November News Delayed

Apologies for the lack of updates, this has been because of an enforced period away from the railway owing to illness. Going forwards, it will probably be the case that we will aim for these updates to be monthly, a frequency that despite best efforts we had dropped to for most of this year in any case. There seems to be less and less time available for blogging so hopefully dropping to monthly will return some consistency.

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853 (BRONZE)

At long last progress is being made, following a prolonged hold up due to the damp weather! Annoyingly rain had been penetrating the tent which, along with the temperature, made the carriage extremely damp on the outside preventing a good dusting and washdown.  A number of areas of the exterior bodyside have since been made good, repairing damage which has also taken time.

The sub team at Holt are now in the throes of priming the entire vehicle following a complete sanding and wash down.

It is hoped in the coming weeks to have a drier period which will enable further progress to be made.

Great Eastern Railway 1884 Wisbech & Upwell Tramcar 7 (BRONZE)

As part of the vintage train refresh project, this winter should see the remaining vehicles in the train treated. With two coaches already completed and the third in the tent at Holt (see above), two more remained to be completed. The first of the outstanding pair was selected as the Wisbech and Upwell coach, which was fortunately found to be in the best condition of the vehicles in the set pre-refurbishment. It was quickly decided that a thorough wash down and coat of varnish would be all that was required, and the exterior was duly acid washed and died out before being moved into the shed.

A comprehensive rub down followed after which the vehicle was washed down again and given a coat of varnish returning the shine once again to the bodywork. Whilst inside the shed the bufferbeams and railings on the verandas were treated to a coat of black paint to smarten them up and the handbrake wheel and builders paints were repainted white.

With works completed quickly, the coach was extracted from the shed and returned to storage to await a relaunch next season.

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

Hot off the heels of the Wisbech coach, we are immediately tackling the fifth and final coach in the vintage set for refresh, Teak panelled M&GN 129. This needs slightly more work than the Wisbech, with a few areas of beading having become devoid of varnish and water damaged, however we do not believe there is any actual wood renewal required. The coach was tripped back from Bridge Road sheds following the berthing of the Wisbech coach and on arrival was quickly washed down with "the special stuff" that eats away brake dust and road dirt. It was then moved inside where it is now drying out ready for varnish repairs to begin.

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

The big news is that scaffolding has been erected around the vehicle giving safe and easy access to the roof, the tackling of which was long overdue. The roof has not been seriously examined or touched since the vehicle arrived so it was good to be able to get up and see what is required in this area. Unfortunately the previous roof paint has failed somewhat but will prove difficult to remove, which causes a slight headache. It was decided that the unstable material needed removing and that a new covering would be required over the existing.

So far, the roof has been sanded down and all loose paint and material chipped off. We now have a surface that is part bare canvas, part sanded down gloss paint. All of the roof vents have been removed along with the carriage board brackets, leaving the gutter strips still to detach. A new canvas and bedding compound will now be ordered ready for fitting once the roof preparation is complete.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

Roof work has also been progressing on the current major Gresley restoration, with the roof boards having been sanded back and primed.

Meanwhile furniture is being populated in the guards compartment, with the guards cupboard, letter rack and folding shelf being dry fitted before further adjustments, painting and permanent fitting.

London North Eastern Railway 1945 Gangwayed Brake E70621E (SILVER)

Work has continued both on the exterior and interior. Internally, the ceilings have progressed and are now in white gloss just in time for the more damp wintery conditions.

A degree of rubbing down and repair work has also been undertaken on the guards booth.

Externally, more cladding has been fixed, to several doors, but issues with some of the catches and mechanisms on the doors has prevented them all from being completed.

Unfortunately the coach has had to be moved outside for the winter which will reduce progress significantly, however we hope to return to the project in earnest come the Spring.

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

This major overhaul has continued to progress very well. Both the Sheringham and Holt ends have been reskinned with new pressed ends which have transformed their appearance. Both ends have had further trimmings added to them, but in different ways. The Sheringham end has received furniture in the form of the data panel cast plate and two inter-coach electrical connector blocks, bowls and leads.

Meanwhile, the Holt end has had the emergency passenger communication gear test fitted, with mounting plates now permanently welded on.

Sanding and filling is now progressing on the Sheringham end and kitchen area of the outer bodyside.

Internal work has continued with the two sliding doors for the passenger saloon the focus. Mechanisms have been restored and test fitted along with door posts for the doors to slam against. Lots of furniture for the inside of the Sheringham corridor end has also been repaired, sanded back and will be painted soon. These walls will speed up the kitchen fitting process if they are ready to go, so are being done now in readiness for internal paneling out in the future.

British Railways 1953 Tourist Second Open NN3868 (BRONZE)

Our winter project drawn from the main mark 1 running fleet has now started, with the special anniversary brown coach returning to us for repainting.

It also requires the second half of the interior intermediate overhaul to be completed. Several volunteers have now made a strong start on dismantling seating, tables and woodwork from the Sheringham end passenger saloon which will be the focus.

Two vestibules have also been rubbed down ready for revarnishing.

British Railways 1959 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Motor Composite Lavatory W51505 (BRONZE)

Very shortly after the previous update, this vehicle was lowered back down onto its bogies with the wheelset issues resolved. It then exited the shed and shortly afterwards entered traffic making its NNR debut.

Multiple Roofs and Doors to Nowhere!

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853 (BRONZE)

No progress to report.

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

The two main areas of progress have been tables and door skins. The tables have now been prototyped and following some feedback and ergonomic testing with chairs inside the saloon, it has been decided that the former school tables can be used with little modification on the single seat side, but will have a new leg design for the double seated side. These new legs are now in production, along with stripping back and revarnishing of all the table tops.

After a long period without attention, the exterior is being looked at in the form of replacement door skins. Originally, Thompson carriage doors had steel cladding on the lower halves of passenger doors and fully over luggage doors, which screwed to the front giving a smooth appearance. A design flaw of these skins is water getting in round the edges causing corrosion of the skin and rotting of the timber frame. This skin design is now being modified to wrap round the edges of the door offering greater water protection whilst maintaining original exterior appearance. So far, two new skins have been fabricated, with their curved folded edges, and trial fitted to doors on the landward side of the vehicle.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

No progress to report.

London North Eastern Railway 1945 Gangwayed Brake E70621E (SILVER)

The vehicle has now lost its position in the shed and will be berthed outside for some time. Before it exited, efforts were made on jobs to make the vehicle as watertight as possible. This included the sealing of the new exterior cladding on the seaward side, matching those on the landward. Cladding has also been cut and fixed to the two ends, meaning only the doors now remain.

On the subject of doors, the two inward opening examples have continued to progress, with new lower panels being fitted, the woodwork sanded, filled and primed ready for full repainting in due course.

A brief window of opportunity to house the vehicle in the staging area emerged, allowing the new roof covering to be fitted. The old roof was first prepared before the new PVC covering was stretched over and secured around the perimeter, with low maintenance recycled plastic rather than the original wooden sections.

Work on the interior has slowed as resources were diverted from this area onto the tables for 1866. However a start has been made on undercoating the ceiling, with the first sections at the Sheringham end being treated.

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

Exterior bodywork has continued to progress. Both ends are now ready for reskinning, following the completion of all structural framework repairs. This includes a new floor plate at the Sheringham end and replacement lower sections on all four crash pillars, mirroring the contract repairs that were undertaken 12 months ago at the Holt end. Hidden steel is being painted and protected before it is covered over.

Work is also preceding on the fake doors and windows along the seaward side of the luggage area, that will house the cooking range. This has been a fascinating project of deception, involving the welding in of an old upper half of a door skin to give the original relief to the former droplight, bolting hinges to the outside of the skin, adding fixed door handles and adding strips of steel to provide relief where the doorway weather strips and window frames would have been.

The effect is not fully finished, as some of the details will be achieved via the use of matt black paint and lines to represent gaps and folds, however a good idea of what we are trying to achieve can already been seen. The end goal is for the coach to look as original as possible on the outside, despite the massive interior changes we are making to the original Brake Corridor First interior. Once the second window frame has been welded on, the main metalwork for this part of the body will be completed, and we can start on sanding and filling.

Internally, the second of the two replacement bulkheads has now been fitted, bookending the main passenger saloon. The second example is similar to the first in changing the doorway from being just off centre rather than on the far side, as part of the conversion from side corridor to open configuration. Unlike the first bulkhead, the second was able to be formed with parts of the old bulkheads joined together and cut into new shapes, with one half even remaining in situ during the conversion.

The vehicle is now due to spend a period in the staging area where we will no doubt make use of the platforms and overhead safety lines for the next areas of restoration.

British Railways 1959 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Motor Composite Lavatory W51505 (BRONZE)

The newly arrived DMU vehicle has seen the most dramatic changes of all during the last month. The roof has been a major area of attention, as we knew it was leaking badly in several areas. Many BR era roof vent blanking plates were replaced and/or resealed, along with the removal of former water tank fittings and breathers which were all letting water into the interior.

All the old roof paint was also scraped off by hand, before two coats of fresh paint were applied, completing this vulnerable area.

The interior will be improved further on a future works visit, however initially we have deep cleaned the entire area from floor to ceiling to reverse the five years of damp storage and water damage as best as we can. Loose paint has been chipped off to stabilise it, missing panels glued back on or replaced and the toilet locked out of service, as we don't use them on the Class 101's. Now that the roof has been resealed, all of the seating under the roof leaks (which had been removed by a very forward thinking volunteer at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway where the coach had been stored) was returned into its correct position. A single seat base had been damaged too much by the water ingress, so was sent down to upholstery and recovered. Although not award winning, the interior is now fit for human consumption once again!

Again, corrosion repairs are not being tackled this time, however we spend around a week temporarily improving the cosmetic condition of the exterior. The 1990's high-intensity headlight has been removed backdating the appearance of the cab front by 20+ years.

This was followed by some patch painting and then several coats of gloss on the front end and cab doors to freshen them up, a trick we also employed on powercar 51192 earlier in the year. The rest of the bodysides had patch painting where the paint had fallen off in large chunks, followed by a rub down and varnish all the way round. Despite the quick and limited nature of the work, it has transformed the exterior appearance of the vehicle and it can now enter service without embarrassment.

The final stage of the works prior to an entry into traffic is mechanical. Normally in the hands of the Loco department, we are assisting in this case whilst we have the lifting capacity and whilst the vehicle is already inside our shed for the other works. A wheelset swap is required to repair damage to the front bogie which suffered wheelflats at its previous home. The vehicle has now been lifted in order to undertake this.

Other works completed have included the changing of a buffer and fitting of replacement vacuum cylinders. We do not envisage 51505 requiring to stay with us much longer as the remaining mechanical work is all that is now outstanding in our original schedule for the vehicle. It is anticipated that further work will be done to it in 12-18 months time all being well.

Maintenance

A start has been made on steam heating repairs, with at least four coaches throwing up issues after testing. Unglamourous but essential work each year!

A prettier task was the recommissioning of the L.E.D. lighting systems on the vintage train, which have never been used before despite being incorporated into the restoration of the set. It was very satisfying to see the system in action, which was enjoyed by a private charter run into the evening last month. The vintage train is available to hire, day or night, for anyone who wants a special train along the North Norfolk coast!

Generator Car Launch

Another long overdue update, however it is worth celebrating the (re)entry into service of another vehicle (back) into the fleet...

Great Eastern Railway 1899 4 Wheel Brake Third 853 (BRONZE)

As with all well thought out projects, a good assessment of the tasks ahead has been the first thing to do. The bad news is that despite 853 being the youngest of the vintage train in terms of preservation service, only being launched in 2019, it has sadly suffered during the relatively short time since externally. What we had planned to be one of the easier refreshes on the vintage rake will regrettably now require much more stabilisation works and the bulk of a full repaint. 

However, the good news is that our fantastic satellite team out stationed at Holt is willing to take on the challenge. We have ordered some paint (853 has its own special Great Eastern shade of Crimson) and agreed for the exterior rectification to start. Hopefully we will see more news on this over the autumn before the cold and wet of winter takes a hold.

It is planned to cease the use of the extra tent/shed at Holt following 853's completion, as it is not in keeping with the Holt Goods Yard ambiance and was only intended to be temporary in order to get through some of the required vintage set refreshes in any case.

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

The work to the toilet plumbing introduced last update has been continued with the Brighton Belle Pullman tank now in place on the wall. I must admit to being skeptical initially but the chrome finish does have an LNER Gresley feel to it (and yes, this is a Thompson not a Gresley but they are related!). Connections have been made and valves installed, including the wooden handle which fits over the modern sprung loaded valve to give a more 1950's feel.

The team have also been looking at the table design for the main passenger saloon. The saloon style chairs came with the vehicle having been provided for the incomplete previous restoration at Llangollen, whilst the tables were donated from a school being upgraded. The challenge now is to fit both tables and chairs from different sources into the coach in such a way to be ergonomic whilst maintaining tables that are robust enough to withstand the mighty force that is the public traveler. A set of chairs has been mocked up in the coach and now the tables are being dismantled. One team is cleaning back old varnish on the legs and table tops that will be reused, whilst another is looking at making up jigs and trial tables out of spare material to test the leg and support designs that are being proposed.

London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)

No progress to report.

London North Eastern Railway 1945 Gangwayed Brake E70621E (SILVER)

The new side cladding has now been fitted to the landward side meaning both bodysides are now covered. With everything correctly in place, the landward side has had all the edging on the panels sealed with mastic to discourage water from entering the gaps. The seaward side remains to be similarly sealed. A trial panel has also been fitted onto the first of the outward opening double doors successfully, so more of these are set to follow. A shunt of the shed on a sunny day allowed a great view of the exterior cladding process.

The inward opening guards doors continue to be steadily improved, with more woodwork repairs and a good filling and sanding session to get them smooth ready for repainting. The smashed landward side droplight window glass has been sealed into the old frame and now awaits refitting.

Internally, all of the remaining museum coach era equipment, displays and wall panels etc. that had been stacked loose inside after being unscrewed have now exited the vehicle. Some has been disposed of, some has been returned to storage for reuse on other future projects. It does leave us with a nice clear vehicle however which was needed by the team restoring the inside. This has been progressing well in the two main open areas remaining the focus. Attention has shifted to the side walls, which are having all the old holes and missing chunks filled and sanded smooth. It won't be long before the walls match the ceiling in terms of being rubbed down ready for repainting.

The guards compartment has seen little attention other than being stripped out ready for similar repair and sanding work.

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

Progress has continued to be really strong. The metalwork repairs to the landward side of the passenger saloon have now been completed with all replacement skin now welded in. Three of the four window apertures have been primed with more paint to follow which will allow the window frames to be fitted. Unfortunately a lot of stored items were moved against the side of the coach before I could get a picture, which has spoiled the effect slightly, however rest assured this side has really been transformed in appearance!

The kitchen end of the vehicle has reached a very similar point, with a lot of skin work being done to clad the renewed framework that featured last update. Both landward and seaward sides have had all new skin fitted where required, which looks particularly drastic on the seaward side owing to the fact the doors and windows have been covered over to accommodate the cooking range in due course.

The landward side has additionally had its final window prepared and fitted in place, leaving just the double doors to refit on this side.

With the sides getting close to completion, attention has turned to the final area of bodywork on the entire vehicle: the ends. The Sheringham end has now had its old bottom plate chopped out along with all of the rotten crash pillars around the lower end. The surrounding areas have been rust treated and a new bottom plate is now on order so that we can start building this end back up.

Meanwhile, at the Sheringham end (which already has had its bottom plate and crash pillar replacement), the rotten door edges and top cantrail framework repairs are progressing. The landward side doorway is now complete, with a brand new door pillar having to be put in along with corner stiffeners, whilst the seaward side is now in progress. All of these end repairs should bring us closer to the point where we can skin the ends (with brand new pressings supplied by the South Devon Railway) and reach the important milestone of bodywork completion!

British Railways 1958 Covered Carriage Truck M94125 (SILVER)

One of the most intense projects has been the completion of the CCT generator car. It can't easily be described how many small and snagging jobs are undertaken when a project is being readied for its final push and completion, but it's fair to say a lot of attention was given to sorting out all of the "little bits". This was in parallel with the completion of the paint job with two coats of Crimson gloss, lettering and varnish being applied. When we first sanded down the vehicle we found original BR lettering stating "GUV" (General Utility Van) rather than the expected "CCT" (Covered Carriage Truck). Some research revealed that the first built CCT's were to be designated GUV (Y) meaning "4 wheeled General Utility vans". As 94125 was the 25th CCT built (which is early given nearly 1000 were produced) it now makes sense that it carried this early designation. However the (Y) was not present on our example at least, so we have accordingly reproduced the "GUV" lettering on this vehicle for historical interest.

The Sheringham end set of windows have been replaced with the ventilation louvre units, to serve the generator. This arrived earlier this week and has been positioned inside the vehicle, utilising the resorted end doors which now open and shut once again. Once arrived the generator exhaust and electrical connections were made, along with a securing raft that bolts to the sides of the vehicle to stop the generator set sliding anywhere.

A C examination was then given to allow the vehicle to return to use following a fair number of years out of traffic. The handbrakes have been made inoperable as the vehicle's semi-permanent coupling to the braked kitchen car makes the handbrakes as good as surplus. The vehicle was quickly tripped down to Sheringham where it was attached to the rear of the dining set and commissioned into traffic.

British Railways 1959 Metro Cammell Railcar Driving Motor Composite Lavatory 51505 (BRONZE)

This has been moved into the shed following 94125's departure, for work to the leaking roof to commence along with some limited bodyside cosmetic repairs.