Return of the Quads

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

Focus continues to be on the toilet end of the vehicle with the ceilings pictured last week improved with some side pieces and finishing strips.

Mesh has been added to the fabricated vent grill (for the toilet extractor fan) which will be subtly added to the exterior, in order to deny entry to flies and small birds.

Another extractor fan has been added to the guards compartment as there are no opening windows in this area and it is thought it might be prudent to encourage hot air to vent into the luggage area. A fan has been fitted and tested, the exit hole being disguised by a suitable BR era grill more normally found in ceilings.

The enlarged interior door has been fitted to a runner mechanism and mounted in place next to the guards compartment.

Work also continues to modify the step arrangement at the other end of the vehicle in the corridor connection. As part of this it was discovered that the corridor connection was too high in relation to the buffers, and this has been rectified to bring it back down into spec.

London North Eastern Railway 1924 Quad Articulated Set 74

The Quad Set just refuses to go away and they are back again for the latest attempt to put them right! Following last year's failure to reprofile the wheels on the bogies in situ, March is to be dedicated to lifting all four of the coaches and sending all of the bogies away for the work to be done. A big task and the first time the set has been fully in pieces since it was restored by West Coast Railways 15 years ago.

So far, apart from a huge amount of planning, the set has been extracted from the sheds at Holt and is now in the yard at Weybourne. All brake rigging, vacuum and electrical connections have been removed so the four coaches are now ready to be lifted in turn.

Inside the sheds, preparations are being made including borrowing the locomotive lifting jacks to work in collaboration with our own. Special adapters are being fabricated to bolt onto the loco jacks to enable them to lift the Quad bodies, and given the safety critical nature of these then the appropriate design, certification and testing procedures are being followed.

British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)

More component work this week with the door frame of Door #7 being painted ready for reassembly.

A full set of window surrounds for the small windows located in the guards and kitchen areas has been made up, some from their original locations and others stolen from the two windows which will no be reinstated. These stolen examples are making up the numbers elsewhere where rot has rendered the originals unsalvageable. These have been repaired where required, sanded, filled and primed and now await further filling and sanding.

Components for the corridor end bellows are also being progressed, with hoops and rings being stripped back to bare metal and primed.

We have now also finished cleaning the last of the luggage racking, these look very nice indeed and are now stored away safely awaiting the day they can be fitted.

Two steam heat end cocks have been removed from the main pipe which is going to be removed as part of the asbestos strip. Whilst off, they have been stripped down, cleaned, reassembled and painted ready for use.

British Railways 1962 First Open M3116 (SILVER)

Exterior painting has continued to be the priority. This has now been completed along the bodysides with two coats of crimson and cream applied down both sides. The corridor ends have been undercoated with glossing due next week before the vehicle is temporarily removed from the staging to make way for the Quads.

Also on the corridor ends, replacement rain hoods have been made and test fitted as the old ones had become holed. These will have their final fit after the painting has been completed.

Internally, the worst of the dust and dirt that had accumulated whilst the windows were out has been removed from the upholstery and carpets. Tables which had suffered sun damage have had their corners glued back down after we spotted that many had lifted. Exposed table edges which were also sun damaged have also been re-varnished.

British Railways 1958 Class 101 Railcar Driving Motor Brake Second M51188

The straps for the fire extinguishers and wheelchair ramp are in the process of being sewn up.