Today was day for being outside......

.....and, I ended up inside! However, we are quite lucky that the shed is generally quite a cool place to be, therefore I wasn't in the least bit envious. Still, being out in the yard enjoying the Cotswold scenery is also something to enjoy when working. 

It was a decent turn out for a Sunday on a Bank Holiday weekend with lots of work going on, predominantly on the Class 26. On arrival, I was the only one about so I had a quick walk about to get some snaps. The overhaul of 1693 is rapidly approaching its conclusion and a date has been set for its return to service - although this won't be advertised until closer the time because of various reasons, not least the further easing of COVID restrictions. That said the work continues unabated. With the upper part of the loco readied for its top coat the focus has been on the areas below the sole bar. 

So shiny you can see your face in them! 1693's battery boxes look the business.

The underframe pipework has been having their coats of paint. The fuel and oil pipes still require top coat but the electrical (Orange) and air (White) pipes have been done. 

Even the Emergency Engine Stop and Fire Extinguisher buttons have been so treated. 

The BT4G team have also been busy with the final bits above the sole bar that were still outstanding. This included fitting the tail light bulbs, although I'm not sure about the makeshift dominoes!

Tail light bulbs are in, just need the red lenses. 

Possible marking out for dominoes? Hopefully, minus the footprints!
 

Also in the shed were a number of shiny new liners. These arrived during the middle of last week and are bound for the Class 26's Sulzer lump. Andy M spent most of the day in the McRat's engine room completing some preparatory work for the engine repairs to restart. 

Shiny new engine bits!

However, the majority of the work was focused on the outside of the loco. For the last few weeks Dave S has been targeting some of the rotten metal work on the flanks. This has included welding in new steel to replace badly worn and accident damaged structures behind the metal skin. 

New steel has been painted and new steel plate has been welded in place. One piece left to go. 

The new plate welded in by Dave S. Just in the bottom right, Simon's hand and a needle gun get in on the action.

It would also appear that the cab at No. 1 end will also require some attention as the area where the headlights would have sat in the 1970s.

The corrosion evident on the nose of No.1 end. 

Simon was busy with the needle gun stripping back the paint and any accumulated rust on the sole bar itself. By the end of the day the sole bar had been repainted in primer. The no.2 end bogie has also been treated. On the other side of the loco sanders were the tool of choice as Alex, Tom and Harrison got to grips with taking the paint back to the metal, under the watchful eye of Richard S. Poor guys looked like Smurfs when they had finished! Part of the joys of loco restoration.

Richard S oversees the work to rub down the bodyside of D5343. Several previous liveries were still in evidence including the locos original BR Green!

Elsewhere in the yard, DES was getting some attention from it's owners - Paul J and his Dad, along with Chris. The shunter has recently had an air receiver exam which it passed. There was also an issue with two of it's manual lift pumps on the fuel pump. This was replaced and the pump has showed no sign of issue when the loco was run up. There was also the fitting of a new metal battery box holder. The old wooden one had seen much better days and, when Paul removed it from the box it literally fell apart!

The old, wooden battery box. Not in the best of health!

With Paul in the background, Chris readies himself to go back up on the running board and fit the new metal battery holder.

I was assisting Steve M with the continued bogie maintenance and overhauls on his Class 20s. I was in the shed giving the bogies from D8137 a further brush up and clean before they will be moved outdoors for pressure washing. Steve is then hopeful that the errant traction motor can be replaced and the bogies put back under the loco. Whilst I was doing that Steve was outside with D8137 giving it a going over with the pressure washer. 

Steve gives D8137 a hose down in the yard. 

Work has also been ongoing with 20228's cab with some of the fittings getting a clean and some of the wiring being checked for any issues. Class 73, E6036 will also be off to a new home in the next few weeks after being sold at the beginning of May. 

During the previous week, work had been completed on 37215's straight air breaks. Kevin J made a visit to Railway Brake Services in Burton on Trent where one of the straight air brakes was adjusted and a number of other items were delivered for checking and overhaul - you can see the photos of Kev's visit on the Growler Group Facebook page.

I was also hoping to bring you news of the change to the timetables in June after the easing of lockdown, however, because of the Government playing things very close to their chest, the railways have decided to postpone the timetable change. However, updates will be posted as soon as changes are made concrete. However, the Class 47 Diesel Day on Sunday 27th June IS going ahead with 47376 'Freightliner 1995' although only tickets in the Open coaches of the train are available. Best be quick!!!

Mid May Update.

Although diesel running is currently limited to three 'Diesel Days' - one of which has been successfully completed - as ever, work continues to keep the fleet maintained to the high standards we set ourselves. The larger maintenance jobs concerning the Class 20s and the Class 26 continue apace while the full overhaul of Class 47, 1693, gets ever closer to conclusion.

The chaps in the Brush Type 4 Fund have continued with the painting of the underframe pipework on 1693 with the electrical, air, oil and water pipes in their respective colours. The bogies and wheels have also had their top coats of chassis black. For those unfamiliar with BR pipework colouration, they are:

Electrical - ORANGE, Air - WHITE, Oil - BLACK, Water - BLUE, Fuel - BROWN

The loco is looking incredibly smart already and it won't be long before the body work will get the top coat treatment, too. A date has been agreed for the contractors to come in and do the job and a provisional date has been set for the loco's return to service. This will be disclosed in due time. 

Class 26, D5343, has had more holes cut in it as the CMDG guys continue to sort out the corrosion issues along the solebar and bodywork base. Dave S has been even more busy with the angle grinder cutting out corroded steel plate as well as some of the steel (rust!) frame behind. More evidence of water ingress and accident damage has been uncovered as they progress but new steel has been welded in to the areas that had initially been cut out - making it look much tidier and strengthening the body. 

Another of the cross hatch beams...more dust and muck than steel at the joint! (Courtesy of D. Stanton)

More of the lower bodyside removed and more detritus, rust and corrosion uncovered. (Courtesy of D. Stanton)

Now steel has been welded into the original area that was cleared behind the cab door at No. 2 end. Red oxide has been added to protect the metalwork. (Courtesy of D. Stanton)

The four new cylinder liners for D5343 arrived on the 12th May which means that, in due course, the rebuild of the engine can begin alongside the body side repairs. 

The ongoing saga with D6948's boiler took a big step towards completion with a visit by a representative of the loco owners to MII Engineering in Bedwas, near Caerphilly. MII have been charged with completing the repairs to the Boiler Coil that failed at New Year 2018 with a pinhole leak. After the lockdowns had stalled the work, the boilersmiths have welded in a new section of pipe to the coil to replace the failed section. 

Two photos showing the new welds joining the new section on D6948's boiler coil. (Photos courtesy of K. Jarvis)

It's still going to be some time before the boiler is refitted and the loco steams again however, after the frustration of having little in the way of progress on this it is good to see it finally progressing. The loco lift is still to be scheduled so that the main reservoir air leak can be found and repaired as well as maintenance work on the traction motors and bogies. 

Sister loco, 37215, has also had some attention following its 2021 debut on the sold out 'Diesel Day 1' in April. Mark S has been undertaking work on the straight air brakes to ensure that the brake pressures are even throughout the system and to replace a couple of sticking valves. Some minor maintenance has also been undertaken on Class 24, 5081, to prepare it for the second half of the season. It is still in need of a B Exam to bring it back into service.  

On the subject of the Diesel Days, our second one is fast approaching. 'Peak' 45149 is the star of the show this time on Sunday, 23rd May and seats are nearly sold out. If you are planning on attending you need to pre-book your tickets, so you will need to be quick. You can book seats on the GWSR Page. In preparation for this the 'Peak' was taken out on a couple of runs. Last Sunday the loco was run up and taken for a quick test run before being used today (20/05) to take two 'Dogfish' ballast wagons to Winchcombe. 

45149 at a damp and gloomy Winchcombe with two ballast wagons. (Photo courtesy of K. Jarvis)

The final 'Diesel Day' sees Class 47, 47376 'Freightliner 1995' out for it's first run of the season on Sunday, 27th June. Tickets are nearly sold out for this one with seats only available in the open coaches. June also sees a return to non-Covid timetable running (hopefully), with the Purple and Pink timetables returning with diesel running on all days. We also see 'Gala' days returning, albeit home fleet only, on Friday, 30th July and then 25/26th September. More details closer to the time and in respect of the latest COVID easing. We also see the DMU get a run out in August on a Red timetable. More details will follow as COVID restriction easing is confirmed during June.  

  

An enjoyable stagger.

 It has been a busy Bank Holiday weekend in the department. A fair bit has been going on for a variety of different reasons, mostly in preparation for returning to some semblance of normality. Riding on the crest of a wave after the incredibly successful, sold out, Diesel Day 1 with 37215, all eyes are very much in the rapidly approaching change in timetable....as long as lockdown continues to be eased. There are still plenty of tickets available for our next two Diesel Days on the 23rd May and the 27th June. You can book yours here ----> https://www.gwsr.com/Diesel_Enthusiasts_Days_25_Apr_23_May_and_27_June--post--96.html

The corrosion work on D5343, becomes ever more extensive. Saturday saw Dave S, Andy D, Alex R and new starter Adrian, working on the body work of the 'McRat' as well as more tasks on the engine. The sanding and removal of elements of steel have shown that the corrosion is fairly extensive. 

More cutting reveals more rust and corrosion. (Courtesy of D. Stanton)

Dave's use of the angle grinder also identified accumulations of dust, rust, dirt and oil that had formed significant deposits between the body side and side rails. The liners should also return this week allowing the work to refit the cylinders to start. 

With the side rail removed it revealed this impressive accumulation of detritus. (Courtesy of D. Stanton)

Work was also carried out on Class 24, 5081. Although serviceable, the 'Rat' has had a few niggly issues that needed to be sorted. As it isn't involved in the Diesel Days the opportunity was taken for some of these issues to be signed off. One issue revolved around a defective safety valve on the air system. This has now been removed and a new one has been fitted. It requires testing under load and a B Exam before the loco can be prepped ready to operate post June. 

Carrying on the corrosion theme, Class 117 DMBS W51360 has been prepared to head down to Carriage and Wagon for body work repairs. However, during the preparation it was noticed that the power car had had an accident repair undertaken at some point in its BR life.

W51360 awaits it's visit to C & W. You can clearly see the damage on the right hand side of the cab. 

As the unit is the spare power car for the 3-Car set, it was planned just to have an internal spruce up at C & W, however the plan has now changed slightly.

A close up of the accident damage to the right hand cab pillar. 

With the identification of the damage it will probably undergo some rectification work. It is hoped that, coupled with the work ongoing with Class 122, W55003, a start can be made on the other blue DMBS, W51372 or on the Class 107 DMS, Sc52059.

Fast forward to Bank Holiday Monday and a fair few of us headed to Toddington meaning that a lot of jobs could get done across the fleet. However, it was a day to be inside as Steve M and Chris M were to find out. As has been previously mentioned, with the arrival of Class 20, 20228, one of Steve's other locos would need to find a new home. Class 73, E6036, was duly put up for sale and, with a few interested parties showing interest, the loco was in need of sprucing up ready for viewings. The weather was not willing to play ball and both Chris and Steve braved a wild, wet and windy Toddington Yard to get the ED looking ship shape and Bristol fashion for any possible buyers. 

Steve makes a start on E6036 whilst the weather was still playing ball. Chris was around the other side preparing to clean the roof.  

It wouldn't be long before the heavens opened and it would start howling a gale. Fair play to both Steve and Chris they stuck at it.

Job done.

Back in the dry environs of the shed, Kev J and I were busy doing a few bits on D6948. Lockdown had caused the lift to be postponed and pushed back the air system and traction motor repairs. However, the loco is due to have its air systems pressure tested which meant removing the main reservoir gauges from each cab.

One of two main res gauges removed from the cabs of D6948. These will be tested to ensure they read correctly. 

The empty gauge housing. 

Whilst I was removing the dials in the cabs, Kev had been removing two of the safety valves that also have to be tested. Once these had been removed it was into the engine room to start removing some of the pipework ready for pressure testing by the independent Inspector. 

The bottom valves of two of the three air tanks in the engine room are removed. The one on the right was a real pain to get off! 

Once that had been completed, D6948 was put on charge and I was asked to bar the engine over to see if there were any issues with the motion of the engine. It's a bit of a back breaker, as you have to use a steel bar inserted into the fly wheel of the main generator and manually feed it round....2 inches at a time! Given the diameter of the fly wheel is around 6 feet you get a picture as to how long this took to do a complete revolution! 

Barring the engine.....lunch couldn't come quick enough!

Over lunch, Neil C put in an appearance to see if there was any possibility of a loco being spare to take a trip to Winchcombe with two coaches and W51360. Mark S was busy working on the straight air brakes on 37215 so preference was given to E6036. The ED wasn't going to be ready so a plan was hatched to use one of the shunters. With 11230 still undergoing repairs and the tyres on DES not conducive to going 'main line', Class 04, D2280, was earmarked and I was volunteered as Secondman. With lunch finished D2280 was fired up and shunted across the yard to couple up to W51360. This was then shunted onto Siding 1 before we headed up to the North Siding to pick up two coaches. Back in 2019 the GWSR hired in two blood and custard liveried coaches from the North York Moors. These were returned to the NYMR during the Covid emergency but had been re-hired and re-delivered just a few weeks ago. After rumbling through Toddington station and coupling up the coaches it was back to Toddington Box to speak with Saul, the Toddington 'Bobby' about a path to Winchcombe. With an agreement cemented, we went back to couple up to W51360 as Saul brought us the token for Winchcombe. Once cleared on the dummy at the south turnout it was down to Winchcombe at a leisurely but enjoyable stagger. Class 04's were cleared for 27mph in BR days and were used frequently on trip freights across the regions of BR however, D2280 is restricted to 15mph and, on jointed track, it was a very strange journey to undertake. It was certainly a different 'turn' for me!

The multicoloured 04 on arrival at Winchcombe. Neil is heading to W51360 to put on the handbrake before I 'went under' to unhook the shunter and our return to Toddington.  

Whilst we were away, Tim L and Dave M were busy with the painting of the bogies on 1693. After primer and a sprayed matt black coat of paint had been applied, it was now time for the gloss. By the time I left most of the underframe was positively gleaming. 

With Tim at the far end you can see the progress that has been made on the underframe painting. The end result is going to be spectacular.