The "Review of the Year", which took a break in 2018, is back for 2019!
Focusing on the pure numbers, if you include all the different factions working together, the railway has produced six vehicles in one form or another (minor or major refurbishment work), three carriages, two wagons and a diesel multiple unit. This stacks up nicely against previous years such as 2015 (five), 2017 (six) and 2016 (seven). There was a reasonably even spread also of the type of work undertaken, with a re-varnish, three bronze, a silver and a gold level overhaul completed. Overall we are pleased with the results, so read on to see in more detail which vehicles we completed this year:
In April we celebrated the first "return to service" of the year, which came in the form of Class 101 DMU M51188. This came to us on hire in very shabby BR blue colours and was treated to a Bronze level exterior overhaul and repaint, into BR Green to match the rest of our fleet. Bodywork was completed as well as the resealing of several windows. Whilst about it we undertook some interior spot repairs with repainting work mostly to the brake van and saloon ceiling areas.
The following month Mark 1 Tourist Second Open M4958 was returned to traffic following an exterior spruce up and re-varnish, returning the shine to the vehicle 5 years after it was last painted.
In June, the first wagon to be completed this year, ballast plough brake van DB993707, was out-shopped and debuted in the freight train. Having only arrived on the NNR two months previously, it was immediately brought into the workshops for a Bronze overhaul (it had received a Gold only five years ago), which involved limited woodwork repairs followed by a rub down and repaint top to bottom. A string of minor repairs which had accumulated over the five years out in the open were also attended to to keep the vehicle in good condition, easier said than done for wooden vehicles stored outside!
August saw two vehicles exit the works into service. The first was the long running Silver overhaul to Tourist Second Open M4843. This was the welcome end of the largest Silver overhaul we'd ever undertaken, everything which could have gone wrong with this coach did! lasting several years, the overhaul work involved a full interior re-varnish with many remedial and improvement works undertaken. The two toilets, which were previously in incomplete and derelict condition having never been used since BR days, were tidied up, paneled out and converted into usable storage spaces. The exterior bodywork however saw the most attention. Both corridor ends of the vehicle had been completely rebuilt as had 1/4 of the saloon bodysides. The remaining 3/4 of the sides received the more normal patchwork and body preparation which is more common to Silver level overhauls. With the hidden nasties finally eliminated, M4843 was at last launched into front line service in time for the main summer traffic.
The second vehicle to make a summer holiday appearance in August was Southern parcel van S1439S. Privately owned, this van had been inside the loco shed for its owner to complete a series of repairs to the doors and other areas which had rotted, followed by a full repaint into British Railways Southern Region Green. Unfortunately despite being fully operational, the vehicle doesn't appear in trains; rather spending time as a (albeit very presentable) storage van at Weybourne.
The highlight of the year for many came in October with the completion of the four year Gold restoration of Great Eastern Railway brake 853, which saw the coach carrying passengers for the first time in over 90 years, a staggering 120 years after it was built. Rescued as a grounded body from near Dereham in 2003, it had been fully rebuilt from top to bottom, inside and out, the vast majority of work being done by volunteers.
Rolling stock still located in the workshops that received major work during 2019 but are still with us for completion include Thompson Saloon Brake E1866E (Gold), Great Northern Railway (later M&GN) 6 Wheel 129 (Silver), Mark 1 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (Gold), Mark 1 Second Open E4521 (Silver), Mark 1 Corridor Second W25189 (Bronze) and Box Van B784254 (Gold).
We also undertook plenty of smaller projects throughout the year. In January, ultrasonic axle testing was undertaken to allow our mainline registered fleet to continue operating to Cromer, and also tested were several other vehicles that are planned to be added to the Cromer stable. We also swapped the generator on buffet car E1969 for a reconditioned example following its failure and obtained an alternative wheelset from the East Lancashire Railway to replace a damaged example on long term restoration project E21224.
In February, the bogies of buffet E1969 were sent away for contract tyre turning work which was completed at Ilford, this method being chosen as we didn't have the time to undertake the work ourselves before E1969 was required back in service for dining duties.
In March we completed the main examinations (C exams) on the operational Mark 1 stock (mainline plus suburban) and mechanically recommissioned Gresley Buffet car E9128E after a period out of service.
In April we produced some "not to be moved" signs for Sheringham.
May saw the roof of the "play coach", Gresley Corridor Third, at Sheringham recovered with tarpaulin to rid the coach of the water leaks it had been suffering on and off for the past few years.
The Society's Thompson BG 70621 came down in September to transfer parts between it and Thompson brake E1866E, this being the first stage in an eventual plan to see it resurrected in its role as a museum coach.
October saw Mark 1 E4236 come into the workshops for an unscheduled repair to its wheelsets which had suffered wheel flats. Due to differing tyre thicknesses, the repair also involved several more swapping of wheelsets between the two bogies and with additional examples from the spares rack.
In November the main activity was all the preparations for the highly successful "Train of Lights" operation which was being put on for the first time at the NNR. We also winterised other running stock as the season drew to a close and replaced the generator on the Gresley buffet car, in a similar manner to the Mark 1 buffet back in January.
Finally, in December we turned and swapped a wheelset on buggy/bike carrier (CCT) M94125 after it suffered wheel flats during the season in a similar manner to E4236.
All that remains now is to wish readers a Happy New Year from the C&W team, Monkey and myself. Let us hope 2020 is just as fun and fruitful!
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