Preparing for the Running Season

Midland Railway (later M&GN) 1886 6 Wheel Picnic Saloon 3 (BRONZE)

The rubbing down and paint preparation of the Picnic Saloon has continued and is now practically complete. With the weather warming up as well it should not be long before paint starts to be applied.

The long running boards are also being sanded for a freshen up after 10 years of use.

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

Only minor works to the interior to report on. The newly installed down-lamps (pictured last update) along the saloon walls above the seats looks a little too "naked" with the bulbs fitted, so a design has been prepared to give them a little more of a shroud and mask the bayonet bulb fitting from public view or interference.

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

Works continue at the contractors.

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

This week the Holt end store cupboard has seen the doorway surround being prepared for use. Whilst just one small element, the sides have had to be extended using reclaim material that will hopefully be a good match to the original when varnished and carefully jointed onto the originals which were too short.

British Railways 1953 Tourist Second Open E3868 (SILVER)

This vehicle continues to be pushed hard with the main running season now only days away. It won't make the first day but the pressure is now on to deliver it in service as soon as possible for early season visitors to enjoy the special anniversary colour scheme that will be available for one year only! All of the repairs and body preparation works have now been completed to the remaining half meaning it was time to shunt the coach into the staging area for the repaint to commence. The landward side has already received a coat of primer with further coats set to follow.

Before being shunted around, all of the remaining under-floor tasks were also completed. This included the finishing of the underframe, bogie and buffer-beam freshening up into black gloss. The conversion works to fit an in-built battery charger, 240V charging socket, new batteries and associated wiring were also completed bringing this TSO up to the same standard as all the others. All five of our in-service TSO's now have after-dark running capability and easy charging fitted.

The interior has not been forgotten with the removed and rotted panels below the windows removed and replacements cut to size in the workshop and test fitted. They are now being varnished up in the workshop.

The window surround woodwork is now also finished and awaiting fitting once the side panels are fixed permanently. We are also taking the opportunity to fix the table securing brackets into the steelwork below the window rather than to the wooden panel (a modification we did 10 years ago to TSO 4641 and has been very successful, but unable to be extended to any other vehicles as we have not had any of their interiors apart during that time!). This is ongoing in the Holt end where the tables and panels are currently removed giving the access required for the task.

The upholstery department continue to work on the removed seating from the coach. The fabric side panels that fix to the coach walls and seat ends are now completed so it won't be long before the seat backs are started. The full reupholstering will now not be completed in time for the coach's return to service but we plan to extract a few spare seats from storage so that they can be upholstered in small groups and swapped out whilst the coach remains in traffic over the season.

British Railways 1958 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second M51192 (BRONZE)

The rapid improvement works to ready the vehicle for traffic continue. The cab front has been primed covering over the patchwork quilt of rubbed down colours, just before it exited the staging area to make room for 3868.

A start has been made on refreshing the remainder of the front end with a first coat of bufferbeam red applied.

A large focus has still been on the interior however. The guards van transformation is going very well with all the new ceiling panels, restored beading and lighting refitted to the ceiling, which is now finished (except peeling off the protective film off the panels!).

With the ceiling completed the walls are next to be tackled and a coat of cream gloss has been applied around the entire van. Next will be a quick repaint of all the associated wall components that are bolted on or around the walls.

All of the sliding doors have now been refurbished and three out of four refitted into place, they now slide effortlessly. Only the rear corridor sliding door remains to be fitted, though this is all repainted and ready to go.

With the sliding doors in, the two passenger entrance vestibules have received a mini makeover with all the odds and sods of repaired and replaced woodwork repainted orange (which is how these vestibules were finished from the late-1970's onwards following refurbishment works).

We have also started in earnest on the passenger saloons, which require a few items attending to although nothing as involved as the cab and guards van. A few leftover sections of orange and brown wooden trim have been undercoated ready to paint them light green to match the interior bulkhead decor, finishing off a process started by the East Lancs Railway who were custodians of the vehicle before we received it.

51192 has a similar target to 3868 in being wanted for the bulk of the main running season, so all being well progress will continue to be swift and the two out-shopped at similar times.

British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918 (BRONZE)

Still awaiting the arrival of the replacement tarpaulin "hood".

Maintenance

Investigations have been ongoing on TSO 4641 which leaks vacuum more than its comrades. After all of the usual tests had failed to find the issue it was determined that they musty be breaches in the steel pipework on the vehicle itself. Following a test pressurising the system with air, corrosion holes were found adjacent to a Direct Admission valve, which proved a first for us.

After this was repaired the vehicle still leaked so further tests were done which showed up more holes elsewhere. A week has been spent on the vacuum system of this vehicle alone which shows how much time is required sometimes to chase a single problem on an otherwise healthy restored vehicle.

New Spring Projects Begin

Midland Railway (later M&GN) 1886 6 Wheel Picnic Saloon 3 (BRONZE)

Now that Pigeon Van 6843 is complete, work has started on the second candidate in our vintage train refresh project, the Midland & Great Northern Picnic Saloon, which has been in service for ten years now. The landward side paintwork has become distressed which much of the lining breaking down as well, so cosmetically it was probably the most poorly member of the vintage train in service last year when the decision was made to give the set some attention. To facilitate the works, a temporary tent has been erected adjacent to the museum at Holt so that the wagon group based there can undertake the works without affecting capacity at Weybourne.

Now that the tent is complete work has started on No3. A set of steps have been utilised to enable safer access to the vehicle in its untraditional location. A start has been made on preparing No3 for its repairs and partial repaint. The bodysides have been washed and rubbing down the landward side is currently in progress.

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

A much needed spring clean has occupied the restoration team for over a week to tidy up the areas around the coach in the workshop and inside the main passenger saloon to make further interior reassembly easier.

Other work has included the creation, fitting and varnishing of small lighting surround boxes to accommodate the saloon-style side lighting that sits level with the tops of the windows.

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

No progress to report.

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

Work to build up the store cupboard at the Holt end, disguised to look like a toilet compartment, continues steadily with lots of measuring and trial fitting of wall sections etc.

British Railways 1953 Tourist Second Open E3868 (SILVER)

3868 has been one of two vehicles that has recently seen the most focus in the workshops at Weybourne, as we try to move it along quickly to rejoin the operating fleet for the main season. At the Holt end, all of the window glass has been refitted with new sealant, making great use of the newly repaired and revarnished window glass clamping wood. With glass back in, the focus has now shifted to the larger hardwood window surround woodwork that finishes off the area internally. These have now all been repaired, sanded and bleached and are currently being built up with layers of varnish.

Preparation for repainting is now progressing well at the Sheringham end of the vehicle, with the landward side completed this week. As we are running out of time, the windows are now not coming out of the Sheringham end, this being done next year instead.

Corrosion around the doorway nearest the Sheringham end has been dealt with, new metal welded in and door pillar reassembled.

The underframe areas are also progressing well, with the battery boxes now refitted after rebuilding and the underframe repainting now 50% complete.

British Railways 1958 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second M51192 (BRONZE)

The replacement for Pigeon Van 6843 in the workshop is the National Railway Museum's DMU powercar which is now mechanically ready for a return to service and requires the cosmetic work to match. Much like 3868 it has been a major focus over the past two weeks since it arrived so that it can be completed swiftly for the main season. The cab front was in particularly poor order so has had several areas of new metal welded in round the front windows, this has required windscreens to be removed, one of which is also being repaired before refitting. Perished rubbers letting water in on the remaining winsdscreens have also been replaced and even more sources of water ingress around the windscreen wiper motors tackled. The cab front has now been filled and prepped ready for repainting.

The bodysides are not in 100% health but are only getting a simple refresh for now. We have chipped off the worst of the corrosion around the windows and treated and patch painted the corroded areas that were revealed. The remaining distressed paintwork, now almost nine years old, has been keyed back and varnished which has brought back the shine remarkably. In just a few days the exterior has already been significantly improved. 

All of the aluminum window frames have been thoroughly cleaned inside and out to reverse the effects of seven years in storage, and these now also look much more presentable and ready for service again. Moving onto the inside, the cab has already received a repaint by the Loco Dept. so requires minimal attention other than finishing off refitting a few items such as blinds and fire extinguisher brackets which were removed to allow repainting. The plan is to tackle the passenger saloons in due course but the main focus so far has been a refurbishment of the guards van which was by some margin the poorest area of the interior. The ceiling panels had been patched many many times and looked a mess so the ceiling has been removed for replacement. Whilst all of the panels require renewal, the beading was in excellent order so was carefully removed and repainted for reuse on the new panels.

The walls of the compartment have had a deep sand down to smoothen them and get them ready for repainting. The sliding door between the guards compartment and passenger saloons was in a very bad way having been mounted too low and not straight many years ago. This has caused very unusual wear with it "eating" into the wall as it scrapes along and the runner wheels at the bottom destroying the lower areas of the door. The door has been removed and dismantled, with the top runner being raised up, the bottom runner being straightened and the lower part of the door carefully salvaged and bent back into original shape so that it can all go again (much nicer) once reassembled.

British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918 (BRONZE)

Still awaiting the arrival of the replacement tarpaulin "hood".

Maintenance

Annual examinations continue with the assistance of the Operating Department at Sheringham. A side project has also been completed, with Corridor Second 25189 having a steam test to determine how many radiators do not work and how many holes there are in the pipework below the vehicle. This is necessary as the vehicle has not steam heated for many years and it has been decided later this year to return the coach to the winter pool of vehicles for use in the Norfolk Lights trains. The coach will be entering the workshops later in the year for the main works to be undertaken.

Three Vehicles Released

With such a busy schedule recently, the lack of blogging means that no less than three vehicles have been released from our workshop to re-enter service on the railway.

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

Since the window fitting has been completed, the focus has returned back on the interior fitting out. With glass fully installed, varnished wood window surrounds have been the next target, firstly being machined from scratch utilising science lab bench tops reclaimed from a school many years ago. These varnish up very nicely and have been used for a variety of components on other vintage coach restorations. Black edges have also been painted on the inside of the windows over the top of white mastic sealant.

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

A rare site visit was made recently allowing the vehicle to be seen by NNR eyes "in the flesh" which was exciting, giving us a taste of what is to come. It was also interesting seeing our contractor's facilities which look impressive and fit for purpose.

Latest progress has included further adjustments of doors which had been providing trouble and additional roof coverings which will smoothen out the normally rough planked surface which the canvas will eventually be stretched on top of. During the visit the opportunity was taken to drop off three spare Gresley pattern doors and a variety of guards van furniture, all of which will assist the restoration through the latter stages of the contractors involvement.

The transformation of the vehicle compared to the state it was in when the restoration began is astonishing, and we are looking forward to seeing the vehicle touch down on NNR metals, all in good time.

Earlier this week beading has also been applied to the passenger saloon ceilings and been painted.

London North Eastern Railway 1929 4 Wheel Pigeon Van 6843 (BRONZE)

The Pigeon Van is the first of three vehicles covered in this post to be released back into service, following an intensive operation to get it over the finish line and conclude the repairs and refreshing. On the interior, the second half of the vehicle was cleared out and fully repainted from the roof down to the floor. The floor itself was cleaned thoroughly and all of the demonstration luggage and pigeon racks returned into place. Now that the vehicle is seeing less of a museum role and more of a running one, we have decided to concentrate all of the demonstration goods in one end, leaving the Sheringham end empty so that the vehicle can be used to full potential at events, particularly the 1940's weekend where an uncluttered buggy space will be welcome.

Incomplete guards emergency equipment has been restocked and a new sealed cupboard repurposed in order to bring the van up to current standards. The vehicle had been badly robbed to stock other guards vans at various times, so the purchase of additional equipment will hopefully mean we are less likely to see a repeat, as there will be more equipment in "the system".

The outside has also seen a lot of attention. With the spot revarnishing of the repaired panels built up layer by layer, the next step was to apply two coats of varnish fully over the entire vehicle. This has sealed in all of our repair work and returned the gloss shine to the body. To finish off, all of the iron-work, including the repaired guards lookout ducket, has been repainted with two coats of LNER brown, setting off the varnish nicely.

The roof, generally in good condition, has had a pair of rain strips fitted, which have been in the shed for 15 years awaiting fitting, one of those jobs that was missed during the original restoration and was never followed up. With these in place, two coats of white roof paint were added on top of the existing but heavily stained layers. It looks fantastic in white but I'm sure it won't last as such!

The final touches included recoating the step boards, bufferbeams and vehicle ends in gloss black, after which it was time to exit the shed ready for tripping back to Bridge Road sheds. This is the first member of the vintage train to be refreshed this year, as part of a programme to cover most of the set.

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

Discussions are planned to explore how best to increase progress on this vehicle, as despite being of utmost importance to our strategy, we have struggled lately to maintain a strong focus whilst servicing other vehicles and tasks. The vehicle did however take a rare trip outside as part of clearing the shed to allow access for a Branchline Society "rare lines" charter, which allowed recently completed bodywork to see daylight for the first time.

British Railways 1953 Tourist Second Open E3868 (SILVER)

Visual progress has slowed somewhat as the steady task of making the windows good has taken its toll. A great deal of repair work to the aluminum frames and glass clamping woodwork has now been completed and the woodwork varnished up ready for refitting.

The exterior bodywork on the second half of the coach has now started in earnest with failed paintwork being mechanically removed from the lower bodyside.

It has been decided not to reseal the windows or undertake any interior restoration in the second half until the next works visit in a year's time, which will make the vehicle's return to service quicker.

The conversion of the battery boxes back to their original size has now been completed and the boxes painted up to gloss ready to refit to the underframe.

During the shunt to extract the Pigeon Van the opportunity was taken to jet-wash the bogies and underframe of 3868 which has allowed a start to be made on gloss painting the bogies and underframe.

British Railways 1957 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Trailer Second Lavatory E79263 (SILVER)

After leaving the shed, the interior completion of this vehicle had dragged on somewhat so it was satisfying to give it a big push to get it finished ready for launching at February Half Term (the second vehicle in this update to be released back into traffic). This involved far too many snagging and smaller tasks to list, but the main ones including the completion of fitting aluminum window surrounds, wall trim and heater duct covers. This allowed seating to then be reinstalled, followed by a deep clean of the interior for service.

The Locomotive Department had been busy giving the vehicle a major exam since it had been out of traffic for so long, several jobs of which were handed over to us as it was our area. With these completed and signed off, the vehicle was deemed safe to return to service, operating for all of the holiday week successfully.

British Railways 1951 16 Ton Ballast Plough Brakevan DB993707 (BRONZE)

Its been a fairly quiet month for this vehicle, which had been in the staging next to the Pigeon Van for much of the time waiting for a slot outside the staging. Once this came, the vehicle was rolled outside and the chassis jet-washed and all the green moss-like material removed. Once back inside and dried out, the underframe and step boards were treated to a coat of black and the lower signwriting was completed.

With the overhaul completed, the vehicle was removed from the shed at the same time as the Pigeon Van and is also now awaiting tripping back to Holt. 993707 is the third, and final, vehicle in this report to rejoin the operating fleet, this time in the demonstration goods set.

British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918 (BRONZE)

Still awaiting the fitting of its covering "hood" before returning to service in the demonstration goods train.

Maintenance

Much overhaul work has been missed due to some ongoing maintenance issues with the dining train kitchen car 81033. We undertook a great deal of work to increase the gas capacity of the kitchen and on board generator only for the generator to fail shortly afterwards. As a temporary measure we have set up a separate diesel generator to power the kitchen for now but we are now in a period of quite serious discussion about the best way to move forward in both the medium and long term.