Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853
The coach is now settled following last week's lift. Woodwork is now much easier with the coach at ground level and the guard's area has been reclaimed as a workshop, and is currently hosing a door undergoing rebuild amongst other items.
The painting of the brakegear wheels, components and buffers has continued to progress and most of it is now in black gloss awaiting fitting.
The Axeman and friends have descended on the underframe for 853 now that it has been revealed in all its corroded glory without the body. The two end strengthening plates, which were badly wasted, have been ground off and disposed of this week. They will be replaced in due course with new material.
Although not strictly related to 853, the accommodation flat wagon which 853 sat on for many years (until last week!) has had a through vacuum pipe made and painted ready for fitting. This pipe will be used when the wagon eventually makes it into the demonstration freight train.
Great Northern Railway (later M&GN) 1887 6 Wheel Third 129
No progress to report.
British Railways 1960 Restaurant Buffet (Refurbished) E1969
The lining was completed this week after the coach was moved out of the staging area so we could get to the lower areas. Lots of lettering and signwriting followed to put on the various Restaurant Car signage onto the bodysides.
A further few days was spent on finishing touches such as cleaning the windows, getting rid of splashed paint that was where it shouldn't be, cleaning the underframe parts and giving the coach a maintenance exam to ready it for service.
The coach's refresh is now complete and it will be returned to traffic.
British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224
Work on stripping the old paint from the bodysides continues apace, the lower section (below the windows) is now fairly well completed all the way around, with the top section now being the focus.
The interior work has been concentrating on the two corridor ends of the coach, which are being stripped out for welding repairs to be undertaken. Unfortunately some horridly rotten floors and framework has been found at both ends requiring a much greater strip down than originally hoped for! At the Holt (passenger) end, the vestibule floor has been fully removed revealing rotten structural framework which will require bottom repairs.
At the Sheringham (guards van) end, we have removed part of the parcel cage to allow the wooden edge of the floor to be chiselled out, around the concrete floor which we are still hoping we can leave alone. This is again required to allow new end pillars to be welded in around the corridor connection.
As mentioned last week, rebuilding of the doors has also progressed well. A few wooden frames and metal skins have been condemned, many other frames have been repaired with wooden splices and some of the more advanced ones have been reunited and some wooden areas primed.
British Railways 1958 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Second Lavatory M56352
This has been shunted outside now, where we can arrange for the corridor connection to be refitted.
British Railways 1959 Class 03 Diesel Shunter D2063
This has now also left the shed and will no doubt be entering service soon. The future Carriage & Wagon shunter also took its first movements in over 8 years, so congratulations to the owner for this milestone achievement. It looks very nice indeed in its blue paintwork.
Just wondering: in pic 3, on the underframe for 853, what is the oval shape for on the headstock, to the left of the coupling hole?
ReplyDeleteA great weeks progress!
Mark (Knotty Coach Trust)
Unsure on that one, possibly something to do with the gas system as there were the remains of some gas pipes in that area when the body first came in for restoration?
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