Scorchio...and not just the weather!

This weekend, taking in the 16th to 19th July, was one that a lot of people were looking forward too...and, not just those of us in the department. Friday the 16th was earmarked as the grand unveiling of Class 47, 47105 after its near decade long overhaul. As happened, the loco was to break cover (virtually as well as in reality) a few days before as it was shunted around the yard at Toddington. 

Resplendent in it's new BR Blue livery, 47105 ventures outside of the shed for the first time since it's overhaul completion. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

BR Blue vibes at Toddington as 47105 and 37215 rest in the yard. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

D5343 continues to have its bodywork repairs as 47105 and 37215 rest in adjacent roads. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

However, the 16th was still earmarked as it's first passenger run after completion of its overhaul and was for the benefit of the owning group's (Brush Type 4 Fund) members. On the day, with 47376 'Freightliner 1995' along for added Sulzer thrash, 47105 once again headed out on to a line it last traversed (except on test) nearly 10 years ago. It would be the first time the loco was to stop at Broadway - there is evidence that, as a Western Region loco, 47105 traversed the Honeybourne line regularly and passed through the site - since it was rebuilt. The following photos are again from Alex Raybould. 

Looking incredible in it's new coat of BR Blue with domino headcode 47105 powers out of Cheltenham and under Southam Road. 

Sister loco 47376 brings up the rear of the train as 47105 powers out of the 10mph section at Gotherington. 

47105 leads 47376 towards Didbrook.

Sadly, the day didn't end on a positive as 47105 was to fail with an electrical fault on the last run which saw it taken off at Toddington and shunted to the shed by DES. However, it is hoped that the fault can be traced and rectified quickly enough to allow the loco to take it's place on the loco roster for August. 

I got to see the finished article on Sunday when I was rostered on 37215 and it is hard not to be hugely impressed with the paint job done by Heritage Painting to compliment the through job done by the guys in the BT4F. An end result to be justly proud of!

Shiny! An absolutely stunning job. 

47105's TOPS panel and CF Depot allocation.

Sunday 18th saw our last 'Diesel Day' take place with 37215 as motive power. The loco had had a bit of an 'episode' earlier in the week and there was a little trepidation when I turned up on the morning to prep it for my biennial practical exam. Would it behave? Lockdown had really messed footplate competency - since passing out myself in 2019 I had only completed two post-passing Driver turns, and I am probably not alone in being a little 'rusty'! This only added to a very nervous feeling on arrival at Toddington. 

37215 rests outside the shed in the early morning sun on the 18th July. 

'Diesel Day 4' had been hastily arranged when the Government announced that Covid Lockdown would be extended for a further month and, sadly, there were already other events ongoing elsewhere in the UK, therefore, attendance wasn't as good as for our previous three 'Diesel Days' which were all sold out. That said, the new event was ideal for getting me re-certified and another Driver, Adrian, refreshed ready for his biennial in August. We would still get a pretty decent turnout from people out to enjoy the weather and the views....as well as the Type 3 up front! Little did myself, Tony (our Traction Inspector), Adrian or Simon (Secondman on the first trip) know just how hot the day would get and, by the end, we were all sunburnt, exhausted and ready for a cold beer! Luckily, I was staying at Toddington in one of our staff 'Pods' as I was rostered to drive the following day too - although, I was starting to think that I must have lost my marbles as the Monday was going to be even hotter!  

Monday started just like Sunday, except that I wasn't being assessed. We don't normally run services on a Monday but, with the Tuesday seeing services returning to normal, a shunt had to take place to get the two main coach rakes back into the correct formations. This meant, for 37215, shuttling the two rakes from Toddington down to Winchcombe where we were to assist Carriage and Wagon with the shunting of the coaches before taking the two full rakes back to Toddington - the last one via Broadway to run round. There was also a nice little surprise thrown in for good measure - courtesy of Ops Manager, and Guard for the day, Neil. 

It also gave a rare opportunity to capture, at work, a loco that doesn't get much in the way of mention in these pages - our Class 03, D2182. The shunter is owned by a gentlemen within the C & W Department and it is exclusively used to shunt C & W. With most activity taking place during the week, and usually on days where there is little to no traffic, it tends to get more exposure through our sister C & W Blog but it is part of the Diesel fleet. 

D2182 parked up at Winchcombe C & W in 2018.

By 0930 we were off shed and, boy, was it already hot. 24 degrees C according to the thermometer outside. Even with the windows and doors open on the loco, it was still damn hot! Sadly, my phone didn't survive and so all pictures are from Brian P (except one), who was my Secondman for the day. I take my hat off to him and to John H and the guys from C & W who did not stop all day in searing heat; coupling and uncoupling as well as undertaking plenty of walking with little to no shade. 

After the first run down to Winchcombe we were asked to shunt a couple of coaches into the P'Way sidings. 

Whilst we were sat in the P'Way sidings the Class 03, D2182, draws a further pair of coaches out of Winchcombe and across into the C & W sidings.  

After assisting with moving some of the stock around at Winchcombe, and interrupting the GWSR Board having an al-fresco meeting (sorry, again!), we travelled back to Toddington, light engine, before returning to Winchcombe with the 2nd Covid rake. After a bit more shunting and moving bits around, the D2182 positioned some wagons in P2. This was our little surprise - an impromptu run up to Broadway with two 'Dogfish' wagons, one 'Mermaid' wagon and a Lomac. This trip was reminiscent of the types of trip freight working that Class 37s - and, indeed both 37215 and D6948 - would have performed many times in their BR days in South Wales and the west. 

Taken by Toddington's Signaller, Saul Jones, the freight consist heads towards Toddington and it's eventual destination of Broadway, evoking memories of departmental trip freights of the 1980s. 9B01, perhaps? 

After running round at Broadway we were to shunt the wagons back into Siding 2. Whilst Brian takes the photo, Neil and I are discussing the next set of movements. 

There's something about the sunshine in the Cotswolds that just makes BR Blue look amazing! Our final arrival back at Winchcombe prior to returning to Toddington - with a run round at Broadway - with the final full rake ready for the 19th. 

Finally, after more shuffling of coaches at Winchcombe, it was back to Toddington with the 2nd reformed rake. As the Chocolate and Cream set was in P1 at Toddington, in order to be in the right place to get back on shed we had to make a second visit to Broadway so that we could run round. I don't think the Monday gang at Broadway quite expected an EE Type 3 to appear once, let alone twice during their working day!

Work also continued on D5343's body overhaul on Sunday with Simon, Alex, Tom and Harrison getting back on with it within the David Page Shed. There was also a small group continuing work on the Class 122 as well as evidence of continuing body work patch ups on the Class 117. It does look like the 117 has had a break out of some strange skin disease but the treatment will hopefully see the staving off of the corrosion for the time being. It isn't due back in service until October so there is plenty of time to get it prepped and looking back to its best. With the Bubble, the window backings on all the doors have been completed so now the team can look at making a start on the cabs - hopefully seeing it run under its own power for the first time in 8 years when the work is completed. Class 107 DMSL, Sc52029 has officially been put up for sale but it has not had any serious offers as of yet. 

Work is also continuing to progress with our Class 20's and, hopefully, we will see one, if not both, in service by the end of the year. D8137 is nearing being reunited with its bogies. The traction motors are being assessed to check whether a swap needs to be undertaken and, if so, is the donor fit for transplant? Steve, the owner of both Class 20s, has been busy taking the motors apart and cleaning/assessing them to see what his next move will be. 20228 is also still receiving work on its cab interiors with some of the panelling having been removed for cleaning and repainting. 

Class 37, D6948, is still waiting for its lift and so little work has been undertaken on this loco for some time. The owners are trying to source a set of listing brackets that will fit our jacks in the David Page shed. The set we normally borrow from our friends at the SRPS are currently in use at Bo'ness. The boiler coil has had a new section inserted and it has been successfully tested. Work is now ongoing to get it certified and then refitted to the boiler itself. 

So, with services losing their Covid restrictions from Tuesday 19th July, it means that the timetables are returning to normal. From the 19th through to the end of September we have diesel running every day, as well as two 'Gala'-style events. We will see the PURPLE  timetable (Diesel on the last round trip - 1510 off Broadway) dominate with the majority of Sundays seeing a PINK (one steam, one diesel - diesel starting 0945 from Cheltenham). The two 'Gala' type events are on the 30th July and the weekend of the 25th/26th September. The July 'SUMMER DIESEL DAY' will see our serviceable fleet used on a rotation throughout the day. 

The September event will have more of a Gala feel but will still be restricted to our home fleet. 

For current loco allocations, keep an eye on the GWSR website. At present for July we have (with usual caveats) - 

20 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

21 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

22 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

24 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

25 July (Pi) - Class 45, 45149

27 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

28 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

29 July (Pu) - Class 37, 37215

30 July (SE) - Class 24, 5081, Class 37, 37215, Class 45, 45149, Class 47, 47376

31 July (Pu) - Class 47, 47376

01 Aug (Pi) - Class 47, 47105

03 Aug (Pu) - Class 24, 5081

Finally, it is also a big celebration for the whole of the GWSR....it is the line's 40th Anniversary in 2021!! With restrictions removed planning has now become a reality on a number of events to help us celebrate. From Wednesday 20th July at the Tim Mitchell Building at Winchcombe there is a photographic journey showcasing the various departments of the railway, including the Diesel Department, right from those very early, halcyon days of the early 1980s right up to the present day. It's free entry so why not take a break at Winchcombe and have a nose? There will also be a Celebration Gala over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th October which will see both the steam and diesel fleets in full use - but this is still to be fully developed. 

Don't forget, you can also get more department news on our other social media pages. The Growler Group, Cotswold Diesel Railcar Group and Brush Type 4 Fund have Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as their websites. There is also a general GWSR Diesels Twitter site that sees updates every other day or so. Even DES has it's own Facebook page!

Growler Group - 

Web - http://thegrowlergroup.org.uk/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheGrowlerGroup

Facebook - https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/165601940289990/

Brush Type 4 Fund

Web - https://www.brushtype4fund.co.uk/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/BT4Fund

Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group

Web - http://www.cmdg.online/

Cotswold Diesel Railcar Group

Web: http://www.gwsr-dmu.co.uk/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Leyland680

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GWSRDMUGROUP/

GWSR Diesels

Twitter - https://twitter.com/GWSRDiesels

DES - Yorkshire Engine Co 2760 Restoration Group

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1543973082346796

Summer Diesel Day

With lockdown due to end on the 19th July, we would like to advertise our first event of 2021 and the GWSRs first event for nearly 6 months. 

Friday 30th July will be the Summer Diesel Day - a low key diesel only running day that will see a plethora of BR Blue, and a splash of Freightliner Grey as we see four of our fleet stretch their legs. We will see:

• Class 24, 5081 - it's first running since 2019.
• Class 37, 37215.
• Class 45, 45149, and
• Class 47, 47376 'Freightliner 1995'.

Full details are available at https://www.gwsr.com/Heritage_Diesel_Day_30th_July_2021--post--101.html

Not quite what we had hoped for!

 As we are all probably more than aware, June 21st passed with the Government extending lockdown rules for another month. This meant that the proposed restart of normal services on the railway didn't happen, ergo the diesel fleet would have to potentially wait again before being allowed out of hibernation fully. So, it was back to continuing to prepare ready for when we do, finally, get the go ahead. 

The Sunday just gone (27th June) saw 'Diesel Day 3' with 47376 'Freightliner 1995' doing the honours. As with the previous two days, the ticket sales were good - so much so that extra seats were made available. However, on the day, the numbers weren't quite as hoped, but there was still a decent number in attendance to enjoy the first run of 47376 since 2019. The weather, lockdown extension and the Mid Hants Diesel Weekend may have affected numbers but those in attendance certainly enjoyed the day bringing much needed revenue to the railway as well as to the Brush Type 4 Group coffers.

47376 departs on the 1000 Toddington - Cheltenham RC.

Trainee Signaller Mark Wilson prepares to take the token at Toddington Box as 47376 returns. 

After returning from it's first visit to Broadway, the 'Duff' heads back towards Cheltenham.

Heading away from Toddington towards the 5mph TSR at Toddington Yard South turnout. 

Back at Toddington MPD there were a few of us around with work continuing predominantly on Class 26, D5343. More cutting of rotten metalwork had occurred on the Saturday courtesy of the man with the cutting discs, Dave S. Dave had also managed to weld in some new bits of steel as well as conducting one other important duty.....involving Cat C. Although she was well and truly getting her paws under the table, general consensus was that the yard was no place for a cat to live so, with help from his partner, Dave was able to capture Cat C and take her to Cheltenham Animal Rehoming Centre. Hopefully she will find a home where she can get all the attention she craves - and not get covered in dust, oil and grease! 

Anyway, back to the locos...…

A nice new piece of steel on the front of D5343.

One of the many areas that requires new steel is a central patch on No. 1 end of the loco where, in the 1970s, many of the class (D5343 included) were fitted with a pair of headlights for use on the Far North lines in Scotland....an early forerunner of the high intensity headlights subsequently fitted to all locos in the mid/late 1980s.

26043 at Thurso on 21st June, 1978 clearly showing the headlights between the centre discs. (Courtesy of the Derby Sulzers website, https://www.derbysulzers.com/inverness.html) 

This area had been plated over when the headlights were removed however, the steel and filler that had covered the repair had degraded causing a depression and the paint to fracture. With other body work repairs ongoing, the chance was taken to repair this as well - even though Dave had only painted the front ends back at the beginning of 2020.

There was a team of 4 of us working on the body work on the Sunday with myself, Simon and two relative newbies, Adrian and Gareth - cue the shouts of 'which one' when any one called out 'Gareth'! The loco was shunted out of the David Page shed with all eyes on the weather as the McRat is currently minus its fibreglass roof section, however we were lucky with only a passing light shower during the middle of the afternoon. 

Out on the apron of  Road 6, Adrian made a start with the sander on the cab roof above No. 2 end before dragging the steps down to the other end to sand off the cab roof of No. 1 end.  

Adrian makes a start sanding around the cab roof. You can see the steel removed from the side of the loco and the solebar has had a start made on paint removal. 

Gareth was given the job of sanding off one of the engine room doors down in the CMDG container before giving Simon a hand with a couple of preparatory jobs on the engine. 

I was armed with the needle gun to start, clearing out rust from a channel that runs along the body of the loco in the engine room, although it would normally be covered by the engine room floor. It was a very common place for water and other fluids to collect and therefore the rust accumulation was pretty high. With the new cuts done by Dave S the previous day we could easily access these areas to clean them out and then coat them in Zinc primer paint. 

You can see the extent of the corrosion that has occurred around the pipe and along the gully. 

The corrosion was cleared using a needle gun and a hoover before the application of the Zinc Primer. 

I also stripped some of the paint from the base of the electrical cubicle so that it could also be treated with the Zinc primer as the water ingress had eaten a number of small holes in the side. 

Paint stripping on the electrical cubicle.

I was later joined by Adrian on applying the Zinc as Simon wanted to move the loco onto Road 9 so that we could finish off some work on the Cotswold side of the loco. With the loco moved, I joined Adrian on the sanders to finish off the bodyside. It was possible to make out the mark of the 'Lion and Wheel' emblem by the end of the day as well as the many coats of colours that the loco had worn when in service, including BR Green, BR Blue and Civil Engineers!

Some Civil Engineers yellow shining through.

Back in the shed Steve M set up the charger in order to give D8137's batteries some juice with a view to firing up the engine just to keep it ticking over. He then set up taking one of his spare traction motors apart to give the armature a clean and to check the overall condition of the unit just in case there is a need to swap traction motors over on the bogies of D8137. Its been a couple of years since the 'chopper' was taken out of service due to a power fault, but Steve remains hopeful of getting the green 'Type 1' in to service before the end of the year. With his former ED, E6036, now safely arrived at the Cambrian Heritage Railway, Oswestry, focus is now on getting D8137 and 20228 back into serviceable condition. 

Tom and Kevin were busy with the Bubble Car, centring their work around the backing framework for the windows. The previous weekend also saw some work on the 3-Car Class 117 and on W51360 repairing some areas where the paintwork had started bubbling. W51360 has also had its historic crash damage repaired by Carriage and Wagon and is now awaiting some new yellow paint. The CDRL have also announced the putting up for sale of Class 107 DMSL, Sc52029. The DMSL arrived at Toddington back in 2015 (I think) with a view to pair it up with W51360 as a power twin set. However, given the manpower needed to tackle the refurbishment of the Class 122 and Class 117 vehicles - as well as the spare Class 117 DMS, W51372 and TCL, W59505 - the group have seen fit to let the Class 107 go. If you are interested, or know someone/a group that may be, you can see the information at http://www.gwsr-dmu.co.uk/offers-invited-for-52029/  

Class 107, DMSL, Sc52029, still wearing a patchwork Strathclyde PTE paint scheme at Toddington Yard. 

As far as diesel running goes for 2021, all eyes are now on the new Secretary for Health and the Prime Minister and their next announcement on or before the 19th July. There is one confirmed running day with the recent announcement of a 4th Diesel Day on Sunday 18th July with 37215 as the booked motive power again. As previous, tickets have to be pre-booked and you can do that via the GWSR online ticket portal - https://gwsr.vticket.co.uk/product.php/533/diesel-running-on-sundays

37215 returns to shed after the first 'Diesel Day' in April 2021.

Hopefully this will be the precursor for much more favourable news on the following day. Keep hoping!

Hot, hot, hot!

With temperatures peaking at around the 30 degree C mark yesterday (Sunday 13/06), it's been a proper early summer at Toddington. When the weather is like it has been there aren't many better places to be working, although shade is at a minimum in the yard and you have the sun all day. However, the photo below just gives you an idea of how amazing the surrounding areas look...

11230, DES, 45149 and W51360 bask in the sun in this view from D5343 looking towards Didbrook. The rolling, green hills of the Cotswolds loom in the background.  

On arrival the temperature was already pushing 22 degrees C but there were still a fair number of us in attendance. Waiting patiently by the door was our 'new' member of staff!

Our new furry friend, Cat C - not sure where the name comes from but there are a couple of theories, one involving a car accident on the Toddington roundabout!

It appears that the department has been adopted! Now, she (we think) may look adorable but several cuts, bites and abrasions testify to the fact that she has a very low patience threshold...even when being fed or scratched! We aren't quite sure where she has come from as she just appeared at the end of May. We suspect that she is from one of the local farms but, as you can see she has made herself very much at home. She has been checked for a microchip, but she isn't chipped - Dave S had the job of trying to get her in a cage, which he did without serious injury (round of applause, please!) - and an advert has gone out to see if anyone is missing a cat. She even has a new hi-viz collar, although it is a non-standard green. In the meantime she is being well looked after, fed and watered and is happy just lying around, especially on the rugs we take our boots off on! Although she did wander into the shed on the Monday to help Kev and Steve with some work testing blower motors! 

Speaking of Monday, Steve M's former loco E6036 was shunted into the car park on Sunday morning ready to be picked up on the Monday and taken to its new home, the Cambrian Heritage Railway at Oswestry. After feeding the new recruit, Simon, Alex and I wandered down to the yard, accompanied by DOO James, to shunt the ED as well as TSO 4869 which has been sold to the Ecclesbourne railway. The TSO was one of the former charter MK.1s from Bounds Green depot but has been sat at Winchcombe for some time. Not sure why it was sold (our C&W colleagues would be able to confirm) as it seemed to be in reasonable nick on the face of it...although the dreaded 'A' word was mentioned in passing. 

Simon shunts TSO 4869 back on to E6036 with Alex controlling the shunt. 

The ED was then placed in the car park and the TSO on the unloading road to await its own collection.

E6036 awaits transporting to its new home. Its sad to see it go but it will certainly get a lot more use at it's new home. 

The TSO had arrived at Toddington along with Class 117 DMBS, W51360 which had been receiving body work repairs to its cab side. 'Peak' 45149 had taken some ballast wagons down to Winchcombe for stabling (where they will now be based; easier for C&W to check them over and repair them) and then took a couple of others down to Gotherington for them to be loaded for a drop at Southam. When this had been completed the Peak returned north, picking up the DMBS and TSO and returning them to Toddington. See our sister blog for Carriage and Wagon posted on June 09th for pics from blogger Alex C. W51360 certainly looks a lot better than before it went to C & W - 

W51360's war wound has been repaired at C&W. A really top job. (Courtesy of the Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited)

Once we had completed the shunt it was time to draw Class 26, D5343, back into the yard for more work to be conducted. More steel has been welded on the lower bodyside to replace some badly corroded panels and beams as well as more cutting out at Cant Rail level on both sides. There was also a lot more sanding, courtesy of Chris M, who finished the day looking like a smurf!

Chris gets to grips with the sander. You can see the new welded steel just to Chris's left above the solebar. The new areas that had been cut out are below the vents on the roof. 

There were some amazing colours with some of the older paint showing through.....

Hint of Civil Engineers?

Alex was initially tasked with jet washing the underside of the fibreglass roof section, to hopefully remove some the soot, oil and general crud that would have accumulated on it since 2013.

Alex gets to grips with the pressure washer on the fibreglass roof section. With the heat in the yard waterproofs were definitely not needed!

Armed with a needle gun, my job was to clear any left over rust, paint or adhesive on the cant rail metal work before cleaning them and adding primer. 

Some of the cant rail steel prior to priming. This side was completed prior to shunting the loco back into the David Page shed. 

Simon was busy with knocking out damaged rivets as well as making a start on needle gunning the other side of the loco. By about 4pm it was time to start thinking of getting the loco back in the shed before the steam crews returned. Looking at the state of the crew of P&O when she returned on shed I felt a bit better that I had only the heat of the sun to contend with. The poor blokes must've lost an incredible amount of fluids whilst crewing as its universally accepted that P&O's footplate is not the most airy at the best of times! I think I would have been tempted just to stand under the water tank for a while just to cool off!

Simon at the far end of the loco, Chris at the near end. By this point the sun was really starting to take its toll!

In the relative coolness of the shed, Tim L was busy cleaning the floor of the shed around 1693 as the final preparations are made for its repaint. After the amount of work put in by the BT4F the last thing needed was huge amounts of dust ruining the new paint work....plus, as we have not had any gala or events for over 18 months, the floor had become pretty filthy as the normal routine of cleaning prior to any public access to the shed had not been carried out. Sister loco, 47376 'Freightliner 1995' was basking out in the sun so that the floor could be cleaned properly, but also a little bit of prep work had been carried out ready for its turn on the final 'Diesel Day' on June 27th. It's very pleasing to announce that all three 'Diesel Days' have been sell outs bringing in some much needed revenue to the groups but also allowing crews to regain competence.      

DES also received some attention from co-Owner Paul J. The batteries on the shunter had run flat although the reason was unknown for the draining. Paul decided that he was going to head up and recharge them but also re-fit a BIS (Battery Isolation Switch). 

DES's batteries get some much needed juice.

Paul ran the engine up and it successfully ran without issue for over an hour...both before and after fitting of the BIS. Hopefully that will see DES back in traffic without any further battery issues. 

On the DMU front, the 3-car Class 117 set had some much needed TLC with polishing being completed on both sides of the unit. The restoration of the Class 122 'bubble car' has started to pick up pace again with a lot of work around the door frames being ticked off the list. The final door lock backing plate has been welded in place and the door panels have all been glued in place. The worn lino has been ripped up and a start has been made on removing the levelling compound. There has also been a test fitting of a new doorstep which has fitted in with minimal fuss. 

Class 24, 5081, has had its B Exam and Paul Good was happy enough to pass it despite a few small issues being identified. This brings our serviceable mainline fleet to four locos - 5081, 37215, 45149 and 47376, however, at the time I write this, the likelihood of lockdown being relaxed completely on June 21st seems less and less likely with every passing second. 5081 is scheduled to be the first loco to work a normal service this year so it is hoped that, if lockdown is extended, that the timetable may be amended to include more opportunity for the diesels to get a run as, if they don't, retraining and recertifying crew will become even more difficult.....bearing in mind we have only had three running days since we were allowed to restart services!

We can only hope! 

  
 

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!!!