The following weekend was the TRA meeting on the ELR.

I showed a cut down video of the rebuilding of W55003 and spoke as well. It seemed to go down well and I think made people realise it’s not all plain sailing.

I returned to the MHR on Thursday October 19th for the final high speed test.

I picked Keith up and we were to be ready for movement as soon as Wayne, RESCO, had arrived. The unit was prepared and ready in the glorious autumn sunshine by 0830 hrs.

Accompanying me on the footplate was Wayne Jones (RESCO), Frank Twine (MHR Permanent Way), Bob Deeth (MHR Chief Loco. Inspector), Tim James (MHR Driver) and Keith Jackson.

We were to run between Arlesford and Medstead and were allowed to run up to 60 m.p.h..

The first run up the bank showed the unit capable of 40 m.p.h..

The first run down the bank showed the unit capable of 50 m.p.h. All were satisfied.

The second run had the unit up to 62 m.p.h., twice!!! Wayne was very satisfied as was Bob, Keith and Frank. The unit had passed. It is now fully main line compliant.

The third trip Tim took the unit to Alton and once again we achieved 60 m.p.h. this time down the bank towards Alton.

After returning to Alresford W55003 was put to bed and we were all very pleased.

The following Saturday I accompanied Roger on the footplate and assisted him in preparing the unit and on its first round trip from Alresford to Ropley.

I had been invited onto the footplate, by Bob Deeth, for a ride on the S15 so who was I to refuse.

The last trip with W55003 I drove and soon the unit was stabled in the Belle Siding with another days work finished.

I left at 1700 hrs. and was at home by 1900 hrs..

Sunday I was in work.

At last a weekend when I can go and do some work at Northampton.

On Saturday November 4th I ventured back to Pitsford and continued to rebuild engine 7760708.

The piston crowns were wire brushed clean as were the cylinder heads. I had obtained a top end decoke set from Don Almey many moon agos and this came in handy for the rebuild.

The heads slipped back into place very easily and by following the VMI instructions the heads were soon torqued down to 140 ft/lb.

The torque wrench will have to be calibrated to ensure the 140 is really 140.

I rebuilt the rest of the top of the engine and now once the torque settings have been checked I can replace the injectors and valve gear and start the engine.

I left the railway just as it was getting dark. The lads followed on and we had a very pleasant evening watching the football club fireworks and having a beer or two, or three, or four!!!

On Sunday I was called into work but still managed to find time to start cutting out the draft excluders for W55003 from the pond liner I had in the container. They cut out easily and hopefully I should have them installed over the winter.

The following week was wet, wet, wet and I envisaged the container sinking by the time I returned the following Saturday.

True to form the following Saturday, November 11th, the weather was grim, wet and windy! However undeterred I set about finishing off the engine No. 7760708.

Dick brought his own torque wrench and I soon verified that the old torque wrench was in good working order and all the bolts had been done up to the correct torque.

I refitted the rocker gear, injectors and restraining bolts etc. and by lunchtime had the engine in one piece again. It turns over extreemly well. Hopefully next week, weather permitting, I shall start it up.

After lunch Dick and I took a stroll down to W51359 and refitted most of the blown out hardboard window inserts. We also looked in the five-plank wagon at the three spare engines. Of these 1161 does not turn but 876 does. 876 was the engine out of W55012 and I suspect will fire reasonably easily when serviced. 1161 will need the heads off at least. The third engine 124 is a major overhaul however it looks to be a relatively modern rebuild of the original engine, but we will have to see when time permits.

We were looking for a single three seater seat frame with a left hand handhold for W51402 but couldn’t find one in W55001.I think the storeman will need to be contacted. W55001 will not need one as it has no free standing single seat frames. All the free standing ones are double two or three seaters, the others are fixed to the partitions.

The inside work in W55001 will be a lot less than in W55003 as I am not going to strip the whole unit. Once replaced the roof panels will need to be repainted. But that must wait until I can get it into the siding at Pitsford.

We finished off the day by working on W51402 with Martin.

The following weekend was equally non productive.

Saturday was spent finishing off W51402 ready for Sunday’s service and sorting out the ETH on E5229 with Dick and Rob.

Sunday, November 19th, was so miserable that I stayed at home and watched the Italian football and the WWF wrestling!!!

During the week I had my offer for W51400 accepted by Jason at Angel Trains. The unit is in very good condition and should be a good candidate for the main line partner for W55003.

I returned to Northampton the following Saturday with a letter of request to bring 51400 to the line and did not go down to Arlesford after all.

Once delivered I then helped Dick and Rob working on MK1 3919. We stripped down the heaters, cleaned them, checked the cabling and replaced three that had already been removed. The rest that were missing Dick wired through.

The Peak then came onto the coach and the ETH was switched on.

It worked.

The coach warmed through very well indeed.

The only problem was a fuse failure after one heater burnt out and caused a short circuit. Dick will replace the fuses next weekend and wire out the offending heater.

The last job was to put the Peak back and switch off.

On Sunday I began by cutting out the remaining door draught excluders for W55003. I can fit these next weekend.

The rest of the day was spent reading the Signalling notes Graham has put together and getting ready for the first test paper.

The jobs to be done next weekend are, fit the seat dust covers, fit the draught excluders, check the anti-freeze, check the batteries and lamps and finally replace the broken screws from the luggage racks.

As ever the best laid plans etc. etc. never seem to work out.

I arranged with John to tape up the door in W51400 to stop the rain getting in and was hoping that Dick could put in the spare window during the weekend. However, with the first weekend of Santa running at Northampton we still had to get the ETH on 3919 sorted out. The NLR DMU had failed the weekend before so that required work on it as well.

I decided therefore to come to the railway and leave Arlesford until the 9th of December. Doing that I could pick up the glass and whatever else I required and do the job myself on the Sunday.

The ETH still had a kick in the tail as another heater shorted out and caused us to lose two more fuses. However after that it settled down and now the three coach rake is fully ETHed.

The DMU was next after lunch.

The first job was to check the batteries which soon showed a dead cell. This will cause the loss of starting power. The engines were also checked and the No. 2 engine on W51402 was devoid of oil so it was replenished.

The next job was to sort out the drive belts on both the engines of W51402. The No. 2 engine only required tightening up, although they will next need replacing. The drive belts on the No. 1 engine were loose with a capital ‘loo’. I chnged them and tightened the right angle drive up to the correct tension.

By the time this was done the signal post for Graham had arrived. Nick, Dick and I spent an hour or so getting it off the lorry and positioning it in the car park.

It was now getting dark so I packed up and headed off home.

On Sunday December 3rd I spent 4 hours in work and then went off the Bletchley to replace the drop light in W51400. John had taped up the window but 30 minutes later I had it fully glazed. It is a tight fitting but I can sort that out when the unit arrives at Northampton and the main thing is that the unit is watertight.

Keith and Simon came down to make sure I was all right and then sorted out a few old tools for me to take home. We then checked what is missing. I think I have just enough in the stores to cope.

I have spoken with James Ambrose and he is happy for the unit to remain at Bletchley until after Christmas when the buffer stop will have been modified for quick release. Allely’s have been told of the move so 2001 will start off with a new unit.

At last I managed  to get down to Arlesford on Saturday December 9th.

My first job was to add 1 litre of antifreeze to each of the radiators. I then ran the unit up and started both heaters. Both engines started on the first turn. I left the engines to warm through then put then on fast tickover to allow the alternators to charge the batteries. The saloon soon dried out and warmed through.

Inside my first job was to put the dust sheets over the seats. I then started on the luggage racks. I took out all bar one of the broken bolts, which actually sheared off, and armed myself with bolts out of a spare rack. Once again the lack of standard parts made itself felt as non of the bolts fitted the old rack!!!!

I gave that idea up and started on the door draught excluders. Once again I was thwarted by my own work. I only managed to fit one excluder!! Mind you it does the job well.

I shall wait until Dick or Nick comes down and we can work out what to do, if anything.

I cleaned out the guttering as best I could and opened the drain holes in the corners. At least some of the water can now drain away.

My last job was to top up the batteries which in fact needed very little water.

I came home and called Dick. We will leave the bolts until next weekend when we can most probably get some correct spare bolts to fit the racks.

The following day with a few moments spare I looked at the spare racks and the units they had come off. The units are as follows 50920, 51305, 51341, 51354, 51359, 51366, 51375, 51383, 51396, 51401, 51407, 51408, 55023, 55029 & 55031. I must check the rest at Northampton.

The following Saturday, December 16th, I took the bolts up to Northampton and Dick assures me they are Whitworth and he can get some. I put some more spares away in the container which I am sure will sink if I put any more in it!!!

Nick then gave me two sets of special tools for Leyland 6/80 engines, a set of injector tube rollers and a set of injector pullers.

We called in at Bletchley and inspected W51400. It is in extremely good condition and Dick is quite happy about the work required to return it to main line condition.

Dick and I then went out to reclaim three 20 ton coach jacks, some hardwood packing and a redundant generator. The generator is powered by a Petter AC1 engine and produces 110volt output of sufficient power to power lighting in the container and be used for power work.

On Sunday I took delivery of some spare fuel tanks, two main tanks with gauges and two heater tanks. Whether we will need them or not they are still a useful acquisition.

The following weekend was spent on the Saturday as Guard and on the Sunday sorting out the fuel tanks.

Once Christmas had passed the weather turned very cold with four inches of snow. I got out and videoed the branch in snow getting 58026 and 66086 on freight turns.

PWM651 and 45118 succumbed to the weather and on the last weekend of 2000 we spent a very long and cold Saturday December 30th starting them. By Sunday the weather had turned warm and most of the snow had melted.

So ended another year with W55003 and what have we achieved?

The unit is now fully main line certified and has spent a very good summer on the MLR with minimal problems. It has even turned a few non believers into realising how useful the unit really is.

I have overhauled five spare engines with only one remaining to be started. That one being the one that had been seized. Work on W55001 has been negligible due to me being away with W55003 and the fact that we can’t get the unit into the siding. Work on W51359 has been minimal but the unit now has most of its windows boarded up. I have started the ball rolling with a request for a quote for the rubber for the glass in order to replace the glass in W51359 ready for a reflooring during the summer.

Spares acquisition has continued apace and continues as ever. The container is slowly sinking under the weight and the DMU Group. Dave Young and I have requested another container to alleviate the storage problem. It will also allow me to start on W55001 once it is emptied.

The visit and presentation to the TRA weekend in Bury was well received.

Part 26