The first day of a 2001 dawned and I spent the day at home.
The first visit to Northampton was on the 6th of January. Dick was away at Hornsey and Nick was on nights. The day was spent installing a new tool cabinet I had purchased. This has alleviated the space problem on one of the shelves. It also means I can put the special tools away safely.
The other reason was to get passed to drive PWM651.I prepared the locomotive and was duly passed out by Martin Harris. The rest of the day was spent in having a huge bonfire. Great fun!!
Dick arrived at 1700 hrs. and we started the Peak up to warm it through. We will get some more antifreeze into it next weekend, hopefully.
The official acceptance of W51400 should be Sunday and I have arranged to have the unit moved on Saturday January 13th. If the 'big shunt' has taken place then it will be straight into the back road and begin working on. We should have it up and running by the start of the 2001 services on March 4th.
Problems with getting a sales agreement to me meant that I only signed a faxed copy on Friday January 12th at 1800 hrs..
January 13th duly arrived with full sunshine and I presented myself at BY Depot in time to see 51400 being shunted onto the fuel road.
Then the problems began. Allelys had sent an 80 ft. rig and no matter how we tried we could not get the rig into a safe position for onloading the vehicle. After a couple of hours we abandoned the attempt.
I went to Northampton somewhat unhappy but all is not lost. I spent the day with the rest of the lads cleaning up the Pitsford site. What a difference it makes. Brian Ashby is on the verge of selling 3 MK 1 coaches which will make some room for us. I'm glad they are going to a good home because they are sound coaches which can give someone a good few years service yet.
The only solution to the BY problem is it infill with ballast between the fuelling bay and the bufferstops. This will entail approximately 120' x 10' x 6" of ballast using 55mm base and 28mm top, compacted and tamped but will ensure anything can come in and out by road.
Tuesday will see a decision made.
Sunday was spent in acquiring a few more scrap spares, cleaning and sorting them out.
Jason rang on Monday to say the official sales agreement is ready and 51400 is now officially mine. I will return the official signed sale document with the cheque once I receive them in the post.
The cheque and sales documents were duly sent off and now I am the proud owner of W51400.
The following weekend the weather turned nasty once again and on Saturday, January 20th, a good layer of snow was on the ground.
The general idea was to do the 'big shunt' and this is what we did.
Eventually W55001 was positioned in the back road and I can now make a start on it. I enjoyed the day being Driver on PWM651 for most of the afternoon.
On Sunday I started to 'tidy' up the container. The exhaust spare parts were cut into individual components and stacked accordingly. I'm sure I have enough for a while bearing in mind there is more in W55001.
After a chat with everybody I left the railway at 1230 hrs. and went home to watch Juventus on the television.
The ballasting at Bletchley is to take place during this week so I should be able to get W51400 out the following week. Gordon would prefer a weekday so I will have to see what we can do.
I had a flexi day on Friday January 26th and went down to Bletchley to see the state of the ballasting on the fuel road.
The ballasting has been completed and so I contacted all parties and we are going for a removal date of next Thursday, February 1st.
On Saturday I went to Northampton only to find that the spare Class 25 cab had been dumped right in front of my container. I tried to move it but only succeeded in burning my clutch!!! Once Dick and Rob arrived we moved the cab to safe standing using the JCB. This isn't the first time things have been deposited in a place such that access is restricted to the containers and I sometimes wonder if the railway will ever function as one body or whether it will still be an us and them situation for along time to come. Despite asking many times the NLR still has not sorted out with Daventry Council the permissions for the siting of the spares containers. I only hope we do not have to move them!!!
We stacked the spare doors and I then set about storing the spare radiators and radiator fans. I then went down to look at W51359 to ascertain how many droplight glasses are needed for the unit. Nine are required.
In the afternoon I started on W55001, by removing some of the spare electrical and mechanical parts for refurbishment at home. Dick and I found that both change end switches are still in W55001. I also spent sometime in cutting back the shrubbery behind W55001 so that I can now access that side without need of a machete.
The paintwork will require some attention as soon as the weather improves for Spring.
On Sunday I found I was suffering with one of my one day wonder colds. It streamed out of me for most of the day. Nevertheless I spent most of the morning in the garage at home stripping down two heater connection boxes, two fire boxes, one starter button box and four throttle motor boxes.
I will need these in working order for W51400 later in February and W55001 later in the year.
The date for delivery of W51400 was set for Thursday February 1st.
When I arrived at Bletchley Depot the transporter was already in place. All we had to wait for was the unit to be brought around. Once it was in place we put the headboard on the cab and had some group photographs taken. The unit was then loaded. Once on the transporter I had photos taken of James Ambrose and myself ready for the magazines.
The unit left at 0950 hrs.. I followed up to Northampton and helped Gordon and John get the floating rake ready. The only problem was that PWM651 would not fire up so we had to utilise the whole of the floating rake and the Peak. Not exactly the best combination for a shunt.
The unit arrived by 1200 hrs. and at 1231 hrs. W51400 was on NLR metals.
I went over to Keith's on Friday evening and we have sorted out a 'flier' for W55003 which we will e-mail to EWS to send out to all their customers. Hopefully this will get us some main line work this year.
Keith and the MHR had been audited by EWS earlier in thre year and I have incorporated most of their recommendations in the W55003 MOP etc..
Saturday morning was spent in getting PWM651 started off the air supply from the Peak and a paraffin fire in the air intake.
After that I cleaned out the compressor filter and assisted Nick in looking at the air leak. This was coming from two points. The air brake and the bypass valve to the donkey engine. Nick took the bypass valve off and cleaned out the gung, it now works perfectly. The air brake will require a bit more thought as Dick suspects a large spring is housed behind the end cap and seal.
I started on W51400 in the mid afternoon. I first replaced the missing vacuum pipes and air lines and then started on the interior.
The cab soon had its speedo and tacho replaced and AWS power pack replaced. The air gauge will require a new air pipe but I think we will get Pirtek to fabricate a flexible one. The rest of the missing parts from the interior are purely cosmetic and can be dealt with as and when I like.
I checked out the electrics and Dick and I will replace the tacho generator relays and fire box electrics next weekend.
I took two new multiple jumper connectors and the reel of wire home to make up on the Sunday. Unfortunately my 25 watt soldering iron was not up to the job.
I bought a new Draper Soldering Gun, from Sam's in Kempston, which was rated at 100 watts. This lasted all of 90 minutes until it burnt out!
I called MK Tools and they had a most suitable 75 watt standard soldering iron so I bought one. What a difference the right tools make. The new soldering iron gave more or less instant heat and it was constant. The whole job was done in less than 30 minutes.
Saturday February 9th was spent on PWM651 with Dick. He removed the brake cylinder and found the source of the leak to be the seal on the end plate having blown. We removed the end plate, spring and piston. The barrel of the cylinder is in excellent condition. All parts are Westinghouse parts so can be bought off the shelf. Various other parts in the air system located below the cab floor were dismantled, inspected and reassembled. The locomotive was started up with assistance of a paraffin fire in the inlet manifold. I shall amend the preparation instructions to insist on the paraffin fire if the weather is at all cold.
Dick inspected the soldering I had done and only found one bad joint. I soon resoldered this back in place. I found the two jumper socket castings we will put the jumpers into and removed the old jumper cable from one of them. This had small rubber collars over the soldered connections so I transferred them to my wiring. I assume they ensure no water gets into the soldering.
In the afternoon I managed to replace both the long luggage racks and the Driver's rack. Dick put in two new Tacho relay panels. I also fitted two 'U' bolts to the MU Jumper cables to ensure they do not fall out of the sockets. I picked up the Driver's door runners from the container and have ascertained what screws I need to refit them. I also acquired a new door runner for the one removed from W51400. Whoever took the parts seemed to have removed some very strange parts indeed!
By this time it was getting dark and wet and so we vacated the site by 1630 hrs. for an early finish.
Sunday morning was spent sorting out the list of spare DMMU parts catalogued as being on Bletchley depot. In the afternoon I dismantled the charging socket ready for attaching to the charger in the NLR DMU.
Dick and I are going to Ropley on Thursday to do the B exam on W55003 and the RESCO Safety Exam on Friday, so I booked two rooms at the Travel Lodge in Four Marks for us and arranged breakfast at the Little Chef next door.
Dick and I left Cranfield at 0500 hrs on Thursday and were at the Little Chef, Four Marks, by 0645 hrs. We had breakfast and left for Ropley by 0800 hrs..
The unit was on the pit having been brought up by Bob Deeth the day before. We started on the B exam which we finished by 1600 hrs. There were very few problems most of which were sorted out then and there except for four which we deferred.
The only ones of any note were new fire extinguishers for the cabs and new starter buttons for the external start panels. The only other event of note was that the heater tanks ran empty. Still it means we can clean out the system and refill.
The following day Wayne Jones, RESCO, arrived and did the safety exam. The unit passed with no faults found and only a couple of suggestions to be followed up.
I was then passed out as a Fitness to Run Examiner for EWS by Wayne. Another first for the W55003 Group.
After that I 'liberated' some DMU spares, two driver's brake valves, a quick release valve and a part of the DSD from under the desk, I had discovered rusting in the dirt. We then loaded up for a midday return home.
Bob Deeth has asked me to take my Rules and Regs. test on March 3rd and to pass out the three Locomotive Inspectors on the same day.
It was all over by 1400 hrs.. I was back home and Dick was on his way to Birmingham.
On Saturday Dick replaced the brake cylinder on PWM651 whilst I worked on W51400. I managed to replace the destination box, the Drivers compartment sliding door and repair the window that had had the bottom clasp removed. I also tightened up the door lock bolts many of which were loose. I don't know why though.
We spent a while then testing PWM651. The brake seems much better, more strong and more sensitive to the handle.
The last job was to measure up the wheels of the main locos and coaches on the line. This included W51400. The tyres were in good condition although will need a skimmimg to get the profile back. They have plenty of meat on the tyres the thinnest being 56mm.
I had arranged to pick up the six engines from Bletchley on Friday February 23rd. Gordon duly arrived at the lay bye at Junction 14 on the M1 at 0930 hrs.. We were on the depot by 0945.
With help from the staff we had the engines loaded and ready by 1200 hrs..
Once at Northampton the problems began. The crane was playing up and eventually after unloading one engine I could not engage reverse or get the rope to raise. I went to get the JCB to finish off the job. It would not start. We eventually got it started by jumping it from the dumper. Even Martin Percy could not get the crane to behave.
The job was eventually finished by 1600 hrs. We left the engines where they were and the crane in the middle of the car park.
The following day Dick looked at the crane and found that the reverse switch gear has a broken pole so will not engage properly. The other controls in the cab were rebuilt and cleaned and the crane behaved a lot better.
We tidied up the engines and covered them in tarpaulins. Dick reckons that at least four of them are rebuildable, if not five.
I brought the cardan shaft off 51400 from home and it is now ready for fitting.
The rest of the day was spent in shunting the Class 25 and DMU with PWM651 to get the DMU in the platform for a B exam. Once in place we put 51402 on charge as the BIS switch had been left in and the batteries were dead with a capital D. The engines on 51367 started without any problem. We replenished the radiators with antifreeze and discovered the three oil drums of 'anti freeze' taken out of the Peak many moons ago was nothing more than water.
I replaced the fire extinguishers with two from the container so at least the two car is now legal. I managed to replace the broken light fixing in 51400 with a spare piece taken from 51402.
By the time the light had failed 51402 was still not starting but the engines were turning over, if very slowly. A good charge next weekend will have them starting. We tested the brakes and I drove the two car back into the loop.
The following weekend, March 3rd, I was due to take my rules exam on the Mid Hants.
The day before it was snowing heavily at Cranfield so I wasn't sure if I would make it. I left home at 05:46 and was in Ropley by 07;15, one of my quickest trips ever.
Bob gave me the paper, 19 questions, and Geoff Bailey marked it. Apart from a couple of things no one had informed me of, I was successful. Even with these Geoff commented that I had done everything correctly but he would try and find all the 'local arrangements' so that I would know all the in and outs of the MHR.
The rest of the day was spent taking the three inspectors, Bob Allen, Clive Holliday and Geoff Bailey, out in W55003. We took the unit from Alresford to Alton and shuttled up and down the line all day.
I had e-mailed Steve Blacker, my best pal at University and best man at my wedding, the day before and told him I would be on the MHR the following day. We had not met since the mid 1970s so it was a great pleasure when he arrived at Ropley shortly after noon.
We spent the rest of the day on the unit and I finally put the unit to bed at 16:30 hrs after a good days running. The unit behaved impeccably except for a dropping top side vacuum on the No. 1 cylinder. All three inspectors have spoken favourably about the unit so I am happy.
I spoke to Keith and Dick about the vacuum cylinder the next day and we have tentatively agreed to leave it to see if it cures itself as the temperature warms up. I expect we will need to change the cylinder sometime in the summer especially if we are going out onto the main line.
On Sunday I ground down the lamp brackets from W51400 and repainted them in Signal Red. They are now ready to be refitted. I also rooted out the two spacer plates for behind the buffers.
The NLR was shut on Sunday March 4th because of the foot and mouth epidemic. I expect it to be shut next weekend when I have a Guard's turn.
It wasn't. In order to run we had to buy two disinfectant mats and appropriate disinfectant and run all cars coming onto the site across the mats.
We carried 45 passengers all day. I sometimes wonder if it is at all worth running until after Easter. Anyway, young Darren Moore was passed out for DMU Guard duties and also showed he is capable to carry out shunts.
However, the day before, March 10th, I managed to get a good days work in on W51400. Nick and I replaced the cardan shaft, the exhauster, the two Graviner bottles and I managed to get the two fire boxes ready for refitting. One requires only a switch but the other requires a switch, a test button and rebuilding. I replaced one of the covers as it was lacking a red light cover and a pull off strip for setting off the fire system.
The brake gear required will need to be stripped from the bogie off W51375.
I got together most of the gear I will need to finish off W55003 down at Alresford in a couple of weeks.
Once I have refitted the DSD gear from under the desk and refitted the dummy vacuum couplings we can test the unit for brakes, even though we only have one vacuum cylinder connected.