October News Part 1

We are pleased to report that the Carriage Convention event, held last weekend at the NNR, was executed with great success and we have had very positive feedback from delegates who enjoyed their visit. The Saturday morning was spent in the boardroom at Weybourne enjoying various talks on carriage subjects including our own Suburban 4 Project as well as outside speakers including representatives from the National Railway Museum. The afternoon was for delegates to enjoy the variety of rolling stock in operation as part of the M&GN Society's Member's Day, before reconvening for an evening Fish & Chip special aboard the vintage train. Sunday morning saw a tour of stored rolling stock inside Bridge Road Sheds, which I believe was the first time this area of the railway has ever been made available to interested visitors.

In response to some recent requests, below is a list of the stock currently resident at Bridge Road sidings, although please note that the list is always in a state of flux as the circumstances of various vehicles around the railway change:

Operational Stock (removed from sheds periodically for use on the railway)

• M&GN Picnic Saloon 3
• Wisbech & Upwell Tramcar 7
• M&GN 4 Wheel Third 129
• LNER Pigeon Van 6843
• LNER Quad Art Set 74
• BR Mark 1 Suburban Set E43357, W46139 & E48001 (To be joined soon by E43041)

Stored Stock (Awaiting restoration)

• Class 03 Diesel Shunter D2051 (Currently visible outside)
• Class 04 Diesel Shunter D2280 (Currently visible outside)
• Class 101 DMU set E51228 & E56062 (Cosmetically restored but awaiting mechanical repairs)
• Great Eastern Bogie Brake 295
• Gresley Tourist Third Open 52226
• Thompson Full Brake 70621
• BR Mark 1 Tourist Second Open E4521
• BR Mark 1 Composte Corridor M15997
• BR Mark 1 Brake Corridor Composite 21224
• SR PMV Van 1216 (Currently visible outside)
• ICI Tube Wagon 4228 (Currently visible outside)
• Great Eastern Fruit Van 633023 (body only)
• BR "Lowmac" wagon 904148 (carries 633023)

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853

No progress to report.

Great Northern Railway (later M&GN) 1887 6 Wheel Third 129

We had to suffer, no, enjoy the Axeman for three days this week but the upshot was many a Jelly Baby was shared and the spacing pieces for the W-irons for the underframe are now fully adjusted (cut down), fitted, painted and all three torqued up to the correct strength - this last one being quite important as these lumps of metal are fairly important when it comes to keeping the wheels on!

A good start has also been made on reattaching and modifying the various hangars that are required for the braking system. This is the main focus now that the wheelsets are installed and more updates on this are bound to populate future ramblings.

London North Eastern Railway 1929 4 Wheel Pigeon Van 6843

We have snatched a brief opportunity to eliminate the wheel flats that have plagued this vehicle for years, after complaints that they were getting much worse were received this year. It is now in the workshops awaiting a start to be made on it.

British Railways 1957 Mark 1 Tourist Second Open E4641

The new stainless steel for the water heater tank that had failed last week has arrived, and a start made on folding it up and welding it together to make a new tank, and most impressive it looks too so far. The main push on the bodywork preparation is now over with the entire carriage now ready for its final paint job, which is always an exciting part of the coach's restoration as it signals the home straight of the overhaul, which is just as well as the coach celebrates it's 2-year anniversary since it entered the shops for overhaul next month. How time flies when you're wrestling which coaching stock... In order to facilitate this, a shunt was conducted placing E4641 back into the staging area where painting can hopefully commence next week.

Before it was shunted, a series of "loose end" tasks were progressed on the underside of the coach before those areas became cut off. Various electrical box covers have been cleaned up, painted gloss black and refitted, and some missing steel foot steps are in the process of being made from new to replace examples which were missing. The vacuum cylinder (and associated framework) on the landward side has also been repainted to improve the appearance of the underframe.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Suburban Composite Lavatory E43041

Undoubtedly the main focus at present is the final member of the Suburban 4 set. The brass grab handles mentioned last week have now all been polished up, and they have been temporarily fitted to the vehicle, the holes for which had to be relocated and drilled because the skin of the carriage is all new. The nuts on the back of the handles now have to be welded into place, essential as they will be hidden when the interior is refitted. All of the door "bump stops" (rubbers which stop the door slamming onto the body when it is opened fully) have also been fitted to the coach. The mass sanding and re-varnishing of the interior woodwork slowly also continues to progress.

Finally, the newest phase of the reconstruction, the fitting of the glass, has now started, with the Sheringham end compartment first to be fitted out. Will they go in smoothly, or will they be a pane in the backside?!?

British Railways 1958 Class 101 Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second M51192

Chris undertook more tasks on this vehicle to try and finish it off on Friday, simultaneously satisfying his unnatural love for railcars. This week, all the second coating of the cream numbers and lettering on the bodysides has been completed, and the landward side of the chassis' solebar has been painted into gloss black to spruce it up.

Metropolitan Cammell 1965 4 Wheel Petroleum Tank 53083

Pete One has now departed on holiday leaving strict instructions on the progress he wants to see which has been put into the hands of Pete Two. Before he left, the second coating of the ends and landward side of the tank were completed leaving the seaward side to start on. Pete One had to get Monkey involved (we all wondered where he had gotten to!) so that we had a "Chimp on the Inside" to keep an eye on Pete Two, but don't tell him that!

Workshop

A smaller side project has been the refurbishment of one of the station benches from the station platform here at Weybourne. This was ably done with the voluntary labour of students from Gresham's School (a local independent boarding school) over several days.

It is now resplendent in M&GN brown, the standard "livery" for Weybourne's benches.