October News Part 2

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866E (GOLD)

Several of the vehicle's doors have been the focus of attention this week, the repairs to the wooden framework of most of them can be considered as ongoing.

As part of the restoration, the M&GN Society's Thompson Gangwayed Brake (BG) vehicle has been removed from Bridge Road sheds for the first time in around 10 years and tripped to Weybourne to have some components recovered from it for use. So far, several items from the guards brake area have been removed and many of them have already been stripped down for repainting and further use on E1866E. Some (but not all) of these items included: the steam heating element for the guards compartment, LNER pattern swinging guards table, securing chain for the handbrake wheel an largest of all, the Holt end gangway connector. E1866E arrived with incorrect BR Mark 1 style gangways (its originals had been lost long ago) so these are being swapped with the correct LNER style ones fitted to the BG. So far, the BG's connection has been removed and laid down so it can receive further work before being fitted to E1866E. E1866E's one has been taken off and fitted onto the BG as a cosmetic only feature in the future, as the BG is planned to be used as a museum coach and some point in the future.

British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (GOLD)

At long last, the bodywork welding repairs have been completed! The Sheringham end seaward side corner, the final piece in the jigsaw, was welded up and repaired this week, so now reassembly of the interior can start in earnest.

Work to hang the doors continues, with the passenger door on the landward side receiving its protective weather strips this week. The set of double luggage doors, also on the landward side, are the next doors to receive attention.

The project to "produce" two replacement doors for the Holt end creeps forward slowly, this week the insides of the two door skins have been protected first in rust-kill prim er and now also in gloss.

Internally, the fitting of tubing to direct condensation from below the windows safely away from the inside of the coach is progressing well, with several compartments now fitted with more to follow. This is one of the final jobs required before compartment panelling can be refitted.

Any rotten or missing supporting woodwork in the compartments is currently being re-secured/repaired/replaced where required, with the compartment nearest Sheringham being the first to be "done". This also happens to be one of the worst compartments so hopefully the others will not take anywhere near as long.

As part of this work, new boarding which goes below the compartment windows at ankle height is being produced as the originals's were quite rotten with several holes drilled through them. These are currently being painted black before they're fitted.

British Railways 1957 Tourist Second Open E4521 (SILVER)

The woodwork for the two toilets has received a further coat of varnish this week. Due to other priorities on other coaches (see below), this one has had to take a back seat for now.

British Railways 1957 Corridor Second W25189 (BRONZE)

Compartment varnishing has continued to do well, with 7 out of 8 compartments now re-varnished (minus the final coat which will be done after other repairs are completed). Ceiling painting in the compartments is not far behind with 7 out of 8 compartments now painted in one coat, five of those having also had a final (second) coat.

The replacement ceiling panels for compartment number 6 have been primed on both sides and gloss painted on the rear (hidden) side. Replacement beading has been produced this week and primed in readiness for the fitting of this ceiling.

Externally, repairs to the lower "skirt" of the coach have been completed which has allowed most of the sanding and filling work to be undertaken around the lower half of the body. This has changed its appearance considerably!

British Railways 1956 Tourist Second Open E4236 (REPAIR)

After getting bad wheel flats whilst in service, this coach had to be withdrawn for the problem wheelset to be removed. Given the coach is to play an important role in the upcoming "Trains of Lights" and of course the Satan Specials, urgency is needed for its repair. It has been squeezed into the shed following GER 853's departure and immediately lifted to gain access to the bogies.

So far, the good bogie has been removed and a wheelset pinched from it to go in the bogie at the other end replacing the bad one.

The one pinched from the good bogie will next week in turn be replaced by a spare example from our wheel rack that has already been turned to profile during a quieter period this wheel has been cleaned up and painted ready for fitting.

The reason for swapping them around in that manner is because two wheels in one bogie can only be different in diameter by a small margin, whereas wheelsets on two different bogies can have a larger difference. Swapping them around allows us to use our spare wheel whilst keeping the rest of the coach's wheels "within spec". Does that make sense?!?!

British Railways 1962 12 Ton Box Van B784254 (GOLD)

The painting on this wagon has now been completed, and sadly its space in the shed was required by E4236 so it been returned to its owner and moved back outside.

Workshop

The spreader beams described fully last week have now been completed and painted in primer.

Also coming through works in another background job for one of the stations: the rebuilding of a porters trolley which came in incredibly rotten and full of woodworm! It has quickly been transformed and is now being gloss painted.