W55003 Restoration - 1998 onwards.
New Year's day 1998 was on a Thursday so with no hangover and a car full of varnished trim I set off to continue the fitting out of the saloons.
I managed to refit the four small pieces of trim in the small saloon to finish off that part of the job, the corner trim in the main saloon, the corner of one of the window frames and one complete set of door trim before Simon called.
They had not rostered a guard for the Mince Pie Specials so would I do the duty. I was not in the best of health as I had a bad head cold and a migraine so I decided a nice easy day was preferable.
The day passed reasonably well except for forgetting to take the handbrake off on the first two trains!! We carried over 300 passengers. We also took two gas bottles down light engine to the 2-8-0 in Pitsford Mineral Siding and did some shunting as a last manoeuvre. Thus ended the season and I could look forward to two months of concentrated work with no distractions. Some hope.
Dick has asked for the Peak to be moved into the loop so work can continue on the internal refurbishment and the bubble to be put in its place in No. 2 road. Hopefully W55003 will be able to stay there all year so that work can be done on the No. 2 outside.
The first weekend in 1998 coincided with the worst gales for many years. Angie was going to come and assist with the cleaning of the partition surfaces ready for the refitting of the seats but the weather was so bad that only I came onto site. The trims around the last two doors were duly fitted and one of the last two window frames refitted. The guttering was still not clearing properly so once again I had to clear out the debris. I finished about 1500 hrs. as we were going to see Brian Blessed in Peter Pan at the Derngate that evening.
Sunday was just as bad weatherwise but I managed to refit the final window frame. I measured up and cut the small trim ready for treating and varnishing over the week and also cut three of the ceiling trims ready for fitting. I also secured all window frames in position, except for seven screws for which I had no collars. The frames were cleaned up in readiness for yacht varnishing next weekend. The whole of the No. 1 side internal sheet fittings will be finished next weekend. This will leave only the door panels to be fitted as and when ordered.
The unit has been shunted onto the main line in readiness for moving into the siding. Dave wants to drive the unit in but I have my doubts about starting it as the unit has not been run for some time. Once in the No. 2 road I will be able to fabricate the final inserts ready for welding when the weather brightens up most probably in March.
The move into the No. 2 siding did not materialise so the unit was left at the back of the stock parked on the main line. On Friday the vacuum cylinder sent away to Doncaster was finally returned. I arrived on the railway just as the pick-up was leaving. Luckily Dave was on site to crane the crate into a suitable position.
During the afternoon I refitted the final pieces of trim in the main saloon. I also tried starting the unit but the batteries were well down and the No. 2 engine just about turned. I therefore put the batteries on 12v charge. Dave, however, gave me a proper charging socket courtesy of Nick and Dick so that I can now charge at 24v. through the proper charging circuit.
The batteries were in a predictable condition. The No. 2 side batteries were in good condition whilst the No. 1 side batteries had three below 2.0v at 1.8v. Dick says that Class 47 batteries can be utilised in place of them so if the worse comes to the worse a swap will need to be done of all the batteries on the No. 1 side.
On Saturday, January 10th I arrived and started to charge them at 0930 hrs. By the time I left at 1530 hrs. the No. 2 engine turned over but not enough to fire. Two of the No. 1 side batteries were still down but slowly coming up. Once the No. 2 engine fires the alternator will charge up the batteries properly. Once both fire then the batteries can easily be kept topped up.
During the day I finished varnishing the internal window frames in the main saloon. Once that was completed I began fitting the internal cab sheeting beginning with the second man's side in both cabs. The sheeting was cut to the original sheet specification and fitted well in both cabs. The driver's side indicator panel in No. 1 cab also fitted but was a bit of job to do because of the indicator panel fitting. The art of it was to fit the indicator panel back plate to the back sheet then fit the indicator panel to the front of the back plate as a last job. The indicator panel had to be bodily hauled up to its full extent without disturbing the wiring to fit sideways through the back plate. Also the panel slotted into the front window needed to be fitted first so that the side panel can be easily lifted into place.
On Sunday I dropped some Batt-aid tablets into the batteries to help with the charging. I managed to get a couple of hours of charge into the batteries before the unit was shunted onto the river bridge for an hour or so.
This was to allow Rob to replace some decayed timbers in the loop. It ended up being there all day whilst most of the loop was retimbered!!
With a bit of brute force and ignorance I 'bent' back the wiring conduit pipe in No. 1 cab and fitted the final piece shortly after Sunday lunch. After that I sorted out what trim would need to be acquired for the next weekend. I also refitted blue lights to both indicator panels as per the original design specification.
During the week I discussed with Dick and Keith the various things that would need to be looked at for RESCO certification. I decided finally that a UAT (Ultrasonic Axle Test) would benefit the unit ASAP. I will arrange with Dick to get a quote from Tyseley to do the job as soon as the weather gets better. At this time I shall also arrange for an axle bearing test. This will set the seal on whether to continue going for certification or not. I may also get W55001's axles tested as well.
The following Saturday was spent in the cabs preparing the trim. Dick arrived at about 1230 after inspecting some grounded bodies at the GCR. We discussed the UAT and he is going to speak to the Tyseley boys about doing same. He also said not to bother with my small charger but to get the unit on the main charger(s) in the station.
The weather on the next Sunday was atrocious and once again I had to clear out the guttering to get the rain to flow away properly. One good point though no rain gets into the bodywork on the No. 1 side. The only ingress is via the door windows. I also topped up the batteries and the air intake meths containers as we are due to have some snow and/or cold weather next week. By Sunday lunch time I had finished the trim cutting and was started to fit the panelling along the lower side of No. 2 side. I managed two panels before I ran out of power. I took all the trim home for varnishing then realised I had left one of the main cab door uprights in the No. 2 cab! Ah well it will have to wait for a week.
Before I left I had a cup of tea in the buffet and Bob told me that Allely's had been in contact with a possible movement date for W55001 of sometime the week after next. We live in hope.
Next weekend I will refit the cab trim, start on the roof trim and continue with the panelling on the No. 2 side. I can panel up to the tops of the windows, except on the external panel that is to be removed. This will allow access to the guttering bolts that will need to be replaced for the guttering to be resealed. Once the internal panelling is in place I shall refit the seats on the No. 1 side. I was going to paint them in black but I think if I can get a decent match in the paint then I will repaint them into the original beige colour. This will match the new panelling and varnished wood trim and give a lighter appearance to the saloons.
My brother Stuart called during the week to find out the progress and asked if I would be interested in taking the unit to the ELR for a visit when finished. The ELR are organising a DMU event in a year or so's time. Providing the terms are good the answer is a definite yes.
So yet another weekend came around and the first job was to refit the trim in the cabs. I first fitted the trim in the No. 1 cab then spent an hour or so assisting Nick and Dick in the Peak. In the afternoon I refitted the trim in the No. 2 cab. After that I decided to have a go at the cab windows in the No. 2 cab with the 'slapper'. This I duly did and removed the majority of the old varnish. It looked better but the flakes went everywhere!! I borrowed the vacuum cleaner from the 117 and cleaned up the cab ready to start preparing the wood.
I repaired to home with the one upright piece of trim I had forgotten the week before and recharged all batteries.
Sunday was a cold frozen day with a bitterly cold easterly wind. The first thing I did was to coat the window woodwork in Cuprinol. I also coated the exposed woodwork around the small saloon No. 2 side doors as water was leaking in. I decided to sort out these leaks and once again ascended the ladders to sort out the guttering. Most of the water had frozen so with two rags I stopped off the flow and cleaned up the joints ready for sealant. When I had finished the leaks were stopped. Of course the only proper solution is to remove the guttering but this will have to wait until I am in the siding and the weather is better.
Throughout the day I managed to fit all the interior panels, except for the tops in the small saloon. The small window next to the Guard's van was not leaking and the guttering above it would not need to be removed so I fitted the top piece and also the window. This window was the correct one for the panel and fitted with very little problem. The last job I did was to stain the cab windows in No. 2 cab ready for next week.
Next week I will finish off staining the cab windows and hence have them ready for varnishing the week after. Once the windows are varnished only the old trim, the indicator box and the pipework will require painting so this cab can be left until a later date. I shall also continue with the No. 2 side partitioning then make a start with the seats. If I can get a colour chart I will match the original colour of the seat frames.
The week's work included varnishing the single piece of trim and the control handle box. Other than that it will be an easy week.
The next weekend I only had one day on the unit, Saturday January 31st.
I refitted the door trim and stained the cab windows once in the morning and the final coat at 1500 hrs in the afternoon. This leaves the No. 2 cab window frames ready for varnishing next week. I also managed to refit the panelling behind the No. 1 cab on the No. 2 side. This included refitting the top piece, luggage rack and the window frame. I can therefore varnish this window frame and the one on the same side behind the Guard's van.
This leaves the panelling adjacent to the saloon divider and the next one along to be refitted before work on the internal panelling can cease. The ceiling strips need to be fixed and some made up for the No. 1 side then efforts can be concentrated on the seat frames also on the NO. 1 side. These will need cleaning down and repainting in situ but before refixing. This should take up to Easter and the better weather when outside work can start once again.
Sunday was spent at Keith Jackson's where I got a copy of the RESCO door lock manual. Work for home was limited to revarnishing the various heater boxes from the cabs and the remaining control box and fittings.
Apart from varnishing the various fittings during the week the weekend started a day early. Kevin was on a long weekend so we decided to work on the unit on Friday and Saturday. Kevin could then work on 55023 during Sunday and I could do my darkroom work.
On the Friday, February 6th, we finished the interior panelling on the No. 2 side as far as we could. I varnished the No. 1 cab windows and left them to dry. I also fitted the four roof strips. They certainly set the roof off nicely and only one snapped. It was however in place so I have left it where it is. I fabricated the remaining 6 pieces and will varnish them next week for weekend fitting.
First thing on Saturday I revarnished the cab windows. They now look extremely good and a final coat next Saturday will see them finished.
Kevin and I cleaned out both saloons and readied the No. 1 side for the 3 seat frames. We had to manoeuvre them out of the Guard's door and back in via the side doors. There is a definite art to doing same. The base has to be passed in with the under frame gap to the non hinge side. The gap then passes down the bodywork until the head piece will pass through the door. The other base then follows nicely. To quote Sid Field 'What a performance!'.
Most of the frames were in reasonable condition but a few were somewhat bent. Not so that you will not be able to use them but enough to require some brute force and ignorance. Kevin and I finished off the day by cleaning off the facia panelling on the saloon divide walls and cleaning down the frames ready for repainting next weekend.
I worked in the darkroom on Sunday but managed to get the ceiling strips Cuprinoled and a first coat of varnish applied. Nick and Dick were at the railway engaged in getting my engines, gearboxes and vacuum cylinders in a flat wagon in order to get them stored away properly. Dick was going to look at the seat frames to ascertain the requirements for bending them straight!
The main job done during the week was to finish off the driver's cab luggage rack brackets. Three of the four had been undercoated in white whilst the fourth was still as original. I therefore recleaned the three undercoated ones and cleaned down the other one. They were then repainted in red oxide and top coated two of them in mid-brown. On one of them there is a cast date of BR(W) 121156.
The weekend started off rather late as on the Friday, February 13th, night Angie and I had gone to see Ken Dodd in Bedford with an extremely late finish. The first job was to take off the remaining trim from the No. 2 cab ready for refurbishment later the following week. The freshly exposed melamine was cleaned down. The two rack brackets were put into place but will need new screws to ensure they are secure. The varnished cross rod was also fitted. I will have to have a proper cord mesh made to fit. With the cab windows finished I refitted the control handle box on the window frame. It looks very good finished in yacht varnish. I also refitted various screws that I had forgotten about in the window frames. If time permits I may remove all the other screws and replace with standard cupped ones.
The rest of the day was spent in fitting the ceiling trim down the No. 1 side. This cost me two drills a 2 mm and a 2.5 mm one.
Sunday started with the fitting of two of the pieces that cover the lighting loom coming out of the floor in the small saloon and going up the partition into the ceiling. I have at least got all the pieces and they all fit correctly.
The rest of the day was spent in cleaning down the No. 1 side seat frames (3 seaters) and painting them in red oxide ready for top coating next weekend. Once these are done I can refit the seat cushions proper. I also measured up from the Class 117 for seat covers for my unit. These will fit over the cushions and keep dirt and damp off the seats whilst not in service. I also measured up the panel that is to be replaced as I had lost the original drawings.
As the Guard's van is now half empty I can consider fitting the new roof insulation and ceiling panels.
The work on the loop continued but should ready for next weekend when, at last, I will be going into the No. 1 siding behind the PMV. At least I will be near power for recharging the batteries and able to get the scaffolding up for the side refurbishment.
the week's work was refurbishing the No. 2 cab's remaining trim. This was duly accomplished for the following Saturday, February 21st.
I refitted the trim and revarnished the indicator box in the No. 2 cab which is now all but finished. I also refitted the indicator blind rollers ready for the new blinds when they arrive. I decided to rub down one of the inside panel windows using my new DA sander. A BIG MISTAKE. The sander is too fierce and eventually I managed to mark the glass. So I stopped and took all the trim off by hand. This included the two panel windows and the door window. The final job was to start painting the seat frames in gloss black, £80.00 for a 5 litre tin!!! I managed one before the big shunt began.
The shunt took the rest of the afternoon but now W55003 is in No. 1 road of the siding. The last jobs done on the Saturday were to put the unit on charge and set up the scaffolding for the exterior. The battery took an initial charge of 42 amps that soon died down to 30 amps. Dave left the charger on a lesser charge but overnight so that a start-up can be attempted in the morning.
Sunday arrived bright and fair and by the time I arrived on the railway the Class 117 was ticking over. The first thing done was the charger was switched off and the unit started. It did so on the first attempt and was left to make air and warm up. All systems functioned admirably and W55003 was left to charge its own batteries for an few hours or so. The last two seats were painted black ready for leaving until next week for seat fitting. The No. 1 cab was stripped of its remaining trim ready for revarnishing.
Nick and Dick were up on the Sunday and Nick gave me a quick lesson on the crane. Not as difficult as the JCB and I think I can manage it reasonably well, at least after a few test lessons under Nick's guidance. Dick has managed to get me a complete electrical schematic of a Class 117 so I will photocopy same for Kevin.
I left the railway about 1500 hrs and after arriving home stripped down the window trim ready for staining and varnishing. The first stain was applied on Monday morning and with three coats should be ready for varnish by Tuesday night.
The trim was duly completed by Thursday night and baked on the radiator and in the airing cupboard for refitting during the weekend. On Friday I measured up the drill sizes for the seat frame fitting screws. A 6 mm. hole fits perfectly. I also took four seat backs and four seat bases, three seaters, and aired them ready for refitting also over the weekend.
Nick and Dick were up working on the Peak over the weekend and the next few days so by the time I arrived on Saturday, February 28th., the unit was already running to provide air for Dick's power tools. I started by refitting the aluminium guard over the lighting wire hole in the small saloon. A small amount of trimming was required but now it is fully fitted and screwed down in place.
The window trim took most of the rest of the morning as I confess I am not a dab hand with putty. But eventually they were in place and look good.
The next job was to fit the seats. The seat backs need fitting and fixing first. I found that the trick was to fit the seat base, fit and secure the seat back then remove the seat base in order to be able to measure up for the frame screws. I had marked the position of the steel securing strips under the lino so taking measurements from these I marked out the holes for the seat that attached to the Guard's van partition and drilled. Much to my satisfaction all holes went correctly through the steel. The seat was then screwed down with 8 fitting screws and screwed into place on the partition. With the seat base now back in position I had at last got seats back in the unit. Another major milestone achieved. The other two seat frames went into place easily enough and by the end of play on the Saturday I had seats all down the No. 1 side of the small saloon.
As a final job of the day I removed the window surround from the Guard's door for refurbishing during the week.
Sunday was spent in cleaning down and red-oxiding three more seat frames ready for next week. Nick and Dick help me 'bend' the rest of the frames into some form of straightness so that they can be painted next weekend. I removed the glass trim from the large saloon side of the internal partition also for refurbishing during the week.
News of the seats had obviously got out and various members of the railway came to inspect and try them out. I must confess I am quite happy with the result.
I am on the railway on Friday and Saturday next week, March 6th. and 7th., so I will be able to top coat three frames and red oxide the other two. This means that over the weekend March 14th. & 15th. I will be able to refit another 5 sets of seats and on March 21st. & 22nd. will finish off the No. 1 side. Already you can see space in my garage so in another three weeks you should be able to see the best part of the floor.