October News Part 2

It's been a busy few weeks with a much larger number of vehicles than normal entering and exiting the workshops.

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

The brake rodding for this vehicle was refitted in time for a full vacuum brake test which was completed with success. This was followed up by a quick tidy up and removal of all tools etc from inside the vehicle. 129 was then removed from the shed and transferred to Bridge Road sheds for further storage as there has been no requirement for the vintage train to run since the Covid revolution. The vehicle is however ready to run in the vintage train in the future, other than a session being weighed which will be undertaken as and when.

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

The requirement to prioritise work for the Norfolk Lights Express (NLE) meant that the contract bogie overhaul for this vehicle had to be paused, however the first of the two bogies was still able to be lifted back onto its two wheelsets before work stopped. This was possible after the main leaf springs, which had been sent elsewhere for overhaul, had been returned to us. The brakegear was also assembled meaning this first bogie is now complete minus its centre sprung bolster, which is still in the shed awaiting work to start on it. The first bogie is now outside under a tarpaulin which has created extra work space for other projects. The second bogie is still on timbers on the floor and will be the main focus of attention once the bogie work restarts.

Work elsewhere on the coach has been limited, however the Holt end gangway faceplate has been modified slightly to take countersunk bolts which will hold the new sewn bellows which are complete and awaiting collection from the specialist in Cromer. The faceplate has been cleaned and primed in readiness for receiving its bellows.

London North Eastern Railway 1931 Corridor Third E12493E (BRONZE)

The "play coach" at Sheringham is now getting close to completion, just as well as the weather is becoming increasingly normal for this time of year i.e. a bit rubbish! Both sides have now been completed and treated to some maroon gloss paint. A few volunteers are now left on the coach finishing some similar repair work to the two ends which will no doubt be painted soon finishing the job.

British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (GOLD)

Again due to NLE preparations the initial burst of activity reported last time had to be scaled down, however progress has not stopped with a small dedicated group of volunteers keeping the flag flying on the interior!

The compartments continue to be built up with the reading lamps being wired in and fitted into place along most of the compartments. These have required a lot of modification work to their supporting brackets so have required so much more than just screwing back onto the wall!

Elsewhere in the coach un-glamorous but essential work continues, including applying more filler and in some cases wooden blocks to level up the floor so it's ready for lino to be laid. Some more small ceiling panels have also been fitted into place at the Holt end around the toilet entrance, as part of the project to build back up this vestibule.

British Railways 1962 First Open M3116 (REPAIR)

This vehicle had to be completed to allow its space in the shed to be taken by vehicle(s) requiring work to ready them for NLE. Accordingly, a lot of resources were directed towards it and in a high octane week all of the bogie and wheelset preparation works were brought together. All of the repainted and renewed components were refitted into the bogie frames including the turned wheelsets. Packers were inserted around the springs to raise the height of the bogie as the turned wheels were smaller in diameter than before, and the coach was already suffering from low ride height due to old springs relaxing slightly. Brakegear was also reassembled on the bogies before the vehicle body was lifted again and the two bogies returned to place.

The good news was that the coach was complete once again and (following a brake test) was suitable for transferring away from Weybourne. The bad news was that too many packers were inserted meaning that the coach was now sitting too high! Sadly we were out of time so the coach has been sent out but cannot be used in passenger service - just as well it is an open coach and is not scheduled to be used at all this winter! It will of course have to return at some point to have its ride height reset.

Not mentioned but also ticked off the list was the installation of the interior curtains. For some time the dining train team have desired curtains to be fitted to the set, but it's been difficult to schedule in as there has often been more important matters to attend to. However the coach's extended stay this time did allow for the the curtains to be produced, and the required dismantling and modifications to the coach's interior made. They look very nice and should hopefully be a great addition to the dining experience. A bonus will also be the upholstery should now have an extended life as the curtains can be drawn when the coach is not in service, cutting out a lot of UV damage from the sun.

British Railways 1958 Brake Corridor Second W35148 (REPAIR)

Immediately after M3116 left the workshop the first of two coaches that required attention before running the NLE trains next month came in: the railway's main brake with disabled conversion. This coach is very highly desired by the operating department and seems to run on almost every day we open to the public - there is no doubt at all that this item of rolling stock, by some margin, operates the highest mileage of any vehicle, powered or non powered. For this reason it is an extremely difficult coach to "catch" to do any work on, and it is looking a little worse for wear these days - however it is required for the NLE trains so was brought in for a couple of days to have its Sheringham end bogie removed and dismantled to allow for a wheelset swap - as one of them had suffered wheel flats in service.

We arranged for a replacement wheel to be turned on the wheel lathe in advance so that the time the coach was out of service was reduced to a minimum. Very pleasingly, the formula 1 wheel change was completed without any major problems and later the same week the coach was back together again, tested and returned to Sheringham ready for the NLEs. It really does feel like all we have worked on is bogies for the last few months!

British Railways 1957 Corridor Second W25189 (REPAIR)

The next coach in for NLE preparations was the Chocolate & Cream Corridor Second that had only recently been released into traffic following an overhaul and repaint. Sadly it was not to prove the success that W35148 was. The original plan was to lift the coach and repair the steam heating pipe which had half a dozen holes in it along its 60 foot length. It had been inspected prior to the works and where the pipe was accessible (in the centre of the coach) larges sections of (harmless) fibreglass insulation had been found. The coach has before now only been used in the summer but following the Covid revolution there was a desire to form an entirely compartment train for the NLE which would require heating - so it was required for it to work for the first time.

Sadly, after lifting the coach off its bogies it was discovered that sections of the pipe normally inaccessible was insulated in (harmful) asbestos insulation, so work was not able to even commence. Specialist contractors are required to safely remove the material and this would not be possible in the timescale before the NLE seasons starts, so the coach was lowered back onto its bogies for a rethink. It was decided (for now at least) not to proceed with the heating repairs so the vehicle was returned to Sheringham where it will now stay for the winter season. Given that social distancing is set to be with us for a far while longer, once the weather warms up again in 2021 it is likely that W25189 will be very useful again during the main season.

British Railways 1955 Suburban Third Lavatory Open E48001 (CONVERSION)

When a vehicle with 8 compartments such as W25189 gets removed from the train that is going to run through the winter months - it causes big problems when most of the pre-booked trains have already sold out! We have no interest in disappointed customers whatsoever, so the novel solution to this potentially catastrophic problem was to convert one of our open coaches, that has fully working heating, into a compartment carriage. Our Third Lavatory Open suburban was the most suitable coach to do this work to, mainly because it has exterior doors for every seating bay allowing us to partition off each set of seats yet retain full access on and off the platforms. There are 8 seating bays so the converted vehicle can theoretically become an exact replacement for the stricken Corridor Second vehicle.

With just over a week to complete the preparations, we are currently in full swing to get the vehicle completed. We didn't want to damage the coach in any way so an interesting design was formulated which involved removal of the luggage racks, then using the luggage rack fixings on the walls to bolt a framework in lace to fix the partition walls to. So far this framework is now all in place throughout the coach.

The wall panels were then measured up and cut out of plywood and have been treated with danish oil ready for fitting. They are currently drying ready for fitting to the coach next week.

The project has without doubt raised the eyebrows of those who prefer the coaches historically unaltered, however the railway is still very much fighting the devastating economic fallout of the Covid situation - so most of us have accepted that this needs to be done to get us all through this. We have tried our best to balance the coach's historic value by ensuring that the conversion is completely non-destructive and reversible. We are eager to see how it looks when it is done!

British Railways 1958 Class 101 Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second E51228 (REPAIR)

Work on the brakevan refurbishment has continued, with the wall panels now in brown undercoat. Work has temporarily halted as the vehicle is required in service for October half term services. Also in preparation for these services, half of the seating has been removed and taped off to prevent keen visitors from exchanging bodily fluids - the revised layout is a similar approach to that being taken by the mainline railway operators, who of course run a lot of similar open layout diesel multiple units trains. This is all of course part of keeping the railway a responsible place and safe for our visitors.

October News Part 1

We are back! After being on Furlough for six months, work on some of the railway's stock is recommencing at last. Some contract work has been going on for some time, and a reduced number of volunteers were able to return before many of the paid staff, so this blog will have to gloss-over many weeks of hard work and offer a sort of summary bringing us back to the present day. The Blog is planned to return in 2-week format rather than every week, as the Covid era output of the department is now that much lower than before, something we are going to have to get used to as the railway passes through survival mode and looks to the future within a changed world.

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

The brake rodding has now been successfully ultrasonically tested. The refitting of these rods, vacuum brake testing and weighing are now the only tasks remaining for this vehicle.

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

Because of social distancing no volunteer work has been able to continue on this vehicle. It has however moved into the shed where it has taken the place normally occupied by a Mark 1 - meaning at the moment there is the rare occurrence of two pre-British Railways designed vehicles in the shed at once. This move was to allow contract work to progress on the two bogies over the mainly closed period by two members of staff who were able to be brought back off furlough early to undertake the work. This was part of the package between the supporting charity and railway company that has proven essential to the survival of the railway - a fine example of working together to get the railway through this crippling year.

The work itself has been full dismantling of the two bogies which have been stripped back to bare metal and all parts repainted. The brake gear was all re-bushed where required for smooth operation into the future, and the wheelsets were sent away and the tyres turned back to an acceptable profile. The current status is that one bogie is almost back together minus its sprung centre bolster, with the second painted and almost ready for reassembly.

London North Eastern Railway 1931 Corridor Third E12493E (BRONZE)

With the limits to the numbers of volunteers able to work inside the Carriage & Wagon shed, the Joint Heritage Coach Fund volunteers have investigated new projects away from the shed to progress until the situation is resolved. One of these has been the static Gresley coach at Sheringham more commonly known as the "play coach" which requires minor exterior attention from time-to-time to keep it on the straight and narrow until it receives full restoration as a running vehicle many years from now.

Every few years the vehicle requires repairs and a repaint and this has been progressing over the late summer by a small team. Rotten timber panels have been replaced where required and some other minor leaks resealed giving a relatively solid base in which to rub down. The seaward (platform) side has been treated and repainted whilst the more difficult landward (car park) side is not too far behind with the upper section completed and the lower section currently in primer awaiting the final push into gloss.

Previously the coach was maroon on the seaward side and carmine/cream on the landward, but it will be maroon both sides by the time these works are completed, just as well as the weather is now starting to turn although hopefully October can still provide enough sunny days to finish the job!

British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (GOLD)

The railway's major Mark 1 restoration project was fallow for most of the period however a very few volunteers have been able to continue recently with it. The previous long running task of completing the rebuild of the guards inward doors and double luggage doors has been able to be brought to completion, with all the doors now fully planked, fittings tested and made to operate correctly etc.

Meanwhile the final varnishing has taken place along the side corridor of the passenger area. The lack of activity was useful for this task as there was less air movement in the shed which created less dust in the drying varnish. It looks very rich in colour and well worth the comprehensive stripping back. Cheap dark stains from B&W were not welcome on this restoration! Some football graffiti remains scratched in the panels for social history (not like we had a choice as we couldn't remove it!!) but nothing offensive.

The last week has seen two members of paid staff return and they have been employed on 21224's completion. This has seen more progress return in slightly different areas. Firstly, the bodyside filling and sanding has now been completed meaning it is ready for paint to be applied.

The first coat of oil-rig roof paint has been applied, with a second to follow which will be done before bodyside painting starts. This is to allow more slack for unintended paint splashes falling downwards from the roof.

Finally, the luggage area has changed significantly in appearance. The filling in of the planking screws and smooth sanding to hide them was completed in time for the whole area to be covered in brown undercoat ready for gloss. In addition to this, the removed section of parcel cage framework was returned back into its rightful place before the replacement mesh was welded back in. The cage was then primed and undercoated quickly bringing it in line with the status of the rest of the compartment. The whole area is now ready for glossing.

The ceiling of the side corridor and luggage van has also been gloss painted in white. This only part finishes the vehicle however, as the two passenger vestibules and guards compartment still remain to be treated.

Other odd jobs have included fitting the pipework to the toilet tank down into the cupboards at the Holt end, where they will be left for now until a controlled emission toilet is fitted next year, a requirement as this coach is destined for the mainline railway, as far as Cromer at least. The tank at the other end, which won't be in use, has been capped in case an individual of limited brain matter climbs on the roof to try and fill it with water! The ground level filler pipes have also been capped so there can be no confusion for anyone preparing a set for service and filling water tanks in the conventional manner.

The lamp brackets, which were removed for easier welding access, have been reattached to the corridor gangways, essential on this coach as being a brake it is likely to spend a lot of time at the end of the train. 

British Railways 1957 Tourist Second Open E4521 (SILVER)

This project was cancelled for the foreseeable future because of a combination of there being very little  requirement for open stock at the present time, along with concentration being required on running stock and lower-level overhauls for the time being. The vehicle was tripped to Holt where it is now in storage.

British Railways 1962 First Open M3116 (REPAIR)

Work has predominantly continued on the bogies. Two of the wheelsets also ended up being sent away for turning which now match the two that have been turned in house. All four have been cleaned down and repainted, including the mandatory white bands on the tyre to check for tyre slippage.

Whilst this has been going on the bogie frames have also had a thorough clean down on the outside and repainted up to black gloss. The detail parts such as the dampers, coil springs and axle-box covers have also been picked out in the correct blue, red and yellow colours respectively.

The work on the wheels and bogie frames is likely to be brought together soon as the two bogies are reassembled ready for fitting back under the coach.

Elsewhere on the vehicle, two quite bad roof leaks have been diagnosed and the relevant areas of rotten roof plated over and sealed. The rotten wooden mounting plates for the lighting jumper cable connections have been replaced with new ones which are currently on the bench being painted up ready to fit.

British Railways 1958 Class 101 Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second E51228 (REPAIR)

Another project taken on by volunteers away from the shed has been the power car of the Class 101 DMU recently sold to the M&GN Society. It was decided many improvements could be made to the brake compartment. The emergency equipment cupboard has been reduced in width freeing up a space in the corner to secure the disabled ramp which has never had a proper home. Two new small tables have been fitted on the drivers side, one of which hinges up and down, to replace a much larger table which took up room which could otherwise be used for equipment and bikes/buggies. Another equipment cupboard has been modified and now has a proper space to hold the fire beaters which are carried on the units.

Alongside these modifications, other areas of the van have been repaired if they were damaged or wobbly, and the ceiling repainted to improve its appearance. The walls have also been tidied up and are currently in primer prior to the whole area being repainted.

Maintenance

Maintenance works resumed in July when the railway started running services again. The Quad Art set was the savior of the railway during the summer months after they were thrust into daily service, something they haven't had to endure since the 1960's. They have now been removed from serve again as they are not very suitable for late autumn and winter services due to their lack of heating. During the summer this year they ran many more miles than they have run in their entire 10 year life since being majorly restored in 2008. Despite bearing a few scars from the extra use and being smothered in a thick black glaze at the Holt end from the steam engines, they have generally fared very well indeed.

A second set has been maintained for the summer - formed of corridor Mark 1 vehicles and suburbans. This set has been reconfigured slightly and is now the main set in use for the remainder of the October services. Like the Quads, the suburbans have seen increased running and they are now being used for general services in the same way as they always before before being withdrawn and overhauled in the "Suburban 4" project. Given that this set, with a few tweaks, can be heated over the winter, is is likely it will continue to see intensive use and be used in one form or another for the winter lights and Santa trains.

Workshop

Some more progress has been made on the platform barrows but shed space has limited much more being done. Other volunteers have been helping out refurbishing parts for the Weybourne bookshop and a new container has been fitted out for M&GN fund raising purposes as again this was a project that could be progressed in a social distanced manner.

Thanks are also due to Tim Bambridge who has supported the department over the difficult period with supplying some new tools including battery drills and a battery jigsaw: a new-fangled machine we have never come across before in cordless format!

Blog Images

Sadly since coming back off Furlough the online software used to host this blog has changed to a new version and they have removed the old version before fixing the issue of not being able to add photos! This is a "bug" it would seem and feedback has been sent to them - others have experienced the same issue and have been told the developers are working to resolve the issue. Looks like this is just another bit of turbulence on our flight through 2020!