2

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

No progress to report.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

Sadly after such an impressive pictorial update last week we cannot match it two weeks in a row! At Weybourne an LNER pattern handbrake wheel has been extracted, cleaned down and primed ready for reuse in the BTO when it returns, as its original was missing when the vehicle was purchased.



British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

A further six feet (or so) of bodyside has been cleaned back to bare metal, a task which is getting close to reaching the half way point.



British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second M35148 (SILVER)

Painting is getting close to completion with the landward side now brought to the concluding stage of two coats of maroon gloss. Next week should see the seaward side, which has currently only had one coat of gloss, follow. The mechanism for the passenger communication apparatus has also been secured properly to the Holt end of the coach and at the Sheringham end, the rain hood which goes atop the corridor connection has almost been refitted.



On the interior, the door securing chains for the accessible area have been fitted to the relevant doors which was one of the final jobs to complete in this area. Thorough cleaning work to the toilet has also been completed with just some minor revarnishing to be done to finish off. The Holt end vestibule is also doping well, with the new ceiling panels now all in place and most of the varnished wall paneling refitted. The sliding door and its mechanism should be next.

British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)

Further bodywork is being progressed. The third and final door to be rebuilt (the drivers door) has been a major focus this week with the corroded steel pillar being remade as required. Some areas of surrounding skin have also been chopped out and patched with new steel, which finishes all the welding work to the seaward side, an important milestone, especially so given that this side was far worse than the landward.

With our new member of staff getting into his stride, we have been able to double up the steelwork effort on this vehicle, with him starting a new front at the rear of the vehicle on the landward side. This week windows have been stripped out and the rear saloon investigated of all suspected areas and a good start made on those repairs. One new window bottom pressing is in the process of being fitted, and two smaller repairs done to the other windows in this saloon that are only corroded in very localised areas. A major area has been above the rearmost door, which was in bad order behind the gutter, but remarkably the doorway below and the door itself remain in good order so need no disturbance.



British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 "Fruit D" W92097W (SILVER)

No progress to report.

Workshop

The "drivers box" for the 7F steam locomotive pictured last week has been painted, completed and fitted back on the engine.

Maintenance

Vacuum leakage has been reduced a fair bit on TSO 4958, but a defective seal on one of the vacuum cylinders has been identified as the main remaining offender. None of our seals in stock are of the correct size (a quality control issue we seek to address with the supplier) so it will have to be investigated further at a later date, so for now we will seek to swap 4958 (and sister 4843) with TSO 4236 and BCK 21103 for the latter to have their C exams progressed prior to half term week.