Tuesday 28 January 2014

28.01.2014 the latest news


 After an aborted attempt to lift the faceplate off, using the block and tackle on the gantry, we resorted to using the fork lift truck to take it off.  Juliano has just been undoing the ropes holding the top of the plate in place.
 
 
The last piece to be undone before the lift, Juliano cutting through the safety chain with an angle grinder, the bolts being totally corroded and refusing to budge.

 
The corridor plate on the floor, it now awaits someone to remove the rubber seal, clean up the plate and sand it down using a flap disc.

 
This is door number 5 from mark 1 TSO 4777, whilst the vehicle was in for service we noticed the piping around the door was getting very tatty and so replaced it. (the thin black line around the door)
The door is a replacement from an electric unit, perhaps one day we can return the interior to the varnished wood that it should be.

 
A close up of the door piping.
 

More views of 17101, the aluminium capping around the frame has now been removed.


The left hand corner - more holes.


This is the voltage inverter, 24 volts to 160 volts.  All of the fluorescent tubes work on a higher voltage supplied by this unit and it isn't working.  It has been removed, however at this stage we have no idea what we are going to do about it.

 
Some better news, this door has had all of its interior panels replaced with new mahogany, this has then had a coat of clear varnish.
 
 
Wagon 742058 is progressing, here Bill and Steve are fitting the new drop side.
 
 
The floor has been completely renewed, here the choc rail capping's have been fitted.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

17101 The dismantling continues

 
Trying to remove the corridor connection, we have decided that the only course of action open to us is to remove the corridor connection and the roof dome.  This will enable us to re-new the end panels completely.



More views of the corroded end panel
 


The vestibule with the interior roof panel removed.
 
 
Supporting the corridor connection whilst trying to remove the bolts.
 

 
Mission impossible.  On a mark one the water tank lowers down between the toilets.  This view of the tank on a mark 2 shows the metal channel support holding the tank up.  Directly underneath is the toilet, so how on earth do you remove this tank.


More views of the rotten end panel
 

 
This is the roof corner, the holes bottom left are where the water from the gutter enters the internal drain pipe.  The dark bandage is a previous attempt to stop water entering.  Just to the right of it is a hole which has rotted through.  The only solution... take the lot off!
 
 
The servicing of the fleet continues, 4777 is seen here taking its turn.
 
 
"Sole" wagon having its floor renewed, a space has been pinched for it inside the engine shed.
 
 
 Another view of the wagon repairs.
 
 
Findlay working on 5228, trying to remove the door panel to repair the lazy tongues.

Monday 13 January 2014

When a job grows arms and legs!


Christmas was good to us, fully booked Santa trains, a full house on Boxing day and a busy New Years day resulting in the train being strengthened to eight coaches.  The defect report running to 3 steam hoses and one dynamo belt, I think that we can live with that.
 

The errant parts, the steam bags appear to have just exploded out at a weak point.
 

 
An on going project to refurbish commonwealth bogie horn guides.  The two plates top left and centre are the original outer rubbing plates which are made of hard metal.  The two pieces top right and bottom are new mild steel inner plates.  The inner and outer plates have to be bonded together by a rubber layer.  We hope to make a mould to pour the rubber material in between them, Saturday volunteer, Alan has experience of this sort of thing and is leading the project.
 
 
The Bullion van back outside, now waterproof with the addition of plywood windows, suitably painted to blend in.  The very long term plan for this vehicle would be a mobile workshop / messing facilities for the p-way gang.

 
The line of axles, six of them are awaiting sending away for profiling of the flanges.
 
 
 
 
Bogies, B19 and B20, these have been removed from under mark 2 TSO 5149 and await dismantling so that the wheels can be machined to eliminate flats.
 

When a job grows arms and legs!

If you remember we were going to work on mark 1 So, number 4477.  This vehicle became the spare at Christmas and so we brought in mark 2 BFK, number 17101 for a compartment makeover.  This vehicle had suffered from water ingress through the windows, causing mould to form over the tables, curtains and flooring.  We had previously stripped one of the compartments and found structure damage, we continued with the toilet end vestibule and found;
 
 
The end panel with the internal trim removed showing extensive corrosion.
 
 
The corridor connection viewed from outside the vehicle, there should be a substantial hardwood timber across here with the corrugated metal sheet butting up to it.
 
 
This shows where a metal strengthening support once was, it has completely disintegrated.
 
 
Another view from the side passenger door.
 
 
 Further corrosion has resulted in a hole at roof line level behind the drip moulding, this hole spans two compartments.
 
 
Ralph removing windows
 
 
When the roof panels are removed it revealed insulation in bags, very loosely fitted.  The roof panels themselves were loosely fitted, being slotted in to a moulding on one side, pushed up into the ceiling and fixed with a few screws on the other side.  There are no fixings down either side.
 
 
Ralph removing the seat frame from the adjacent compartment.
 
 
The state of the side panels when removed.
 
 
Juliano working on the buffer beam
 
 
The buffer beam with buck eye coupling, steam and vacuum pipes removed.
 
 
The cleaned up buffer beam after a coat of red oxide primer.
 
 
the removed buck eye coupling having been stripped, cleaned, pins greased and reassembled.
 
 
There is some good news, the first compartment stripped has had its metal framework renewed.
 
 
Another picture of the repaired framework.
  
 
This reservation was found behind one of the seats, it shows that our coach was once in front line service.  It shows that on the 14th august 1970 it worked the 17.05 Kings Cross to Bradford.
 
 
This wagon has come in for repair, a rotten floor and a broken sideboard.
 
 
The broken sideboard, broken completely in two pieces.