London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)
A milestone has been reached this week with the completion of the sliding top-light fitting. For the first time the vehicle now has eight units fitted and functioning (it only had six when built as a corridor vehicle). Hopefully it will not be too long now before the main glazing can be undertaken.
London North Eastern Railway 1938 Brake Third Open E16631E (GOLD)
The original wheelsets from 16631 have been returned to Weybourne from Wirksworth and at least two axles are sadly too damaged for any form of operational re-use. The remaining two axles will be stored as spares for the BTO and future vehicles in the proposed LNER set such as the Thompson brake, TTO & TK. The lorry that brought the wheelsets also returned a bent corridor connection faceplate (which was swapped for a spare from a donor vehicle) and picked up the four tyre turned axles from our two spare bogies which we restored some time ago. Finally, four replacement leaf springs, also from the spare bogies, were dispatched again to replace expired examples found on 16631 during the contract overhaul works.
British Railways 1961 Brake First Open (Kitchen) M14021 (GOLD)
Work to the guards area continues. The corroded outer skin on the seaward side has been removed allowing the surviving floor woodwork to be stabilised and the remaining framework is now accessible to be chopped out for replacement.
The areas of chassis temporarily revealed with the floor missing has been built up with protective layers of paint to set it up for the next 50 years. The corrugated floor which lies beneath has also been removed and had paint applied.
New plywood for the resized bulkheads and flooring has now arrived and is being laminated together where appropriate.
British Railways 1959 Brake Corridor Composite E21224 (REPAIR)
Our next project now that Gresley Buffet 9128 has been returned to service is a brief visit of old friend 21224 for repairs. This was caused by the new retention toilet pipework bursting out of the roof requiring the coach to be brought inside and under the harness lines for repair. This has now been completed and will be tested in due course.
Whilst the vehicle is with us we experimented with a new cleaner which our colleagues at the Great Central Railway had been using with success. This has lifted much of the filth that had accumulated in the cream sections of the bodywork.
After cleaning, the vehicle has been re-varnished all round despite not being due for such attention. It as completed quickly however and has given it a real boost and shine back.
A host of other, smaller, tasks have also been completed on the vehicle. As part of our battery charging improvement scheme, an in built charger is in the process of being installed in the guards compartment. We have also repaired the first aid kit holder, seaward side guards door and are in the process of replacing a stained window on the landward side guards door. Damaged window signage has also been replaced and various other items cleaned.
British Railways 1957 Class 101 Railcar Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory E56062 (SILVER)
Underframe painting continues with the bufferbeam in a second coat of red gloss and the underframe now all in black gloss except the seaward side of the leading bogie which is just lingering in undercoat.
Meanwhile inside the cab, some more of the walls have been maroon undercoated. The window rubber replacement for the bodyside windows edges ever closer to completion.
British Railways 1954 13 Ton Pipe Open B740918
No progress to report.
British Railways (GWR Design) 1958 “Fruit D” W92097W (SILVER)
All woodwork is now completed, but plenty of painting is still to complete if the weather allows!
The Sheringham end has been painted and the Holt end is ready for a second gloss coat.
Much de-rusting and priming of all the ironwork, a nice sitting down job, has also been undertaken.
