As is traditional, the final Blog post of the year looks back on what we have achieved these past 12 months. 2023 has been a surprising year for us commentators, as after the conveyor belt in 2022 there was a prediction that we would swing back into our pre-pandemic way of life, juggling routine repairs whilst also progressing a mixture of major and minor overhauls in the workshop at Weybourne. The reality has been similar but not quite to the extent predicted. The very same strategy described was undertaken but momentum has been somewhat slower than hoped, primarily owing to us adjusting to the post-pandemic volunteer landscape. Mathematically logical, we have fewer people and those who remain are, generally speaking, older and able/choosing to spend less time getting filthy inside the carriage shed at Weybourne! The result is that the camaraderie, atmosphere and team spirt has generally remained, cleverly creating the illusion that we had returned to previous times, however looking back at the end of the year we have not produced quite as much work as many years in the 2010's. But that is the end of the bad news. The good news is that we are still doing what we have always done and we are still very much enjoying it. Another bonus is that the conveyor belt repainting project, as exciting and refreshing as it was, would be a doomed policy if it were to be applied long term. If we are to keep the railway running for future generations, more thorough renewals and investment is critical for the long game, and this year has seen a proper return to multiple overhaul projects in the works at Weybourne, which is more satisfyingly work to volunteers who want to do the very best job possible, which is the motivator for many. Whilst they will not appear in this year's summary, we currently have three vehicles in the workshop (accessible brake 35148, DMU 56062 & replacement kitchen car 14021) all of which have taken a large chunk of resources for 2023, all of which are higher level overhauls of Silver or higher, and all of which will be essential and high mileage vehicles once completed. One is the main A set brake and the highest mileage vehicle in the NNR's history, one is a railcar which covers thousands of miles per year supporting the main steam services and the last is a replacement for a keystone in the railway's dining set which is a critical segment of the railway's business. I think the choice of those three coaches sums up the times we are currently in: recovery from a survival state, where in-house funding needs to be dedicated to servicing of key vehicles which can realise the highest yield going forward. If all that sounds a bit cold and clinical for your taste, then I am pleased to finish the introduction with mention of the Joint Heritage Coach Fund, who continue to work on pre-nationalisation design vehicles which when completed, will take less of a harsh "business role" but will continue to add the vintage and heritage angle, which is in its own right a huge part of what the NNR has become so well known for. The JHCF are progressing two LNER bogie vehicles which together is bringing us closer to a 3-coach "M&GN 1950's set" which is very exciting for us enthusiasts. So onto the monthly summary of what we were all doing this year!
January was a quiet month where we continued the exterior overhaul of dining car 3116. We were also working on lots of removed components taken from kitchen car 14021. A set of new battery chargers were prepared for use at Sheringham so that two sets of coaching stock could be charged at once instead of one.
February was equally sedate with all the same sort of work continuing. 3116 had an interior refresh of the varnish work whilst the exterior painting was brought up to completion. Meanwhile the Quad-Art set arrived at the works for its major wheelset work.
March was dedicated to the Quad-set which through a series of complex lifts allowed all of the bogies to be removed and sent away for tyre turning. This was no mean feat on a five-bogie articulated set and only one set of jacks but we prevailed and the set was reassembled and returned to traffic. As if that were not enough, dining car 3116 was also officially finished that month.
April had a real feeling of Spring, as the completion of 3116 and the quads allowed no less than three new projects to start. These were DMU trailer car 56062, accessible brake 35148, and LMS brakevan 950133. The two passenger vehicles both required Silver overhauls with a focus on bodywork. We also changed a buffer on Carless Tanker 53083 and prepared all of the rolling stock for a busy and successful steam gala.
May saw the Gresley Buffet gain severe wheel flats putting it out of service. Whilst we waited for a slot on a contractor's wheel lathe, the workshop continued the ongoing overhauls.
In June, the expected contract tyre turning fell through so with the Gresley Buffet in such demand, we brought the job in house and put some temporary spare wheels under it in an emergency plan to get it back in service serving cream teas. Flats were also put on the vintage M&GN brakevan during the Mixed Traction Gala so this received a wheel swap also.
July saw the major overhaul of kitchen car 14021 temporarily halted to allow room for other projects. The JHCF completed their summer project of repurposing CCT 1359 into a book shop extension known as "The Sidings". This overflow shop had been a temporary set up in the last few years at galas and busy weekends, and had done very well, so the sale of 1359 to the M&GN Society led to the shop becoming permanent and open much more frequently, increasing an income stream.
During August the restoration of Gresley Brake Third Open 16631 was started after it moved to LS Engineering at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Surveys were taken and a restoration plan agreed.
September was a further consolidation month, but right through the summer the Silver overhauls to DMU 56062, BSK(D) 35148 and the LMS brakevan all took great strides. Although not directly C&W, Class 104 DMU 56182 was launched into traffic after a nine year Gold (plus) super-restoration.
October saw kitchen car 14021 return to the shed and the first large milestone of the restoration quickly completed: the asbestos strip. Some emergency repairs were also undertaken to static box van 783071, which was starting to fall apart on one side, and the van was treated to a coat of paint on this side to smarten it up to passing trains.
November was a good month for wagons, with the overhaul of the LMS brakevan, 950133, being completed with it out-shopped in BR bauxite. Static boxvan 755094 also received similar emergency refresh and repainting work similar to 783071 the previous month. With the LMS brake complete, the Holt wagon team immediately moved onto Fruit D 92097.
Finally, with so much new stuff in the previous few months, December was inevitably a case of leaning into that, with BSK(D) 35148 in particular taking great strides towards completion.
It has been a good year with some serious progress made. So onto the plans for 2023... Major (Gold) overhauls currently in progress which are not forecast for completion next year include Brake First Open (Kitchen) 14021, Thompson Brake Saloon First 1866 and Gresley Brake Third Open 16631, however they are obviously still expected to get closer to completion, especially 14021 which has been on the back burner for most of this year, so we really hope to be able to free up a few sections of next year to undertake some more serious work on it. Moving onto Silver overhauls, the first back into traffic will be Brake Second Corridor (Disabled) 35148 which is now on the home straight and is scheduled to be returned to traffic for Easter weekend. Following that will be Class 101 trailer car 56062, which is around half way through its overhaul so is expected to return to service at some time during the summer season. Its place is planned to be taken by matching power car 51228 which will then be with us for the rest of the year having identical works with the aim of a presentable set for the 2025 season. Moving onto Bronze overhauls and repairs, Gresley Buffet car 9128 deteriorated in condition sharply this year so its planned 2025 refresh has been brought forward to Spring 2024 where it is planned to reseal the vehicle and give it a repaint along with swapping out two of the wheelsets for freshly turned examples. Tourist Second Open 4843 will follow for a quick repaint to counter the aggressive fading the vehicle has suffered from and also have some bogie springs replaced. The Quad-Art set will also be in for its scheduled revarnish. Finally, more minor faults have been identified on FO 3116, TSO 4958, BCK 21224, SK 25189 and Suburban BT 43357 which we will aim to fix over the winter period and into the early spring. So there is plenty to keep us busy!
