I love it when a plan comes together!

Those of us from a certain generation will remember the oft-echoed sentiment from the late, great George Peppard in his role as John 'Hannibal' Smith from the 'A-Team'. Luckily, the title of this post doesn't demonstrate that we have gone all guerilla warfare in the department. Rather that two of the larger maintenance projects are very much within touching distance of their respective finish lines - one much earlier than expected (bar the essential tests and running in) and the other a lot later than envisaged.

Before all that, the new season has started in earnest. It really doesn't seem three months since the end of the hugely successful 2018 season but, here we are! For our mainline fleet winter maintenance is coming to an end with locos receiving 'B' and Fitness to Run exams ready for return to services in April whilst the DMU has had all of its 'M' exams and has been out and about on the BLUE and RED timetable days racking up the early season mileage. The Class 73 has finished on its ballast jobs for the winter P'Way relay at Toddington and a refreshing drop at Buckland whilst we have had a fleeting visit from a Tamper. Running a heritage railway is a year round activity....its not just about running trains! On that subject if you are interested in volunteering, even if for just a few hours a month, we have volunteering events planned in April, May and June where you can come and see what is on offer. You can click here for more information or email recruitment@gwsr.com. There really is a job for everyone whether you are interested in railways or not.

Anyway, back to the Diesel fleet. As I mentioned two of the longer term maintenance projects took massive strides towards their respective completions over the last few weeks. In the last episode I mentioned that 'DES', our ex-Allied Steel and Wire shunter, had had its repaired axle and wheel set returned and was waiting for its time on the jacks to have it set back under the loco. Well, with the wheel and axle box back on site the team made hay while the sun was shining (quite literally with the weather we have had this week) and set to refitting the bearings and greasing the axle box and getting it back on the pre-profiled wheel set. Photos are courtesy of Paul Jones, one of the oweners of 'DES'. Thanks Paul.

The re-profiled axle casing ready for refitting. (Courtesy P. Jones)

 

The new bearings. (Courtesy P. Jones)

Chris checks for clearance as he refits the axle casing. (Courtesy P. Jones)

All in place and running freely. (Courtesy P. Jones)

All that is now required is availability of the jacks in order to lift the loco and then for the wheel to be placed back in its rightful place. It is hoped that this can be done in April and, after successful testing, have 'DES' back in service before the middle of the year. Early availability of the jacks, however, was resting on our other long term project being completed. Of course I refer to another loco having maintenance on its wheelsets, Class 24, 5081. In this case not just one axle but both bogies being refurbished for the first time since 1975, as we presumed from the dates scrawled on both bogie frames. No1 end bogie had had its refurbishment started back in 2017; this Thursday 28/03 saw 5081 shunted back into the David Page shed and between the four jacks ready to lift the body off of its bogies for the return on No2 end bogie aftercompletion of its own refurb. The loco was carefully lifted off of the 'spare' bogie, carefully removed and the refurbished bogie placed back underneath the loco, the various cables and lines reattached and then the loco gradually lowered back onto its own bogies once more. The 24081 group had set a deadline of having the loco fully fit for our gala in July and, bar any issues flagged up during Fitness to Run testing, its definitely a job well done! Photos are courtesy of Kev Jarvis. Thanks Kev...again!

5081 clear of its accommodation bogie ready for it to be removed and swapped for its 'proper', refurbed bogie under the watchful eye of Mark S. D5343 sits on the adjacent road as it undergoes some corrosion repairs - it could almost be St. Rollox Works, Glasgow in the 1970s! (Courtesy K. Jarvis)

 

5081 is gently lowered onto the refurbished bogie. (Courtesy K. Jarvis)

Also in the David Page shed Class 26, D5343 has had some anti-corrosion work completed. It has also been awakened from its winterisation ready for the new season. In the meantime, the CMDG has arranged for their spare Class 26 traction motor to go away for refurbishment. On the 22/03 it was removed from storage and placed on a low loader. Thanks to our HoD, Andy Durham, for the pic.

The season of heavy lifting continues! D5343's spare Traction Motor gets lifted onto a flatbed before being whisked away for refurbishment. (Courtesy A. Durham)

The weekend just gone saw the turn of Class 37, D6948 to have its 'B' and Fitness to Run exams. A little over two weeks ago the loco had its boiler lifted out to investigate the leakage issues that reared their ugly head over the New Year. The EE Type 3 is due to be one of the first diesel locos in service during April, including a Driver Experience day, so it needed to be in tip top condition. Kev, Phil and Ben set to it - ably assisted by other members of the Growler Group. Photos, again, courtesy of Kev Jarvis and Phil Seymour. Thanks gents/

Above, is a photo (courtesy of Phil) of the 'B' Exam checklist that we use at the GWR. It is based on the exam schedule that would have been used by BR but has been adapted to fit in with the use our locos get. Each locomotive is fitted with a timer that reads 'Engine Hours'. This is basically the length of time the engine has been running since factory overhaul and each exam should be conducted in line with the length of running time each engine had received - rather than an odometer that measures mileage, although it works on the same principle as that with a car. With Class 37/0's BR would undertake an 'A' Exam every 55 or so engine hours, a 'B' every 275 hours and so on but this isn't practical with our locos given the lower amount of usage. Therefore we tend to use the rule of thumb of an 'A' Exam during mid season prior to the Gala, a 'B' Exam prior to the start of the season therefore ensuring more major assessment is done before the strains of the season with a mid year 'check-up'. We don't tend to cover 'C', 'D' or 'E' exams as the time scales for these usually fit in with more detailed restoration work such as strip downs or full refurbishments - more akin to the CEM Works overhaul. The 'B' Exam covers basic things such as the removal and replacement of air filters, below (photo again courtesy of Phil) as well as more safety critical work such as testing of the brake system and air flow.
    

One of the jobs that everyone clammers to do (NOT!) is the checking and topping up of the Motak levels. It isn't a very glamourous job, most certainly not a clean job but is a highly necessary job. Motak is the lubrication fluid used in all high temperature, high friction areas on all locomotives. It isn't a substance you want to be around for any length of time nor do you want to get it on your skin or clothing but it does its job exceptionally well. With the loco now over the pit it fell to Ben and Phil to do the honours. Photos courtesy of Kev Jarvis.

D6948 is placed over the pit ready for the underframe inspection and Motak check. The 'Not to be Moved Board' adds to the overall 1960's appearance of the locomotive.

Phil and Ben prpeare to remove the Traction Motor inspection hatch. 

Ben fills up the Motak reservoir.

As the season gets into full swing the mainline diesels will start to see more action from April. As mentioned in an earlier blog the overall calendar has had a bit of a revamp with the mainline locos out on PURPLE and GREEN timetables and the 117 out on RED and BLUE timetable days. The rosters have been allocated for April and May and are listed below with the usual caveats around availability etc, etc.

RED - Class 117 DMU

• March - 30th
• April - 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd
• May - 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th and 18th

BLUE - Class 117 DMU

• March - 31st
• April - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 18th and 25th
• May - 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd

1940's Weekend - Class 117 DMU

• April - 27th and 28th 

PURPLE (1510 Broadway - CRC; 1625 CRC - Toddington)
Class 37, D6948

• April - 9th, 10th

Class 20, D8137

• April - 16th
• May - 21st and 22nd

Class 26, D5343

• April - 17th
• May - 1st and 19th

Class 45, 45149

• April - 23rd
• May - 29th and 30th

Class 47, 47376 'Freightliner 1995'

• April - 24th and 30th
• May - 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 28th

More Heavy Lifting!

There has been a lot of heavy items moved about at Toddington over the last few weeks. Last week saw 5081's bogie reunited with its Traction Motor and D6948 being relieved of its boiler in order to resolve an issue with a leak. This week was not to be outdone! Again, I have been absent so thanks to Kev Jarvis and Paul Jones for the updates and piccies.

Firstly, D6948's boiler has been moved into the diesel shed ready for investigations to take place. As the exhaust flue has had to be removed as well a blanking plate is to be fitted in order to prevent water ingress into the engine room through the gapping wound. More lifting is required as it is suspected that the leak is somewhere around the coil. This will need to be lifted away from the casing and inspected. All photos are courtesy of Kev Jarvis.

The exhaust blanking plate ready for painting in Grey. Luckily this hadn't been thrown in the bin during D6948's restoration!

The business part of the boiler, the coil. This will be lifted out and inspected.

At the later end of the week one of our smaller engines, or at least part of it, received some lifting assistance. Its not often that our shunters get much of a look in in the blog. They go about their duties with minimal fanfare. We have four on the railway (five if you include a little 0-4-0 'Mavis' that languishes in the yard); Class 03, D2182, that is allocated to C&W at Winchcombe, two Class 04's - D2280 and 11230 based at Toddington and, finally, DES, a former industrial shunter also based at Toddington. It is the latter that has finally seen some light at the end of a very long tunnel. DES is the preferred shunter of the Diesel Department as, out of the four, it is the most powerful at around 320hp - the 03 and 04 design being similar and having a 204hp output. The Class 04 shunters tend to struggle when asked to move more than one diesel loco producing plenty of wheel slip unless gently coerced. DES, however, has a much higher tractive effort and is able to move a line of three locos with reasonable ease given that its working life included shifting 1000 tonne loads of steel at Allied Steel and Wire in Cardiff. The engine has been out of service for some 15 months after having a serious issue with its middle axle. This required removal and sending away to Timken for fabrication of new bearings and axle box along with a general overhaul of the wheel set. The process had become quite a drawn out affair, much to the annoyance of the locos owners as it wasn't earning any money for them. However, Wednesday saw the delivery of the refurbished wheel set - much to the delight of the owners. Photos are courtesy of Paul Jones.

DES' repaired wheelset arrives on the back of a lorry...no pun intended!

The wheelset is lifted off the flatbed and into the yard to meet a very happy Chris. 

The RTF carries the wheelset into the David Page shed ready for DES to be lifted in due course. 

The wheelset stands in front of an interloper! Class 26, D5343 is in the DP Shed undergoing some corrosion repairs.

The owners hope that DES can be lifted towards the end of this month however this will depend on successful refitting of the repaired axle box. The end is very much in sight!

This weekend (9/10 March) sees the close season end and a return to scheduled services. Saturday and Sunday sees the BLUE timetable kick things off with the DMU in operation followed by Cheltenham Festival Week - one of the railways big money earners. The mainline diesels see their first action in April on the PURPLE timetable during the week and during select weekends in May. However, most weekends during the height of the season will see mainline diesel running on the GREEN timetable. You can access the digital timetable here.

And, finally, a little plea from the Growler Group - owners of 37215 and custodians of D6948. The group need help manning the Sales Stand at a variety of events at both the GWSR and across the country. No previous sales experience is required, just a willingness to help and speak to people. You will need to be a member of the Growler Group and, for the GWSR events, a Work Permit holder. For more information you can contact the group on Facebook or you can email the Sales Team from the link on the Group's webpage.

Heavy lifting.

Another week that I miss out on lending a hand due to not having my car but, while I sit around twiddling my thumbs at home my compatriots in the department were toiling with some big lifts. Apologies for the lack of pictures.

With new season now only days away, last weekend many of us had exams scheduled to keep us 'in ticket' down at a very sunny Winchcombe. Back up at Toddington, our Class 26 D5343 was shunted into the David Page shed in order for remedial roof corrosion work to be carried out. Whilst it was indoors the owning group also took the opportunity to replace the boiler room compressor which has become increasingly troublesome in recent years. With the weather unseasonably fine the DMU group were busy giving the 3-car set its M exam and a spruce up given that the new running season edges ever closer. W51363 had received its new bearings the previous weekend and the work suitably signed off to make it fit for use.

W51360 gets some attention from the large brush.

Gleaming in the sun.

Fast forward into the last week and the overhaul of Class 24, 5081, hit another of the targets that inch the project towards its conclusion. A few weeks ago a group of us had re-fitted the remaining brake rigging before lowering the frame back onto its springs. Thursday 28/2 would see the bogie re-fitted with its Traction Motors. With Tim L at the controls of the rough terrain forklift, a number of the 'Weds Gang' had shifted their availability along a day in order to help out.

Mark S and Martin B expectantly await the lowering of the TM into the bogie frame. (Courtesy of GWSR Social Media)

With this job ticked off everything is on target for the project to be completed on time.

Good news was also received about on of our four shunters. DES, our Yorkshire Engine Co 0-6-0, has been out of use for over a year having had issues with its middle axle. The wheelset and axle box was removed and the box sentvto Timken. There is now light at thevend of the tunnel for the owners with news that the axle box should be returned in the next week and, as long as an early slot on the jacks can be obtained, the wheelsets and axle boxes can be reattached and the loco returned to service.

On Friday, St. David's Day, our green Class 37, D6948, was shunted into the car park at Toddington to meet up with a flat bed lorry and HIAB that had arrived. If you recall D6948's boiler sprung a leak on the last day of the running season. The failure was in such a place as to not be easily identifiable so the owners took the decision to lift the boiler out for a thorough inspection. This is what the HIAB and truck was for! Hopefully the issue will be reasonably straightforward and the boiler can be refitted before the Autumn. Photos of the removal today are courtesy of Kev Jarvis. Thanks Kev.

D6948 awaits the lorry.

The roof panel removed in preparation.

The exhaust funnel.

The removed roof panel. The exhaust funnel sits in the hole bottom left. 

The HIAB is attached to the lifting straps and up it goes. I hope they didn't scratch the paintwork!!!