December News Part 1

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853

The strippers continue to wreak havoc around the workshop, with their hot air guns having now stripped the paint from the Holt end and approximately two thirds of the landward side.

The “cat flap” splice mentioned last week has been further reinforced with screws and is now complete, and the floor area around it repaired with new flooring to cover the hole left by the fireplace.

Also finished is the door edge in the landward side set of guard’s double doors.

Several door posts have now had rotten sections of timber removed in readiness for new pieces to be spliced in.

The four guards end windows have been removed and it has been discovered that the inner two originally opened outwards but had been screwed shut. We are currently unsure if they were screwed shut by the LNER or by the owners of the body after withdrawal, but we suspect the former.

British Railways 1957 Mark 1 Tourist Second Open E4641

More of the seaward side window frames have now been refitted, and more seat ends from the interior have been stripped of old varnish.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Suburban Composite Lavatory E43041

Welding on the seaward side framework has continued this week, as has reconstruction of some of the steel floor supports. The final three exterior doors are now also in the process of being rebuilt, and some of the worst are being tackled as these were naturally deferred until last! Several skins, and frames, have had to be replaced entirely, but the finish line is now in sight for this long task.

British Railways 1954 Mark 1 Suburban Third W46139

The cleaning and rust protecting of the underframe, featured last week, has been completed this week, and attention has now turned to applying primer to the chassis. Two thirds have been completed and this will continue next week.

Great progress has also been made on the heating systems of the coach, with the heaters themselves bolted down through the floors and all connected up to the main feeder pipe below. As we are only having one heater per compartment, every other heater port has also been blanked off.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Suburban Third Lavatory Open E48001

Work to make up a full set of door woodwork has been progressing this week.

Gloucester RC&W 1955 Ballast Hopper HW426

The Axe-man returneth. Once again, we were treated to an extended period without him and we gathered amongst ourselves excitedly to discuss the prospect that maybe, just maybe, he was gone for good this time... Imagine then dear reader, our dismay when he returned last Thursday wielding the gas-axe once again in a threatening manner! Surely the declining weather would stop him attacking this wagon? Apparently not, as he has successfully freed off the opening doors below the hopper (that drop stone onto the track) via the rather clever heating of certain components (but not others) to create various expansions and contractions. This work has been requested by the railway as the wagon will be in use for track renewal early in 2016. Further lubricating/adjustments will follow next week before the wagon is returned to the Pway department.

Maintenance

A fair bit of maintenance to ready the Santa Special rake for service has been undertaken this week. A faulty lighting inverter has been replaced on TSO E4843 and BSK W35148 has received a brand new set of batteries. RBR E1969 has also had a repair made to its corridor end sliding door after itgot rather badly stuck.