Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853 (GOLD)
The six sliding drop-light windows in the guards/disabled area of the coach are now signed off as complete, having passed the highly scientific tests of first trying to open/shut them as gently and weakly as possible, followed by brutally wrenching them up and slamming them down like a vandal. Sadly both tests are required as they represent the full strata of the travelling public that will be using them. There seems to be a firm, established method now in place to cure the windows of their stiffness and binding once the operating strap was installed, so it shouldn't be long before the remaining four windows in the passenger compartments are also eased.
London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866E (GOLD)
Internally, a further round of woodwork machining has meant the final sections of flooring (that at the luggage end of the vehicle) have been slotted together, the hidden sides protected with surplus paint, and then fitted on top of the steel underframe.
The handbrake pedestal, wheel and cover are now all completed and back in position, operating freely.
Further painting of lighting control and electrical equipment covers continues to progress.
British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (GOLD)
Bodywork at the Sheringham end has involved welding the replaced panel-work over the renewed crash pillars on the landward side, as modeled here by Monkey. The seaward side is now being given the same treatment.
The steam heating continues well. The thirteen heaters, which were fitted but then had to be removed again to replace rotten flooring, have been refitted once again. This has allowed the final missing sections of the steam system to be installed, the individual copper pipes that feed each individual heater. These are being manufactured in house by machining the ends and nuts and soldering them to new copper pipe. Each pipe is bespoke to the route it has to take under the vehicle.
Both bufferbeam shut-off cocks are now also fitted to the ends of the pipe. We are not far off being able to test the whole system.
"Project Bogie" has done well again this week with all of the springs have now been needle gunned, which brings to a close the de-rusting part of the operation leaving just painting still to complete. A start has been made on repainting the springs. A lot of the washers, links and other sundries are now all complete up to black gloss.
Internally, the new hardwood window gripper bars have now been completed for the main bodyside windows on the landward side, having received several coats of varnish. The flooring down the corridor has also been adjusted and completed, and now pretty much only requires final screwing down into position. Some missing parts have been replaced around the entrance to the guards area, which was slightly behind the rest of the corridor.
British Railways 1959 Tourist Second Open M4843 (SILVER)
Some small details are being attended to on the interior, such as painting door runner strips which sit on the floor. Externally, the passenger communication apparatus which had all been refitted but wasn't working properly, ended up having a major strip down again and modification of the angles of the various bars before it could be made to work nicely. It now operates very freely.
Exterior painting is now the main angle of attack for the next few weeks. 3/4 of the vehicle has now been painted in primer, which is getting it all one colour again for the first time in a good while.
British Railways 1957 Tourist Second Open E4521 (SILVER)
The next major project has now arrived on site, TSO E4521. This has been in storage for over 10 years and could do with being brought back into the system to allow other TSO's to be removed for major overhauls. A start has been made on removing a few of the smaller components, such as the electrical lighting leads on the ends of the vehicle.
British Railways 1962 12 Ton Box Van B784254 (GOLD)
The restoration of this freight van has now restarted with the better weather. Replacement buffers have been obtained for the vehicle, two having been fitted whilst the other two are away for overhaul. A start has also been made on shot-blasting and repainting the exterior parts of the vehicle, with the lower half of the Sheringham end already treated and in primer.
British Railways 1951 16 Ton Ballast Plough Brakevan DB993707 (BRONZE)
A fixed steam cleaner has allowed the underframe to be jet washed down, removing all of the loose paint in the process.
The sign-writing has been completed, the final items being the "return to March" and "return to Norwich". The completion of the lettering means the whole vehicle was able to receive its final topcoat on the body, a coat of varnish.
The handrails re now being repainted in preparation for refitting shortly.
Miscellaneous
A side project has been the roof repairs to the Gresley Corridor Third at Sheringham, in use as a static play coach. All of the protruding roof vents have now been removed for future safekeeping and panelled over. A set of battens to hold down a new roof covering have been ordered and are being painted in the workshop prior to fitting.
We have also received another two "not to be moved" boards from Sheringham. These have been stripped back and now await painting.
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