August News Part 1

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853

Much effort was spent this week on lifting and adjusting the underframe to lower it onto the axles. This was achieved by first fitting the axleboxes onto the axles and greasing up the W irons on the frame. Then with much adjusting the W irons were married up to the boxes and the frame put back onto stands (the wheels cannot carry the actual weight until the springs which fit on top of them are fitted). It now sits and looks approximately where it will be once the springs are fitted.

Elsewhere on the frame, more hole drilling and bracket fitting on the brake gear has been in progress and the brackets for the main vacuum cylinder are now in place.

Panel repairs to the wooden body next door continue to edge along in parallel with the underframe work.

British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224

Progress has continued to be focused on the windows. These have now all been cleaned and many of them have received their first coat of primer on the inside to prepare them for eventual refitting.

The glass for the same windows has also been cleaned of all of its old sealant and polished, another large task as there were over 30 of them to do! The wooden window retaining surrounds (pictured last week) have now all been test fitted to the windows and removed again for varnishing. So far they have received two coats.

British Railways 1956 Tourist Second Open E4236

This vehicle is still on the cusp of returning to traffic, the extra week in the shed has seen some more minor mechanical adjustments to the brakes and ride height made so it is ready to re-enter passenger service immediately. The solebar and bufferbeams have also been repainted black to freshen then up. The signwriting on the vehicle ends and underframe has also been completed.

Observant readers will see that we have fitted an optional extra to E4236 to bring it into the 21st century!

British Railways 1960 Covered Carriage Truck E94464

Just one lonely member of staff working away on this one this week, but he has done well and has now swapped and adjusted 3 out of the 4 double sets of doors so that they are now all closing and locking properly for the first time in a long while.

This is essential work to return the vehicle to a state where it can operate in service again.

Southern Railway 1951 Parcels & Miscellaneous Van 1476

The Holt end is now complete having had all its resin applied and repainted into black gloss. The resin has also been finished on the platform side, and green undercoat is starting to appear on the first few panels at the Holt end.

Colman's 1908 Mustard Van 4807 & Hurst Nelson 1942 4 Wheel Tank 1982

No progress to report.

Workshop

Finally, the Axeman has got his hands on a steel welding bench which now looks like it has been dragged in from the North Sea gas field... It has been suitably modified for the workshop and has now been installed.