February News Part 2

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

The vehicle interior, full of clutter from restoration both before and after the lockdowns, had a good tidy up this week and some of the walkways and floor have reemerged! This has brought an air of optimism and arguably could be considered a form of early spring clean...

The door lock and matching striking plate have been fitted to the second set of double luggage doors at the rear of the vehicle.

On the landward side double doors, the suitably tidied up edges have received more painting. Finally, the large section of internal varnished pillars which flank the hinged corridor door have been stripped back ready for a revarnish.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

At long last, the new door jambs and varnished door cards have arrived from the suppliers, meaning the priority job of hanging the doors can restart. The Holt end seaward side door is the first to be started and has had a quick test-hang already, but this has highlighted some major alignment issues so it will be a while before it is hung properly.

The final compartment (number 1) has now been varnished meaning we are very close indeed to closing the doors on the five passenger compartments and declaring them completed.

British Railways 1960 Restaurant Buffet (Refurbished) E1969 (BRONZE)

The seventh conveyor belt coach took a slight back seat this week as staff were engaged in preparations for this year's mainline Cromer operations (more of which below) and assisting in ultrasonic axle testing across the steam, diesel and (mainline) Mark 1 fleet. Nevertheless both end doors are now in undercoat, the footboards have been cleaned and primed and the roof has been given a full coat of paint.

Towards the end of the week in an effort to regain time, a push was had on the seaward side which is now resplendent in Crimson & Cream gloss.

British Railways 1956 Tourist Second Open E4236 (BRONZE)

The eighth conveyor belt coach has received a thorough clean of its steam grime to ready it for further works before it can be painted. Several areas of corrosion have been identified during this process so we will have to decide how many cans of worms to open!

British Railways 1962 Tourist Second Open M4958 (REPAIRS)

More seat frames have received a brush down and primer paint and the Sheringham end saloon is almost complete. Other works have included cleaning up the Formica side paneling around where the upholstered side cards normally fit and a quick re-varnish of the seat edges, both made much easier by the absence of the seating.

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

The final painting works have continued well, with both platform ends being undercoated and glossed. The external rails have been rubbed down, primed and undercoated.

Two of the half doors which were stiff to open have been eased.

Inside the cabin, the join between green and cream has been tied in, the vacuum brake pipes have been painted red, the brake handle and lamp brackets painted white and finally, some paint work around doors has been touched up.

Maintenance

This week we had a visit from our friends at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway who assist us in running the dining train to Cromer. One of the most exciting parts of the visit were the inspections of two new vehicles for mainline use (Sheringham-Cromer only). Both of these have had Gold overhauls and will be a significant improvement to BGK M81033 which has now reached such a poor condition it is no longer suitable for "international use". The net gain of one coach means we now have five coaches registered which is great news as it offers options in terms of having a higher capacity (64 seat) coach on the set for the first time, and it also allows either of the two normal passenger vehicles on the set to be swapped out if we have a problem with them, which is a resilience that up until now we have not had.

The "Cromer fleet" for 2022 therefore now consists of:

• RBR E1969
• FO M3116
• SO M4372
• TSO E4641 (new)
• BCK E21224 (new)

February News Part 1

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

A further week of gently pushing forwards existing works to the doors and doorways. Following a fresh round of adjustments to the wooden frames on the double luggage area doors, the exposed woodwork has received another coat of protective primer.

The guards inward doors are receiving their brass step edges permanently now and these have been painted up to black gloss.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

We are still awaiting the contractor to deliver the new door jambs to continue fitting the doors, which means preparation work along the seaward side continues. Sanding and filling is now more than halfway down this side, with most of the passenger compartment section done.

On the interior, compartment varnishing continues with compartment 2, the penultimate one, being treated this week. The last two compartments are more difficult as they are first class and have more complicated luggage racking to work around.

After a few weeks of vary careful machining and woodwork adjustments, the new window surround and associated beading has been fitted to the seaward side wheelchair saloon window. This has been done in conjunction with the refitting of the surrounding paneling, which has been retained from the coach's previous tenure.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Second Open M4372 (BRONZE)

The finishing touches to the sixth conveyor belt coach were completed this week. This involved final painting of the corridor connections, scraping of all paint from around the windows and a window clean. The door bump-stops also received some matt black to smarten them up.

With the coach finished, it was shunted out of the workshop and has now been theoretically returned to traffic, although it will have an exam by the maintenance team before it runs its first train.

British Railways 1960 Restaurant Buffet (Refurbished) E1969 (BRONZE)

The seventh conveyor belt coach has started off well. One of the first areas to be tackled was the roof, which was in the worst condition of all the conveyor belt coaches so far. Large areas were unstable so a day had to be spent scraping much of the landward side back to bare metal, along with a few smaller areas in the centre of the roof. The seaward side, away from the sun, had survived intact. There was also a failed patch, hiding a large dent, which was removed and any rivet holes sealed.

 This done, any areas of rust on the roof were locally treated and the areas that were back to bare metal patch painted in a 1st coat of roof paint. Next week should see a second coat applied over the whole roof.

Moving downwards, there were several areas, much like M4372 but not as bad, around the windows and below the gutter which were starting to bubble with rust. Without time to do anything drastic, we have kept the wolf from the door by scraping off the bubbles and locally treating what is exposed and what we can get to before patch painting in the "islands".

The sound bodywork has been thoroughly washed of steam dirt and sanded back lightly ready to receive a coat of gloss paint. Door grab handles and emergency handrails have been removed to facilitate next week's painting, and the handrails have received a freshen up with black gloss whilst they are off the vehicle.

With the roof taking longer than normal, we have reshuffled the order in which we do things to keep everyone busy. Consequently, some of the items which would nortmally be done towards the end have been tackled early. For example the corridor end faceplates have been cleaned up and repainted in black. The sign-writing has also been applied to the Sheringham end....

....whilst at the Holt end the gangway door has been undercoated ready to be painted brown.

Next week should see quite a bit of paint applied to all the areas that have been prepared this week.

British Railways 1956 Tourist Second Open E4236 (BRONZE)

The eighth conveyor belt coach has now entered the workshop to dry out. All being well there will be times over the next few weeks when we are able to progress E4236 at the same time as E1969 in order to regain the time lost tackling M4372.

British Railways 1962 Tourist Second Open M4958 (REPAIRS)

A trial fit of a single seat and base has been made at one end to check how the pattern looks in the context of the coach interior. It gives a flavour of what is in store when the works are complete.

Whilst the seating is all removed, the crumbling BR paint on the hidden woodwork is all being dusted off where it is unstable and the remaining areas re-protected in red primer. This will help reduce the dust levels under the seats and in the coach in general. So far, 1/4 of the vehicle has been completed.

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

The vehicle is really starting to look the part now and is clearly on the home straight. Internally, the team have completed painting all the walls and fittings with the exception of the emergency brake which is awaiting red gloss.

On the outside, which has been limited due to the time of year, both platform ends have been primed and the running boards glossed following a few days of mild conditions.

Lots of little jobs now to complete in the next couple of weeks, finishing off but also the undercoating and top coating of the platform ends when conditions allow.

The aim is to have the vehicle available for the Spring Steam Gala in April, although the gala organisers have not conformed yet whether there will be a need to operate the vehicle or not, so the restoration team await the decision with bated breath! including UC & TC of platform ends.

Maintenance

The C exams are still in progress with the half term rake of coaches being the focus. The chill caused by the high winds at Sheringham has been extreme at times this week!

Workshop

Our new portable workshop lights are in the process of having their tripods removed as they are cumbersome when taken inside narrow coach interiors. We have decided to instead secure them on recycled scrap brake discs from large cars/vans. The first two have been done as a trial and have been declared successful, so a further four will be completed to finish the set.

As if all of the carriage work were not enough, some paintwork repairs are also being undertaken to the Y14 steam loco, where the paint on the boiler cladding had chipped away leading to unsightly patches. This far into the loco's boiler ticket we won't be going to town, but the loose chips have been removed, some filler applied and patch painting is in progress which will improve its appearance for the next few years until it is overhauled again.

January News Part 4

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

More progress on ongoing projects such as the varnished end doors.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

Varnishing of the compartments has continued with compartment three joining the previous two to receive its spruce up. The opportunity has been taken to give the interior a good hoover out to stop too much spoiling.

The vehicle is now fully glazed again, as the final panes of glass were secured into place on the guards end windows. The second of the two new window frames were also fitted to the wheelchair saloon, finishing this end.

The Holt end corridor connection now has its springs fitted to the top to secure the faceplate and the rubber weather shield fitted over the top as a hood. This end is now complete apart from the two lighting jumper cables.

The bogie overhaul has now slowed due to the requirement to undertake C exams on the operational coaches at Sheringham. Some more painting of the side frames has progressed however.

Bodyside paint preparation is now in full swing with the lower half of the seaward side receiving the sanding and filling treatment.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Second Open M4372 (BRONZE)

The sixth vehicle in the conveyor belt is now substantially complete, with the lining on the seaward side being applied and closely followed by a coat of varnish all the way round. Unfortunately the low temperaturtes prevented us from scraping down the paint off the window glass, so the coach has stayed in the shed to allow a further week of paint hardening, after which we will attempt to scrape the windows again. In the meantime, some finishing touches such as refitting the brass grab handles and painting round the corridor connections has taken place.

British Railways 1960 Restaurant Buffet (Refurbished) E1969 (BRONZE)

The seventh conveyor belt coach, which has been loitering outside the shed, has now been moved into the staging area and will be the next major focus for a few weeks. Mercifully, it is in much better condition than M4372 which slowed us down by around a week.

British Railways 1956 Tourist Second Open E4236 (BRONZE)

The eighth conveyor belt coach has been moved up from Sheringham early, partly due to the track works which are going to be separating the railway during the early part of February, but also because we will hopefully be able to start this one before the previous vehicle is completed, now that the Class 37 has exited (see below). It is currently outside the shed where it will remain until M4372 is complete.

British Railways 1962 Tourist Second Open M4958 (REPAIRS)

This coach has now been moved up from Sheringham and is in the yard to aid in the reupholstering process. All of the seating has now been removed from the framework allowing a good hoover out from under the seats, a task which is rarely able to be done. It may receive a few other odds and sods whilst it is up here, although this will be labour dependent. M4958 will miss the start of the season, but it is hoped it will be completed in time for the busier months!

British Railways 1961 English Electric Type 3 D6732

Now completed, this loco has been returned outside and back to its owner. It looks superb in the daylight and Heritage Painting have done an excellent job.

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

The upper regions of the cabin interior are now receiving cream top coat, after prepping was completed.

A number of minor jobs have also been undertaken including cleaning the vent covers, not an easy task. It is beginning to look very smart inside.

Maintenance

Whilst out on winter works duties, one of the windows on the Permanent Way "TRAMM" became removed. These are perspex windows and it survived intact meaning it was a relatively straightforward task to come out and return it into place, back in its rubbers, making the cab whole and watertight again.

Down at Sheringham, C examinations are in full swing with the main passenger "A set" being the focus of attention at present. A four coach formation (plus buggy carrier) has been formed for next month's half term week now that all of the end examinations to the couplings and gangways have been completed. The remaining tasks will be undertaken next week.

January News Part 3

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

More progress on bits and pieces mainly associated with the doors. The first of the door lock mechanisms are starting to be fitted, to the luggage area door on the landward side.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

Re-varnishing of the compartments has continued, with a second (compartment 4) joining the first which was completed last week.

The remaining three compartments have had their internal wooden window surrounds fitted making the compartments "whole" again. 

On the exterior of the vehicle, the Holt end rubber bellows have been fitted to the corridor connection and secured to the end of the coach. This end is now close to completion with only some minor parts now left to fit.

The bogie overhaul continues, with the leaf springs and associated hangars now removed and in the process of cleaning. The outer bogie side frames have been cleaned back and have received rust-inhibitor.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Second Open M4372 (BRONZE)

The sixth of the conveyor belt coaches is now back on track following delays caused by unexpected corrosion. The affected areas around the windows have been built up through undercoat to bring them up to the same stage as the rest of the coach. This allowed gloss paint, both cream and crimson, to be applied to the relevant areas along both sides of the coach, bringing the luster back to the vehicle's appearance. The damaged lining has also been reapplied on the landward side, with the seaward side to follow next week.

British Railways 1961 English Electric Type 3 D6732

This week has seen a focus on finishing touches now that the loco is nearly complete. The headcode boxes have been secured shut and the winding handles for them polished or painted as appropriate and fitted back in place. Some overhead warning signage has been refitted to the nose ends, and the four worksplates are now back in place on the bodysides.

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

This week further undercoat has been applied in the cabin in places where it had not taken very well.

Both ends of the cabin floor were cleaned out and rust inhibitor applied. Timber to fill a void found in this area, has been sourced and primed ready for fitting next week.

Banger (of building department fame) deserves thanks for the loan of lights, tools etc to the Holt wagon outpost, along with Dave King for allowing access to the warmth of the museum during breaks at this inclement time of year!

January News Part 2

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

Progress this week has been a continuation of previous with the doors continuing the give trouble. It will be some time before these are brought to an satisfactory standard!

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

This coach has moved on very well this week with several areas bearing fruit. The re-varnish of the interior has started in earnest (made possible by the recent re-glazing) with the first section to be finished being compartment number 5, which is a second class one nearest the Holt end of the coach. As already mentioned in previous updates, the coach's interior was already in good condition, so the re-varnish will not involve any stripping, only a top-up coat (or two) to return the shine. All of the tables (used for cream teas) have been removed from the compartments as they are no longer needed.

To keep ahead with the re-varnishing, the remainder of the compartment window glass was also fitted earlier in the week, finishing a task started last week. The same volunteer responsible for these has now moved onto the two former toilet windows (now store cupboards) which are in progress.

With the main glass fitted, the separate upper sliding lights have also been refitted to all five compartments which means they can now be fully sealed from the outside world again. These had been cleaned in advance.

Two compartments have also had their varnished window surround woodwork refitted. Once again, the plan is for the remainder to follow next week.

A start has also been made on refurnishing the wheelchair saloon (the former luggage area), with some missing supporting noggins being produced from timber and painted ready to fit around the refitted windows.

The outside of the vehicle is also progressing. On the Holt end, the vacuum passenger communication apparatus and linkages have all been refitted to the corridor end and the only remaining item still to fit at this end is the rubber bellows for the connection. After this, the Sheringham end will receive similar treatment.

The two passenger doors on the landward side have now been completed. One of the final items to add was the surrounding wooden paneling and draught excluders. We are currently awaiting the delivery of some more replacement door jambs before we move onto more doors.

Whilst we wait, some of the replaced steel in the doorways is being protected with paint ready to receive the new wood.

Finally, the bogie overhaul continues to progress with more painting of the second section up to gloss, plus the cleaning and repainting of axle boxes and brake gear from that end of the bogie ready to refit.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Second Open M4372 (BRONZE)

The sixth of the conveyor belt coaches now has a completed roof. The areas where the old paint had failed and been chipped off were suitably treated and a coat of roof paint applied just to those areas to build depth. We then applied the usual top-up coat to the whole roof, which will see it good for the foreseeable future.

The bodysides have seen the most attention. The loose rust, once chipped away, has been rust treated before a small round of filler was applied and sanded back smooth. These areas have been patch painted in primer and work will continue next week. The areas not affected have just been lightly rubbed back ready for one coat of gloss to be applied to the whole coach once repairs are complete. Small cracks have been filled with mastic sealant to slow down water ingress until the coach's next overhaul. The four areas where the rust had progressed as far as holes were chopped out and new welded in, followed by the usual sanding and filling. M4372 has required the most preparation of all the conveyor belt coaches so far.

Spare hours whilst paints and sealants have been drying has been spent repainting the end doors brown.

The existing sign writing on the ends, as part of our current livery policy, has seen the white lettering over-coated with ochre.

No interior work is planned or required on this vehicle,. however the opportunity was taken to remove all of the tinsel from the luggage racking, left over from the Christmas diners!

British Railways 1961 English Electric Type 3 D6732

Heritage Painting have now completed their work on this loco. The final tasks involved completing the yellow panel on the Sheringham nose end, then varnishing the same end. This was followed by intensive painting of the red bufferbeams and all of the various coloured pipes and sockets etc in the vicinity.

Finishing touches involved refitting all of the removed window glass, polishing the external brass work and fitting the new overhead line warning signs.

The only outstanding task remaining is the fitting of the worksplates to the cab bodysides and refitting the internal panels which were removed for access. This is planned to be done by staff next week.

Everybody agrees how good the finish is on the loco!

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

The undercoating of the cabin interior has been completed.