'Primed' and ready.

Its not common that I am at the railway on two consecutive weekends, however P'Way were requiring a rail drop to happen on the 18th Oct and a Driver was needed. As I had the day off I volunteered and to save me having to do my 140 mile round trip twice, I headed up on the Sunday and stayed overnight in one of our pods. It never ceases to amaze me just how spooky the railway is in the dark - the sounds of owls in the trees, as well as other animals of the night, lend to the ethereal environment.

Having not been able to do a lot in the way of track maintenance during the Covid lockdowns, the P'Way team are making up for lost time. A few weeks back they had a visit from an ultrasonic tester to see the condition of the rails along the whole line. This revealed a number of sections that needed rail to be replaced - this on top of the pointwork at Toddington and Cheltenham to replace and the removal of track at Winchcombe for the slip repair at the end of November. 

Dixton cutting. A braced piece of rail. 

As you can see in the picture above there are areas where the track has been marked in yellow to signify where there are defects and, in the worst cases, have required the track to be braced to prevent breakage. Just above the fishplate you can see what looks like a very stretched 'H' written on the railhead. This is signifying where the rail has started to dent due to structural failure. When rolling over it you may be forgiven for thinking this was a track join but it can be quite a deep depression and could cause serious wheel damage as well as potentially cause the track to break and the train to derail. This is the reason for the sudden call for crew so that rail could be dropped at a number of sites ready for P'Way to replace them. I quite like doing these turns as it makes a bit of a difference from the normal passenger services.

After rousing a damp 37215 from her slumbers, it was time to collect the 'Elk' wagon and its associated brake van that was also in the yard at Toddington. I was joined by Andy D as Secondman and, in the brake van we had joined by Robin W (Travelling Signal Man), Michael B (Guard) and Richard B (Guard Assistant). With load checks done and a plan of action it was time to head out of the yard and onto drop site 1...the south turn out at Toddington Yard. 

Full attention on placing the train within the P1 Starter signal at Toddington without getting too close to Rake 1 being cleaned in the Platform. (Courtesy of the GWSR C&W Blog)

Parked up at the first drop site. The Toddington Yard headshunt is just behind the telehandler. 

This was as much an opportunity for P'Way training as it was to get new rail to the various worksites as they had gone and purchased a new lifting boom for use with the telehandler to lift the rail off the 'Elk' relatively easily. However, this did lead to a few winces and worried glances as the rail would swing or tip, sometimes getting a little too close for comfort to the loco or the brake van. The squally weather conditions weren't helping either. By the end of the day, though, the team had the hang of it. 

Worksite 2 - New Farm Bridge

Next stop was at New Farm Bridge on the section between Hayles Abbey Halt and Chicken Curve, and a long wait for the telehandler to arrive. It was dawning very quickly at this point that we would have a very long day. 

With the loco secured, a quick opportunity to take a picture looking back towards Hayles from the Brake Van. I wasn't quick enough to get two Muntjac Deer in to the picture that raced across the right-hand field.  

Next was an impromptu toilet stop at Winchcombe. With no services running we had the 'one-train' staff, meaning we had free reign on the line, before heading off to Dixton and Gotherington for a number of drops along this stretch of line. 

The telehandler arrives signalling the end of our lunch break.

With the telehandler and Land Rover now having to take to the roads in order to get to Dixton, we had a long period to while away in the drizzly Cotswold environs. With the loco shut down and handbraked, Andy and I retired to the brake van for lunch. We also had time to speak with Andrew (the new P'Way Head of Department) and plan how we could do the next couple of drops as the signalling wires for the Down Distant signal for Gotherington meant the spacing would be tight for the telehandler. It was agreed to drop the rail a little further away from the site (only 50 yards) as this would allow more space for the telehandler to operate. 

The final drop was at Skew Bridge, Gotherington. As in Dixton cutting signalling wires made it difficult to make the drop at the actual site so we used the ballast loading point to offload. 

With the final drop done it was time to head down to Cheltenham to re-marshal the train. This required the loco to run around the wagons and then reset the brake van to the rear of the train. 

The train remarshalled in P2 at Cheltenham. Its not often you get a chance to photograph a train in P2!

However, in order to allow Robin to switch out the 'box the train had to be moved over to P1. 

The day certainly wasn't over. On the way back we encountered a couple of trespassers at Far Stanley, one who ran off and the other who we found laying down in a hedge with her dog. Her reason for being there? Just taking her dog for a walk and trains don't run on a Monday!! Well, we were about 180 tonnes of proof that WE DO run on Mondays!! When will these people learn that trains can run at any time and not just what it says on the public timetable!

The Sunday before couldn't have been any different in that it was sunny, if a bit chilly, and we had a small number of us present for a variety of jobs. Matt P was up to do some work on 47376 'Freightliner 1995', Mark S was present to do some work on the newly returned Class 24, 5081 and Simon T and Alex R were working on D5343. 

5081 had been away on holiday at the Severn Valley Railway and it's return had been expected at the end of October after a bit of a mess up. However, it unexpectedly turned up on Friday 15th during the 'Peak' running day (more on this shortly). 

5081 returns home unexpectedly and is prepped for offloading. 15/10/21 (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

Mark S refitted the lifesavers and undertook some running repairs to the Class 24 before joining me on 37215 to try and find the source of the oil leak to the top compressor within the nose at No.1 end. We fired up the engine so that we could see what happened when the compressor was running. 

Exhibit A

After a long period of checking the compressor over Mark found where the leak was coming from. Oil was intermittently leaking from the seal between the motor casing and the compressor body. This means that the compressor will need lifting out of the nose over the winter shutdown in order to investigate the issue more closely. 

Whilst Mark was busy with the Class 24 I decided I would continue with some of the work that Phil S and I had started the previous week. We had gone through the engine room to check the integrity of the rocker covers and engine plates to see if there was excessive leaking that could indicate a failure of the seals or a more serious problem. 37215 does seem to leak a fair bit but, like the Duracell bunny, the loco keeps going and going without any serious issues arising. I decided to go through the engine room checking the seals and cleaning the pooling oil away to minimise the fire risk. It would also allow for identification of any major leaks. 

Where a seal has started to fail you will see oil starting to dribble out through the screws holes or in the gaps between the covers. 

Evidence that oil has started to leak through this plate via the screw holes. 

'A' Bank after its scrub. The rocker covers are clean enough to be able to find any continuing leaks. 

With the myriad of pipes around the engine it makes it easy for any oil to travel around and pool in places a long way from the source. Cleaning allows an easier way to trace these leaks back to the source. 

Its also worth checking around joins and cleaning these out to remove any fire risk. 

 

This pool hadn't originally been identified. It looks like it has been forced up through the screw holes on the plate. It was cleaned and an eye will be kept on it. As the exhaust is just above it, should this be squirting out under pressure, it may pose an ignition risk. 

With the Class 117 out on the BLUE timetable, the DMU Group could crack on with the Class 122 'bubble'. Window frames were drilled and more door backings were completed. The window drain tubes were also flared. All photos are courtesy of the GWSR DMU Group Facebook page. 

There was also an opportunity to get some painting done, with the inside of the Guards doors gaining a new coat of white paint. 

Finally, as the DMU is always parked at the far end of Siding 2, it isn't possible to run the battery chargers down the yard to charge up the batteries. Therefore, a new intelligent battery charger was fitted to make this job much easier to manage.  

In the David Page shed, Simon T and Alex R were carrying on with the overhaul of Class 26, D5343. With the welding completed attention has now shifted to getting the loco weatherproofed and watertight. Alex was busy with the ongoing job of adding green primer to the areas of the loco that had been completed and rubbed down. That was until a loud crash and some shouting heralded a bit of a mishap. Simon had walked around the loco to check on Alex's progress and had knocked over the nearly full tin of primer! 

You can see the progress that has been made in the last few months. Simon clears away the evidence of his mishap!

There are still some areas on the body side that need sanding down and then priming however, the main focus is just making sure the loco will survive outdoors when it's tenure in the David Page shed comes to an end. 

One of the new welded panels that still needs tidying up. 

Friday 15th saw a charter day operate with 'Peak' 45149. This was organised by a long time supporter of the 'Peak' locomotives - Classes 44, 45 and 46 - to celebrate the 60th birthday of ours but also to help raise some money for the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group to get some heavy repairs completed and keep the loco running. The day was run using the Covid Diesel Enthusiast timetable with three round trips being operated. The following pictures are courtesy of Alex Raybould. 

45149 at a damp Broadway on its first round trip.

5081 is unloaded after its unexpected arrival back from the SVR.

Built in 1961, this year is 45149s 60th birthday. 

Run-round at Cheltenham. 

The day proved to be very successful with around 70 attendees providing, by all accounts, a tidy post-expenses amount for the CMDG and 45149s repair fund. It just goes to show what the preservation scene is capable of when it is needed. 

Winter's a-coming!

Although, with the weather as it has been over the last few days you'd be forgiven for thinking that Summer had decided to return for a last fling! However, we are now in the final throes of the 2021 season with the beginning of the BLUE timetable and the Santa season only just round the corner. But, that doesn't mean that the diesel fleet are going into hibernation until the Spring...oh, no! We still have a couple of PURPLE days and the 40th ANNIVERSARY event on the 6th and 7th November for starters. 

For the first time in a long time the mainline fleet will also take part in the Santa Specials as well as the Class 117 DMU. This is due to engineering work beginning on the embankment slip at Winchcombe which means the track beyond the station in the Cheltenham direction will be lifted preventing the train locos from running round. Finally, we have an ORANGE timetable in operation over Christmas and the New Year which is implemented due to the Winchcombe repairs and will see top and tail services between Winchcombe and Broadway. So, still plenty of diesel action to see into 2022.

2022 should see Class 20, 20228 and sister, D8137 back in service.

We are a couple of weeks out from the Diesel Gala and the dust has settled on what was a very stressful weekend for the organisers, however, the financial rewards have gone some way to eclipsing the strains. What was billed as a low-key event to raise revenue for the groups and for the railway achieved just that - and, it could only have been done with a thanks to those who attended. We hope that you all enjoyed it.  

The scribbles on the messroom board show just what a success the Diesel Gala was, despite being 'low-key'. Thanks to all who attended. 

The day before the Gala saw the DMU Traction Inspectors undergo a refresher turn in order to bring them back into competence. This was the first time in nearly 2 years that the DMU had been used in anger, but with the impending start of the off-peak timetable it was time to get people back in ticket. 

The Class 117 out and about on the BLUE TT on a sunny 3rd October 2021. (Courtesy of the CDRL Facebook page).

Class 37, 37215, has been putting in some extra-curricular activities on its CV. With the departure of Class 73, E6036, earlier in the year, the 'Growler' has been the loco of choice for undertaking shunts and stock moves around the railway. The last couple of weeks has seen it back in action during the week on such duties. On Friday, 1st October it was used to shunt wagons from Hunting Butts and transport some back to Toddington for onward movement to a new home. Thursday, 7th October saw 37215 in use again on a P'Way train delivering some rail to a variety of work sites across the railway. This gave the travelling public the welcome inclusion of a freight service being slotted in amongst the timetabled passenger services. You can see some pics on our sister C&W blog courtesy of blogger, Alex (who is also a Guard on the railway) here ==>  https://gwsrcarriageandwagon.blogspot.com/2021/10/wednesday-6ththursday-7th-busy-busy.html  

It was also the booked loco for this weekend's PURPLE diesel turn with myself and Phil S as crew. The opportunity was taken to have a look at the extent of some possible issues with the loco that had been notice throughout the season. None of them were considered particularly serious but we decided to have a look and start a list of needs for the winter before we prepped it for service. The smaller of the compressors in No. 1 end appears to be leaking oil so, after assisting Simon T with a wagon shunt, we pulled the loco out into the rather warm Cotswold air. 

With a couple of rakes of wagons to move Simon fired up both Class 04s to make things easier. 11230 was used to move the rake of wagons that had been brought up from Cheltenham but had still to be picked up by their owner.  

D2280 was used to move the P'Way flat and Brake Van as well as 37215.

37215 stands in the unseasonably sunny yard at Toddington. 

The floor in the nose end had been cleaned of the lying oil but the actual compressors needed a clean to remove some of the pooling oil and residue. We also needed to get to the back to check for any noticeable leaks, so the side grills were opened up. This brought forth a swarm of flies reminiscent of  a Fulci or Argento horror film! Luckily, there is always a can of Raid on the loco for just such eventualities!! After the impromptu gassing, Phil and I cleaned as much of the oil away as we could. Hopefully this would allow tracing of the leak and allow the affect of a repair at later date. Hopefully, if it is the top compressor leaking, it won't need to come out of the nose. Even more concerning would be if it is the bottom, larger compressor as this would mean lifting them both out! Not a job for the faint hearted! After that, it was into the engine room to have a look at some of the rocker covers as they had been identified as weeping oil and fuel. 

Removing the rocker cover allows a look at the high pressure fuel feed and the return pipes. 

Removing the side cover exposes the fuel pumps. This is No. 5 on 'B' Bank. 

They should all be reasonably dry, however these were a little damp signifying some leakage. There was also evidence of oil leaking so the gaskets are probably life expired. All we could do was to clean up the excesses and replace the covers. However, all of this was flagged for a more in depth look by our Technical Officer, Paul G, when the running season ends. In some cases the gaskets that sit inside and around the rocker covers had become expired and need replacing, however other areas would need a look from a professional eye and some fine adjustment. Phil also changed the Traction Motor blower filter as this had become contaminated with oil. By the time we had finished it was time for lunch and then prep for service. 

An arty photo of 37215 as Phil receives the Toddington-Winchcombe token from the man of many talents, and all-round top gent, Dan Wigg. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

Elsewhere at Toddington, Simon and Tony R (all recovered from his head knock at the Gala), were busy on the Class 26, D5343. They would be joined later in the day by Alex R, who ended the day looking more Smurf than man! The Class 26 is due to moved out of the David Page shed imminently and all hands are at the pump to make the loco water tight. Tony was busy working on fitting the new cant rail vents as Alex was busy with more sanding. 

Tony begins to refit the cant rail vents on D5343.

With the welding jobs finished for now Red Oxide has been applied to all the areas where welding has occurred. This will then be covered with primer and undercoat ready for its eventual application of its new paint. 

Not quite the 'Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'!

The CMDG's other locomotive, Class 45 45149, has a chartered running day on Friday 15th October in aid of raising funds for the repairs to its compressor motor and to celebrate its 60th birthday. The loco will undertake three round trips - to our 'Diesel Day' timetable starting at 1000 from Toddington with fundraising being undertaken on the train. Tickets are £25 and are only available on the day from the organisers. The railway site will otherwise be closed and so access is only being allowed for those who are traveling all day and have purchased a ticket to travel. Do come along and support the group in their efforts. 

Courtesy of Alex Raybould.

We also have a change in rostered loco for our PURPLE timetable on Saturday, 16th October. It was originally scheduled to be our Class 24, 5081, however the 'small Sulzer' is stranded at Kidderminster TMD after its holiday to our friends up the M5 at the Severn Valley Railway. Therefore, 'big Sulzer', 47105 will now be the rostered loco.

5081 had a good few days at the SVR working on all five days of their Autumn Diesel Gala, despite a failure which was quickly rectified by the support team. The loco is always popular whether that be on the GWSR or on a visiting railway and the number of pictures of the loco on Social Media has been testament to its ongoing popularity.

5081 heads away from Bewdley towards Kidderminster on the 1st October at the SVR Autumn Diesel Gala. (Courtesy of Matthew Palmer)

With the 3-car Class 117 operating on the Sunday, work could progress on other vehicles of the DMU fleet. The Tom's worked on interior repairs to 51360 with the weather starting to be a little cold to continue the external repairs. Kevin, Bryan and Richard continued working on the door backings, window frames and drip pipes in the Class 122, W55003. This will be the main focus with a view to having the 'bubble' back in service in 2022.

Once the Class 117 had returned at the end of the day the heaters were all investigated as they had been reported to be faulty. These faults were traced back to corroded terminals on the glow plugs. These were changed and the heaters tested. The tip-up seat in the guards compartment was also removed to provide better access to the limited mobility area.

D8137 sits in the sun in Toddington MPD yard. It shouldn't be too much longer before the loco is reunited with its bogies following the traction motor change.