August News Part 2

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

Work continues on most fronts, including adding the rounded corners to the main bodyside lights. With the doors reaching a mature stage in their fitting, this has allowed the footboards to be the next task. These had been replaced by good examples during the vehicle's Llangollen restoration which had never seen use, so these examples have been prepared to go back on. Some issues regarding their finished height have been discovered after a dry fit, so they will be coming off again to be modified slightly to bring them lower.

London North Eastern Railway Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

The "new" Gresley brake intended for the future LNER mainline set, whilst still off site awaiting transfer to another location for contract restoration, is having a few parts prepared for it here, to shorten the fitting out time required when it eventually does arrive. A set of battery box covers have been cleaned up and repainted with some new strap handles added.

Additionally, brake van parts are receiving similar treatment. The wooden box which surrounds the handbrake wheel is smashed on 16631 so another has been prepared. Also missing is the mesh front for the emergency equipment cupboard, so one of these has also been prepared.

London North Eastern Railway 1924 Quad Articulated Set 74

As hinted in last week's update, the Quad Art set was quickly reassembled and given a fitness to run exam with its replacement wheelsets installed. Thompson BG 70621 was also similarly put back together so that its handbrake is operational again. With both complete, they were returned to Bridge Road sheds one evening. The opportunity was also taken to move completed ballast hopper HW426 to Holt where it is significantly closer to being put into the freight set.

The Quads will next be in use for the 1940's weekend, whilst the hopper is set to make its debut at the rescheduled Steam Gala in early October.

British Railways 1961 Brake First Open M14021 (GOLD)

On the return run of the move which took the Quad-Arts away, M14021 returned from brief storage at Holt and was delivered to Weybourne for the Gold restoration to officially start. This coach is set to be in these notes for a very long time as we make our way through a long and thorough restoration!

It was initially kept outside for a few days, which allowed the bogies, underframe and bodysides to receive a harsh jet-washing. Much moss, dirt, rust and even paint was removed by this process, which is a little less to strip off in due course during the restoration.

This done, M14021 was moved inside, where it remains awaiting the first parts to be started.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

Following much delay things are picking up again as we ready the coach for a return to service. The new target is for the vehicle to make its debut at the 1940's weekend. Following some Covid downtime, the lining has been swiftly applied and the coach is now completed in this regard.

A start has now been made on the lettering, with the seaward side having the black shading applied. This task will continue next week. Whilst the lining and lettering has been worked on, the opportunity has also been taken to flat down the maroon paintwork in readiness for the coach returning into the staging for a final varnish once everything else is completed.

British Railways 1957 Tourist Second Open 4667

The painting of the "Holt Picnic Saloon" has been progressing well with volunteers. The bodysides have all received a coat of green undercoat and the gloss is now out with a first coat applied to several window frames and a door or two.

The interior freshen up has now also been completed, with the wooden window surrounds receiving further coats of brown gloss to tidy them up.

London Transport 1955 20 Ton Ballast Hopper HW426

This wagon has now been completed, passing its fitness to run exam. It has now departed us to Holt where it will be shunted into the freight set in time to star at the postponed Steam Gala in early October. It is a great credit to all of the team who contributed to its restoration.

British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918

No progress to report.

British Railways 1953 20 Ton Lowmac TDB904093

Repainting work continues, with areas of primer turning into areas of undercoat. The tractor's wheels are the latest item to be treated.

Maintenance

Worthy of mention is the myriad of smaller jobs on the running rolling stock which have been cropping up over the busiest period of the year for the railway. Whether it be door locks out of alignment, wobbly tables and armrests, or bits of fallen off trim, great efforts have been made to keep on top of the steady stream of tasks coming in. This year has been particularly interesting as we are currently without our paid fitness to run examiner who normally deals with most of the faults over the running season. Our thanks go in particular to several of our volunteers who have been absent from the workshop and out in the field plugging this temporary gap in order to keep the show going!

Quad-Art Coaches Successfully Separated

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

Work has continued well along existing lines. The exterior in particular is going well with the incorrect square windows being changed to the authentic rounded ones. So far 50% of the new corners have been welded in.

To reinforce some queries we have had recently about the windows, the BR built Thompsons, of which E1866 is one, were produced with rounded edges to the windows, similar to the later BR Mark 1 style, superseding the original square cornered windows (see image below). This change was in fact made in the late LNER era. This is how E1866 is being returned, after it was given square corners during its previous preservation-era restoration. The image shows a Thompson BTK which externally pretty much provides the inspiration for how E1866 will emerge in due course.

London North Eastern Railway 1924 Quad Articulated Set 74

The main focus this week has of course been the extensive works on the Quad-Art set, which has been separated for the first time since it was assembled following extensive restoration over ten years ago. Over a week of preparations were made, including some risk/paper based lifting plans, as well as dismantling of safety chains, brake-gear, electrical and vacuum connections on the coaches themselves, ready for the split. Meanwhile, the two "new" wheelsets from Thompson BG 70621 were cleaned down, repainted and mechanically revived to make them fit for service once again.

With everything ready, two days of intense lifting followed. Firstly, the second coach in (48862) was jacked up into the air to separate it from its shared coupling from brake coach 48861. The end coach can't just be lifted off the rest of the set on its own, as they share a centre point above the bogie and 48862 sits on top of 48861, via male and female bowl shaped castings which are in turn bolted to the head-stocks.

Once raised up, 48862 was stood on stands allowing end vehicle 48861 to be rolled away and into the sheds taking two (of the set's five) bogies in with it. It was the intermediate bogie that sits between 48861 & 48862 that was required.

It was very strange seeing a coach with what looked like a bogie half hanging out of the end of the coach! However we were now able to undertake a "conventional lift" using our four post jacks, as we do routinely on normal vehicles. This raised 48861's body up into the air, releasing the two bogies below.

The next stage was to wheel out the intermediate bogie which we could now treat as per a normal one. In a flurry of activity, all of the linkages, brake-gear, safety slings etc were removed allowing the bogie frame to be lifted off the two wheels, which were put aside (more of which later) and the two freshly painted replacements put in their place. The bogie frame was then lowered back down onto the two wheels, and we finished for the day, tired but pleased!

Day two dawned, and we were tasked with much the same tasks in reverse. The first angle of attack was putting all the slings and brake-gear back together on the affected bogie which now had shiny replacement wheelsets. This done, the bogie was pushed back under 48861 which was lowered back down.

We then pushed 48861 back onto the remaining three coaches, with 48862 waiting patiently on its stands for its partner to return!

48862 was lifted up again and the holding stands removed. Very carefully, it was then lowered down slowly back onto 48861's shared centre castings. There had been much anxiety about locating these accurately and without damage, but in the end their curved shape meant they slid into each other effortlessly and located accurately all by themselves! The design of over 100 years ago is as good today as it ever was.

With the Quads themselves back together by early afternoon we made use of the lifting gear and personnel being available by putting the old wheelsets back into the donor Thompson BG bogie. The bogie frame had been stood on stands on the opposite side of the workshop for the duration, so was now lifted up itself and put back onto the old wheels. The final task of the day was lifting the Thompson BG body and putting its bogie back under.

The remainder of this week should see the loose ends of this large project tied up, namely reconnecting all of the brake-gear, vacuum pipes etc on both the Quads and the Thompson BG. This will complete our involvement with both sets of vehicles, though we do require contractors to do more work on the Quads tyre turning the wheels, so they will still be appearing in these notes again.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

A third coat of maroon gloss has been applied down both sides, which completes the main body painting. The vehicle is now ready for lining, lettering and varnishing.

British Railways 1962 Tourist Second Open M4958 (BRONZE)

This coach has now been returned to Sheringham and has reentered service.

British Railways 1957 Tourist Second Open 4667

The "Holt picnic saloon" has progressed well. All of the metalwork plates have been applied over any corroded holes making the vehicle reasonably watertight for the near future. All paint preparation work has also been completed with all the sides now rubbed down. This has allowed painting to commence. The two ends have been completed already with black undercoats and gloss applied.

A start has now been made on the main bodysides, which will be green. So far, six of eight main bodyside window frames have been undercoated. More would have been done, however 4667 had to spend a few days outside to make room for the Quad Arts.

London Transport 1955 20 Ton Ballast Hopper HW426

The hopper wagon has now been completed and it looks excellent. All remaining painting has now been completed, including a second coat inside the "tub". The final outstanding lettering, the tare weights, has also been applied.

The final task was the replacement of a damaged axlebox oil pad and the cleaning of the remaining three. They were all re-soaked in bearing oil and successfully refitted.

The hopper is now in the yard awaiting transport to Holt to take its place in the demonstration goods set. All being well the vehicle will be making its debut at the August Steam Gala in a week or so's time.

British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918

Work has concentrated on finishing HW426, however with the latter now done the Pipe will become a more major focus for the remaining drier months. A good start has been made on needle gunning the underframe and metal elements of the body, with some areas also receiving rust-kill primer.

British Railways 1953 20 Ton Lowmac TDB904093

Painting continues on the vehicle, with some parts of the tractor now also being treated and primed.

Hurst Nelson 1944 4 Wheel Petroleum Tank 5304

The tank wagon up at Holt, much like HW426, has been completed and is now awaiting commissioning and debut into service at the Steam Gala.

Workshop

E21224's five tables continue to progress, though again the flurry of activity on the Quads stopped play for a week!