June News Part 1

The warm weather has finally hit Weybourne Works, particularly the Carriage & Wagon shed which has been described by a member of staff from the adjacent Loco shed as "like walking into a greenhouse". Well the one thing you can rely on when you take a greenhouse full of sweating men is some progress on all the current C&W projects...

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

Despite the lifting of some of the volunteer restrictions it has still taken a few more weeks to get properly back into the swing of things. This week the Thompson coach was a hive of (distanced) activity. All of the remaining rectangular windows have now been removed and their apertures inspected to ensure the replacement glass will fit properly. Some of the thick wooden framework has been eased to achieve this.

Also on the exterior of the vehicle, the corners have been de-rusted and painted into primer with the corner cover strips (which were removed some weeks ago) straightened back to their original form after unavoidably getting bent when removing them. The strips then followed to the primed stage.

Moving onto the interior,  the main news has been the "livening" of the electrical system. The batteries, last charged over three years ago, appeared to work OK for testing but didn't have enough oomph to latch some of the relays out so they have gone on a further charge. The relays have sprung back into life after 8 years of storage having last been used on the Gresley Buffet Car (E9128E) in 2013 before it was converted to an alternative diesel generator system.

All the light fitting bayonets have also been fitted, with the ones on the seaside wall fitted on wooden blocks in their final position whilst the others are just attached to the wall until their blocks are fitted. With some test bulbs installed the coach is now effectively lighting itself.

Elsewhere on the interior, the luggage area ceiling under the corridor end spring mechanism has been made, with two inspection hatches to allow the spring to be lubricated in the future.

Vacuum pipework runs have also been progressed in the guards area and the emergency valves partially fitted to move forwards the project to fit the system which will stop the coach from being moved if the handbrake has been left on. This feature will be essential for this particular coach as it will be very likely being added onto coaching sets which contain a second guards brake elsewhere in the train.

Finally, Peter Lund from the Llangollen Railway (the original group who sold E1866 to the M&GN Society) has donated several Great Northern Railway Doors along with many other bits and pieces which are now at Weybourne after volunteer Matt Peacock hired a van and drove to Wales to collect them - in one day - so thank you to both.

British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (GOLD)

The brake distributor has now been painted and fitted to the coach with the handles picked out nicely.

The five table legs for the compartment have also been completed and now await fitting once the rest of the tables have been built.

British Railways 1960 Brush Type 2 D5631

The small gap in between the department's Covid-era maintenance and the return to traditional overhaul works has been filled by the Class 31 diesel locomotive, which is at last reaching the end of its overhaul. The mechanical work being undertaken next door has reached a conclusion and the loco is now in for its final paintwork and preparations for its official re-launch back into traffic. Long running readers may recall that back in November 2018 we concluded most of the body preparation and paintwork on this loco, preferring to hold off the final coat until it was almost ready for service again.

After being shunted into the staging area no time was lost with the roof and bodysides all getting a very thorough wash down and a light rub ready to receive the top coat of gloss paint.

Immediately afterwards, the roof was treated to its final layer of grey roof paint, which was quick and easy compared with the preparation! The roof area was particularly hot and it was no surprise when the paint was found to be touch dry only an hour after we painted it.

The various holes were drilled and tapped in the cab sides to allow replica builders and shed plates to be fitted to the loco. These were never added when it was painted green ten years ago as it was more of a staged intermediate overhaul, so it will be nice this time around to have many more of the finishing touches that it should have to represent its 1960's condition accurately. The plates, suitably positioned and fitted, were then taken off again so they don't get in the way of our glossing and varnishing. No pictures yet but they did look rather nice!

British Railways 1962 12 Ton Box Van B784254 (GOLD)

The ceiling, mentioned last time, has now been upgraded to white undercoat, so looks much more complete already even though gloss is still to follow.

On the outside of the vehicle, a coat of varnish has been applied to the exterior which has pretty much concluded the restoration on the outside of the body. It certainly looks ready for service!

However the biggest change has been the lifting of the vehicle off its wheelsets to allow access underneath. After a bit of heaving and bending, sufficient brakegear was removed to allow the lift.

The removed wheelsets have had their axleboxes removed for a full clean out as they were contaminated with grit during the grit-blasting of the vehicle despite being wrapped up as best as we could. These now await reassembly. New oil pads for these boxes are currently in the oil bath soaking nicely. The axles themselves have been rust treated where the grit-blasters missed and have been painted gloss black.

Up to a similar stage are the axlebox keeps which were removed a few years ago and will be refitted once the van is back on its wheels.

Currently in progress is the gloss painting of the underframe and "dangly bits" that hang from it. The bits visible on the outside have been done and the internal sections, including the underside of the floor, are now following.

British Railways (SR Design) 1948 25 Ton Brakevan 55167 (SILVER)

Sadly some more wood rot was discovered on the Sheringham end verandah, however all being well the team will be able to use some timber from old balcony frame to make good the latest degradation! Corner posts seem to attract rot...

Filling and sanding the sides ready for priming has been a primary focus...

...along with priming as much of the new timber as possible ready for fitting.

Maintenance

The running department have been busying themselves with the first A exams on the set which has been running most services recently, with the added bonus of attending to an unusual fault on the bogie bolster of one of the suburban coaches, which was getting into the habit of trying to unwind one of its own springs - part of the suspension of the coach. Further investigations will be required on this one as these springs, normally under terrific pressure, never normally move on their own. Never a dull day!

Miscellaneous

A frame for a single seat, sometimes known as a "Billy seat" (i.e. Billy no mates!) for a Class 101 railcar, has generously been sold to us from our friends at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. There was only one of these per vehicle, located adjacent to the toilet, and the M&GN Society's Class 101 trailer car (E56062) has never had one, as it was missing before it even entered preservation. We can now return this area to original in due course once the frame is restored and cushions made for it (this one is without its soft furnishings) which will keep the upholstery department busy.