Kevin and I are going to the Mid Norfolk Railway to inspect W55006 on March 8th. That should be a nice day out and will be interesting to compare the two.
I ran a 5K race on Wednesday, time 24.52, but was in no fit state to do anything on Thursday morning so I had a day on the sick. It was quite useful as I managed to finish off the window trims for refitting on Friday. I also loaded the car up with the remaining seat backs and put the three seat squabs in the front bedroom to air.
Friday was wet and cold and I managed to red oxide the remaining two frames and top coat one single three seater and one double three seater frame. I refitted the door trim on the small partition to Guard's van door. The rest of the day was spent in the signal box doing a 'big shunt'.
On Saturday I refitted the large saloon partition window trim. I also managed to finish top coating the remaining three seater double frames. To finish off with fitting one single three seater back and squab and one double three seater back and squab. All that is left is the other three seater bases to refit with cushions and screw down then all the winter work is complete.
Later on Saturday Martin arrived with the destination blinds. I shall fit those either next weekend or the one after.
On Sunday Kevin and I went over to the Mid Norfolk Railway to see W55006 and W55009. W55006 is in good order and running well. The external body side panels are in a much better condition than mine but the paintwork is poor with a very dubious shade of green being used. The inside panels and trim are the old panels and trim recycled. The bottom, i.e. the panels under the window, are plywood painted over. Most of the varnished woodwork has certainly been cleaned and I think had one coat of varnish applied The droplight window panels are the old blue material/metal ones painted over in a yellow beige colour. The doors have been painted internally with the same yellow beige colour. All doors appear to fit far better than on W55003. The Guard's van is as per the original except with the exception of the Guard's Pigeon Hole wire basket which is missing. W55009 is stood aside in green undercoat but complete except for a gutted interior.
At last my Winter's work is complete. The following weekend, March 14th and 15th, saw the remainder of the three seater seats fitted complete with backs and squabs. I also fitted the remaining window trim and, for the first time in over 10 years, a West Midland destination blind in the No. 2 end.
During the week I bought a dust sheet, 12' x 9', which I split in two. These have proved to be ideal for using a seat covers.
Most of Sunday was spent in tidying up the PMV with Nick and Dick. I managed to extricate various parts of windows and other small items. I also have got enough wood, of the correct type, to fit out most of the running boards on the unit. The first three 7' 8" pieces came out and were sawn into two for use on the passenger doors. A spare piece can be used for a Driver's door step. They will be rounded off and then 'painted' with a non-slip compound before fitting. I have also commandeered the spare oil filter. I can now replace the oil in the No. 1 engine together with all the filters and have it ready for service. I must also rebuild the No. 2 throttle motor.
During the week I made a start on the steps by Cuprinoling them. I also made a start on drilling the ends of the steps for strengthening bolts to be inserted. I bought the replacement wood for the PMV and also the anti-slip paint all £75.00 of it!! I had better be worthwhile.
On Saturday March 21st I began by marking out the steps properly against the step brackets. I have now enough steps to do all the passenger door steps and by utilising the best of the rest I can do the Guard's van door and the other Driver's door all down the No. 1 side. Internally I fitted four more dust sheets and now only one single three seater is uncovered. I removed the trim from the internal saloon to cab windows and dismantled the cover over the Driver's sliding door for refurbishment. Most of the pieces were screwed into place but some are pinned and I think I will need to ask Brian Burgess for a bit of assistance in removing them without wrecking them.
The Saturday was also for the big shunt when, once again, the unit is to be moved. This time onto the platform at the top end of the No. 1 siding. This is better for working on the side and roof but is too close to the shop and buffet to be of any use especially when sanding down the paintwork. It is also not so good for fitting steps and general work under the solebar on the No. 1 side. The No. 2 side will be just as difficult to get at as the other road is too close to get the scaffolding up.
The unit was started and after a very rough shunt, I had asked for the unit to be driven out but my request was denied, the unit performed more or less faultlessly. The throttle motors on the No. 2 side will still need dismantling and coating in Oildag.
Sunday was spent at home cleaning down the woodwork I had brought home and getting the first coat of stain on them. I also had to rebuild one end of the door cover assembly. The foot steps can wait until after next week.
I was off work on Friday 27th March so I spent the day at home finishing off the woodwork and preparing it for the Saturday. I only had one day on the unit the following weekend as Angie and I were off to St. Ives for a few days away for our Silver Wedding Anniversary. I refitted the window and the rest of the door trim and removed some more trim from the inner door of No. 1 cab. I left the railway early in the afternoon and went to Bletchley Timber to collect my new spokeshave.
The next week was spent at St. Ives so it was not until Friday morning, April 3rd that work began again. I stripped down the inner door trim and managed to get a first coat of stain on it. I also prepared for stripping down the throttle motor the following day.
Saturday dawned wet and windy but brightened up sufficiently for work the start on the motor. All pots were soon cleaned down and only No. 4 required swapping with a spare. I then ran up the unit and when nice and warm tested all the throttle motors. They all now come down nicely but the No. 3 motor on the No. 2 side does not come up sufficiently. I suspect I have nudged it out of line when cleaning down. Once Dick has ten minutes I will reset it with his assistance.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse by lunchtime so I began sorting out the Guard's van for refurbishment. I began by removing two panel's worth of screws. I then decided that the door frame trim could come off. I managed to remove the catch plate side of the trim but could not figure out how to remove the rest without removing the door. I will need to speak to Brian. I had enough new fibreglass to more or less fill two panels ceiling voids so that was the next job to be undertaken. Once I had done this I had had enough as fibreglass dust was everywhere. I tidied up and left for home.
Sunday was also wet so I moved some two seater frames into the main saloons to give me more room in the Guard's van. I then opened up the remaining bags of old fibreglass and managed to salvage enough to do two more panel's worth of ceiling.
I then retidied the main saloon and took out all the boards required for the Guard's van ceiling. I am two short and will have to have them cut especially. Nick and Dick were having a tidy of the PMV so four more boards were made available for use as foot boards. These were duly cut to size, marked and drilled to size. Well not drilled completely but enough to give a pilot hole starting point.
Brian Burgess and I looked at the doors and decided that the outer door frame must be attached by the door hinges. So it looks like I will have to remove the doors anyway. Brian had also brought the two ceiling vents I needed to finish off the guards roof. I took the inner door trim, aluminium, from the No. 2 cab and also the wooden top to the draft partition (?) in that cab ready for refurbishment. I think a new one will need to be made.
The boys had been working on 45118 so at about 1600 hrs. all pretence of work was given up and the final half hour before firing up was watched by myself. The locomotive fired up with no apparent problems except maybe a few small leaks. After the last train of the day, the 1615, was cancelled the path was used to test the loco. All went well and I must confess I enjoyed a ride in the cab of the Class 45 in the second man's seat.
After that we went down to the end of the line to remove the stop block in preparation for the arrival of W55001 next Wednesday. After nine months I hope this is the real thing!!
First the bad news. On Tuesday I was telephoned and told W55001 would NOT be coming in on the Wednesday as Longsight could not switch off the power as they had a Eurostar on the depot. What difference this makes I do not know.
The good news. It will be delivered on the Thursday.
Thursday dawned and the Northampton area, and indeed most of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, suffered torrential rainfall. I bought the requisite fibre glass for the wall and ceiling and also bought the coach bolts for the foot steps.
After a call to the rig they had loaded all four vehicles that were to be removed and were just waiting for the power to be switched off. My brother Stuart, who was on a site visit to Blackburn, managed to get to Longsight for the departure and captured it on video. The unit left at approximately 1130 hrs. for the long wet haul down the M6 in pouring wet.
I arrived on the railway, which was nearly underwater, about 1430 hrs.. Gordon and I watched as the rain poured down. It was a good job Jim had reroofed the mess cabin. Later on Bob, Dave and Nick arrived.
All went well until the M6/M1/A14 junction where all traffic was stopped because the roundabout was under water. Eventually the load got moving and Nick Gilbert and I went out in Nick's Land Rover to escort the load in. The weather abated somewhat and the drive up the old trackbed was no problem.
The unloading went without a hitch and soon No. 1 was hauling W55001 on NLR metals.
The rig was sorted out and was soon on its way back to Warwick. After closing off the gate Nick, Bob and I returned to the station in the Land Rover. After a quick look over the unit in the gathering gloom I made my way back home in flood water! The M1 was at a stand, the A508 was closed so I had to take the back road via Hackleton. It took me over an hour to get home but get home I did. Thank heavens for diesel engines!!
Good Friday, the 10th April dawned still very wet. Parts of Northampton were under water so discretion being the better part of valour, i.e. I didn't want to get stuck anywhere, I stayed at home. I worked in the darkroom for all the morning and until the early afternoon. I managed later to clean down and get lots of splinters from the door piece that I was working on. I also got the first stain coat onto it.
Easter Saturday saw most of the main roads open so I ventured out to the railway. After a good look at W55001 I started work on W55003. I finished the ceiling and all the No. 2 side. I also extricated the panelling ready for replacement. I will use the old panels and repaint at my leisure.
From W55001 I removed one makers plate and two old style tin detonator boxes, one of which was marked 'W55026 cab'. The unit has still got two throttle cables which will fit the Class 117. Martin can take one off and replace the broken one which will be refurbished. I also removed some wood trim that has been replaced with aluminium on W55003. There are 5 3 seat and 5 two seat squabs in W55001 in old grey with red and white fleck. Theses can be reupholstered and used in the small saloon on W55003. This will give me enough and some over as spare and release the blue/green ones for possible sale.
Easter Sunday was spent in the box at Pitsford Siding. I had my first ride in W55001 on the return ECS in the evening.
Easter Monday was spent at home as I was feeling very tired. I managed to finish the staining and get the first coat of varnish on the door trim and clean down, glue and stain the wood trim ex W55001. The main job, however, was to finish the foot steps. This involved in fitting the coach bolts and fixing bolts to 8 of them and turning down the corners and sanding down on all 16 of them. They are now all ready for painting except of course for the two Guard's van door steps which will need to be cut when I can get the wood out of the PMV.
Dick came down on the next Saturday, April 18th, and between us we inspected W55001 and refitted a window glass, completed the welding down the No. 1 side of W55003, finished welding the large panel on the second man's side of the No. 2 cab, and reset the errant throttle motor on the No. 2 engine of W55003.
I think W55001 may very well be rebuilt as an observation saloon eventually.
I refitted the varnished wood fittings and detonator case and began clearing out the Guard's van. Kevin arrived about 1300 hrs. and we soon had the van a lot clearer than it had been. This will make the interior work a lot easier. From W55001 I have enough ash trays to refit the small saloon. Yes I know it's going to be non-smoking but it adds to the originality.
Kevin brought another small light shade for the large saloon. This means I now have three apart from those already fitted. Kevin and I repaired home where I extricated some window corners for use in W55023. I took home most of the seat squabs from W55001 for reupholstering. The final two 3 seaters I will take home next weekend.
On Sunday I refitted the insulation in the No. 1 side of the van then refitted the No 2 side wall sheeting between the van door and the cab. Likewise the sheeting was also refitted on the No. 1 side. I then measured up for new sheets between the van door and small saloon for both sides. I ran up the engines to test the throttle motor and found No. 2 EP valve was leaking and the engines would not come down properly. After attention by Dave Stokes the problem was solved. The next and final job was to remove all the screws from the roof fixings ready for putting the ceiling up next week.
The new sheets were cut from some packing cases I had and were undercoated ready for fitting the next weekend. I took the spare three seater squab in correct moquette to Block & Son in Woburn Sands so he can find a suitable match. The reupholstering will give me one spare 3 seater and four spare 2 seaters for the main saloon and one each for the small saloon.
The first job the following Saturday, April 25th, was to refit the new panels. All went well until I realised I had fitted them in the wrong order and the centre panel was too narrow. After all I had written on the back which was which but I still got them in the wrong order!! Anyway I made a new one up out of the panel destined for the other side and then began on the ceiling panels. I began at the No. 2 cab end and by close of play I had got all panels bar the one above the Guard's seat in place.
Nick and Dick had come down, principally to work on the Peak, but had cleared more room in the PMV so I managed to extricate the two lengths of wood for the Guard's van footboards. Even better Nick found a piece already cut to size so that will save a lot of cutting.
I took home the remaining three seat squabs ready for recovering.
Sunday was again wet and miserable so I was glad I was working under cover. I finished off the ceiling panel and tried fitted the lights and air vents. The air vents no problem. The lights were another story. The wire/bulb fitting was screwed directly to the ceiling panel. Between the porcelain and the ceiling is/are or were circular wooden spacers. At home I found I had only four 'thin' spacers but lots of 'fat' spacers. I took 5 'fat' spacers for the unit. Mistake. With these spacers I could not fit a bulb into the fitment once the spacer and porcelain were in place. I removed all the bulb fitments and cut spacers from the off cuts of hardboard and refitted them. Four out of the five fitted perfectly. The last one I found was a bulb with a shorter neck! I replaced that bulb and tested the circuits. Unlike the main saloons all worked perfectly first time.
The last job inside was to refit three of the four windows. They went in a lot easier than in the saloons. Finally I cut one footboard to size and drilled the bolt holes for both.
On Monday morning I received a call from Henderson Fabrications who will have the new panel ready for Monday May 18th.. Cost approximately £105.00.
Speaking to Martin Harris on Sunday he found out that MC Metals had three engines and three gearboxes for sale. After a phonecall to Jim McWilliam on Monday afternoon it transpired that those engines had gone but 51334 had just arrived from Springburn Works more or less complete.
After a quick call to me I faxed Jim and arranged for both engines and gearboxes to be saved for me as I was the only one who could afford them. The next day I arranged for more or less all the spares off 51334, plus some others, to be removed and stored for me. This means that I will have enough spares for W55001's rebuild plus some more. Gordon has arranged for a box van to go up on Monday/Tuesday 18th/19th May to bring the spares home.
The early May bank holiday was over the weekend of May 3rd and 4th. I was in the box at Pitsford on Saturday all day. I managed however to measure up for the headboard lamp brackets which I cut out and made up ready for Sunday. One interesting fact is that with the exhaust pipes at the No. 2 end the brackets had to be made with an extension piece forward to miss the pipes.
Because of the Diesel Gala the following weekend I decided to do minimal work on the unit. Instead I tidied up both cabs ready for service. I had repainted the Driver's cab luggage rack hangers and also the flag/detonator box from 55026 in GWR brown which were duly replaced in No. 1 cab.
I then continued with the Guard's van. I now have the drop down racking in place and in use courtesy of two self tapping screws off W55001. Similarly I have refitted all the trim etc. and have refitted the Guard's buzzer box on the No. 2 side. I removed six more ashtrays from W55001.
After the unit was tested with the Class 117/108, result positive, I made a start on the Guard's corner in the van. The metal flooring between floor and side panel was rusted through so it was removed. Because I have also removed the under panels there is now air circulating hence the amount of condensation in that area is likely to be minimal. I therefore decided not to replace the flooring with metal but to utilise a plywood piece suitably fitted. This leaves the side panels to be ground down and repainted. Also a new window frame needs to be fabricated. I can then refit the internal panelling in this corner and most of the Guard's van will then be complete.
Monday was spent at home where I cleaned out the ashtrays and fabricated one of the headboard brackets then spent the most of the rest of the time in tidying the garage ready for any parts that may need to be stored from Glasgow. I have readied the new Guard's van seat for repainting and fixing in W55003. I know it's in NSE colours but it's in better condition than the one already fitted.