ISSUE 48 - FEBRUARY 2000

INTRODUCTION

Apologies for the late running of this issue. Other commitments (a Swindon DMU and £325,000!) has reduced spare time lately, and also meant the web site has been getting minimal updates. We were also in a quandary over this month's supplement, as despite having this article from Kevin for a few weeks Rail Express beat us to it. However, it was felt different enough to justify, and I'm sure many people will make use of it in these final months. Many thanks Kevin for spending the time on it.

We've been talking to a few people "in the know" who have said the CK 101s will last until the summer months.

Diesel Unit Preservation Associates now have a web page on the East Anglian Railway Museum's site: www.earm.co.uk.  From the home page select 'Museum Stock' then 'Diesel Multiple Units' (at the bottom). There are changes in progress and the route to this page should be made clearer in due course. They also now have an e-mail address: dupa@earm.co.uk. Any messages can be forwarded to any of their members, but in the first instance this address reaches Mark Cornell who is the Secretary and Financial Controller.

Saturday 11th March is the deadline for Issue 49 of The Railcar.

THE RAILCAR ASSOCIATION

De-railed!
The deal drafted between Railtrack and several preservation groups for the ex-Sandite vehicles at Longsight has been rescinded by Railtrack. The bubble-car (55025) is now to go to a Track Renewals and Maintenance company for signal sighting and maintenance survey duties. The best Class 101 pair is to be retained by Railtrack as a "strategic reserve" unit, presumably as a precaution against MPV problems. Serco will strip another 101 set to keep their small 101 fleet running. It is likely that the remaining six 101 vehicles will be auctioned off via sealed bids. As yet no details of that process have been released by Railtrack. Railtrack have also advised that all of their remaining bubble cars will probably continue in use for another three years, except for 55020 which is due for imminent cannibalisation at Aylesbury. The deal drafted between Railtrack and several preservation groups for the ex-Sandite vehicles at Longsight has been rescinded by Railtrack. The bubble-car (55025) is now to go to a Track Renewals and Maintenance company for signal sighting and maintenance survey duties. The best Class 101 pair is to be retained by Railtrack as a "strategic reserve" unit, presumably as a precaution against MPV problems. Serco will strip another 101 set to keep their small 101 fleet running. It is likely that the remaining six 101 vehicles will be auctioned off via sealed bids. As yet no details of that process have been released by Railtrack. Railtrack have also advised that all of their remaining bubble cars will probably continue in use for another three years, except for 55020 which is due for imminent cannibalisation at Aylesbury.

The Angels....
Just when we were beginning to think that the only way for withdrawn stock to pass into preservation would be through disposal agents, Angel Train Contracts have hinted that direct sales might be on after all. However, final confirmation of the change of heart and information on how such disposals will be administered were not available as we went to press. If it comes to pass, Angel would ideally wish to have a list of those vehicles specifically wanted by preservation groups or individuals. They could then advise on likely withdrawal dates (normally driven by scheduled examinations unless something drastic goes wrong), keep us posted on vehicle status and thereby avoid last-minute panics. So, those of you who are surveying the remaining vehicles in operation in Scotland and the North West - keep up the good work!

Otherwise, the disposal agent saga is dragging on because it is a joint effort between all three ROSCOs, due to the volume of Mk I-type stock coming out of use in the next few years.

Magazine Contributions
Fred Kerr has recently been asked by Robin Jones (of Heritage Railway) to produce regular news copy on modern traction in the preservation arena. He would appreciate any news from DMU owners or operators which they wish to spread to a wider audience, so that he can keep the public informed of what is happening behind the scenes as much as report operations visible to the public. Fred Kerr, 51 Preston Road, SOUTHPORT, PR9 9EE, Tel. 01704 533061.

117 locations
These are locations of vehicles still owned by Angel Train Contracts are shown below. Compiled by Tony Fox.

• In service at Bletchley (until 19/3/2000)
  51356/98 (DMBS/DMS as 117 702)
• Stored on Bletchley Depot
  51341 (DMBS) 51383 (DMS)
• Stored at MOD Shoeburyness (Pig's Bay!)
  51335/50/4/8/63/6 (DMBS)
  51377/92/6/400/5/8 (DMS)
• Stored on Haymarket Depot
  51352/69 (DMBS)
  51376/411 (DMS)
• Stored at Perth
  51339/53/71/73 (DMBS)
  51381/2/95/413 (DMS)
  59486/92/500/5/9/21 (TCL)

NEWS

CREWE BROOK SIDINGS - END OF AN ERA Saturday 19 February 2000 should see extraction of the three DMU vehicles stuck at Crewe for several years. Class 100 DTC 56106 will be asbestos treated then scrapped for Railtrack at ADtranz Crewe. Don't even think about bidding for it! The other two vehicles are to move by road from Basford Hall yard. Class 101 DTC 54350 goes to MOD Shoeburyness for storage with other Angel spare vehicles, and, great news, Kevin Dowd and Rob Simpson's Class 104 TBSL 59228 is finally on its way - to the Telford Steam Railway to join sisters 50479 and 50531.

CLASS 121 CHANGES HANDS DTS 56285 (Sandite 977486) has been purchased from Brett Rogers at Tyseley and moved to the Ironstone Railway Trust at Hunsbury Hill in Northampton on the 18th Jan. The vehicle, which is in need of restoration, will be used as a normal passenger-carrying coach on the Ironstone Railway's stretch of line from Hunsbury Hill to Danes Camp in the town, hopefully by Mothering Sunday.

108 FOR SCOTLAND You may have seen in the railway press that, in the north of Scotland, the preserved Keith & Dufftown line is to commence services this year, using a hired Hastings DEMU. Unfortunately, due to their increasing main line commitments Hastings Ltd. had to pull out of the deal. As a unit is the only option (there are no run around loops) the Keith & Dufftown Railway Association contacted The Railcar Association for help in locating a suitable set.

We put them in touch with Diesel Unit Preservation Associates Ltd. who have three 108 sets at the East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel & Wakes Colne Station in Essex. The two parties have agreed to a two-year loan of DMBS 53628 and DTCL 54223. They are in full working order, they still carry NSE livery, and are expected to move north by road in the next few weeks to allowing training before services commence in Easter.

This leaves DMBS 50599, DMCL 51568, DMCL 52053 and DTC 56491 at the EARM.

141 BEATS 117 Weardale Railways Limited has bought two of the Class 141 sets from Doncaster, according to the Feb. 2000 edition of the Weardale Railway Trust's magazine Between the Lines. Purchase of the line itself by the company is held up until the granting of an Order under the Transport & Works Act, said to be still some months away. The planned regular service from May 2000 now looks in doubt, but specials may be operating by late Summer. This news probably kills off any chance of surplus Class 117 sets being leased by Angel to Weardale.

HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND

Class 126 DMS 51017 left Bo'ness late on the 19th January, arriving in Heysham the next day. DMBS 51043 left on the 25th and also travelled overnight. Not much has happened to them since arrival, as the first job to be done is the removal of the remaining asbestos, and there is a delay for the necessary paperwork to be passed through the local authority. The asbestos is contained in a boxed structural section along the sides, just above the solebar, and has to be removed from the outside by cutting the lower body panel away (the "skirt").

PARTS & SUPPLIERS

NORBURY BLINDS You may recall that this firm (who made BR's blinds) went into liquidation while Chris Bull had an order in for many of our groups. The firm was taken over by Percy Lane Products (of Beclawat fame), who dealt with the order. However the firm is now expanding its own traditional product base of aluminium fabrication and glazing and so needs additional production space at its Wednesbury plant, so the blind business has been sold on.

It has been acquired by Chris Hall of Tearnes & Sons (also known to us as makers of transfers!) and Andy Murray of Transprint, North Wales. Both these chaps are experienced printers with over 20 years' experience. They are trading as: Norbury Blinds, 41-45 Hanley St., Newton, BIRMINGHAM B19 3SP; Tel. 0121 359 4311; Fax 0121 359 6388.

THROTTLE CABLES The DMU Group (West Midlands) now have the first order delivered (all accounted for) and these are indistinguishable from the originals. Note that to be economical, combined orders have to be for at least ten cables.

PRESERVATION

EAST LANCS 105 Steady progress is being made on the DTC 56121 at Bury. The cab and first class saloon are almost complete and panelling and door replacement continues down the driver's side.

K&WVR 108 On Saturday 20th November they ran an evening special using the DMU. A bar was set up in the guard's van with two hand pumps. Beer was provided by Mordues Brewery (Five Bridges Bitter and Geordie Pride) which was racked at the brewery on the Friday. The event was highly successful and it is envisaged that another special will run in the future, hopefully with some live music.

• If you can help any of the following groups with their needs or information, please e-mail us at editor@railcar.co.uk

WANTED

Seat cushions - black and grey squares for the first-class seats on 119 vehicles. Railcar Enterprises.

Tungsten lighting - with opaque shades and silver circles. Railcar Enterprises.

Thermostats - we are looking for two fire system resetting thermostats (the ones that sit over the fluid flywheel). Shackerstone DMU Group.

FOR SALE

Fuel Tanks - from a 117, complete with all fittings. May fit others. Editor.

Seats - free to a good home, otherwise they will be skipped. 2+3 seating, blue moquette, thought to be from a 101. Eric Maxfield, Tanfield Railway, 0191 274 2002

Wheel Bearings - We have many that we can trade. K&WVR DMU Group.

Pantry Car - Mark 1, ex-Royal Scotsman. Would be an excellent support coach. The vehicle had a £90,000 refit in 1990 and has only seen six months use since. Accommodation includes a double pantry with fridge and dishwasher, an office with safe, twin full en-suite bedroom, two single en-suite bedrooms that are inter-connectable, and a storage compartment big enough for a bed. A 240v supply is fitted to the compartments, and the vehicle also has a 3-phase 415v supply as well as the standard 24v system. It has good bogies, wheels and bearings, and would require minimal work for main line registration. Offers around £10,000. Lancastrian Carriage & Wagon.

Brake Feed Valves - we have overhaul kits available, costing £15 per set, which includes two diaphragms and one seal. P&P is approx. £1. We have only 70, 24 are already accounted for, and when they are gone... Dean Forest DMU Group

Rolls-Royce engine - I have recently acquired an alleged fully reconditioned 6-cylinder R-R 180hp horizontal DMU engine. It was apparently removed from a Doncaster Works engine shop about eight years ago, and has never been fitted. It is complete — as far as I know — and still turns over. It has unfortunately been lying outside, but still has the protective film of engine paint over it. The inlet exhaust ports were still covered up. I would sell for approx. £650, although no reasonable offer would be refused. Chris Hatton

QUESTIONS

Smiths Heaters - we are having trouble locating the 'Jones' plugs/sockets that are found on the Smiths heaters. We have two sockets with broken receptacles and are unable to find a source for replacements. Can anyone help? Dean Forest DMU Group.

Springs - we are overhauling our gear and throttle controllers and find that the small springs inside them are rusty and life expired. Has anyone already done this and found a supplier for these?

Large springs: 0.622mm gauge; 10.3mm diameter (3/8"?); 38mm length (1½"?)

Small springs: 0.456mm gauge; 4.48mm diameter (3/16"?); 12mm length (½"?)

Seven of each in throttle controller, ten of each in gear/reverser controller (assuming the springs are the same!)

We don't wish to reinvent the wheel if someone has already been down this road and has route knowledge! Dean Forest DMU Group.

COMMENTS

From Ian McDonald (55003):
Re. Class 108 'temperature related problem' on the Chappel & Wakes Colne: no, I haven't experienced this type of problem.

I did however once have an unloader valve freeze. This caused the air pressure to go off the scale quite happily.

After that little episode I always 'winterise' the unit as per the VMI instructions around the end of October time. I tend to use meths when 'lubricating' the air system but the latest Railtrack rules and regs say use 'Kilfrost'. Just fill the two tanks below the air system intake filters full and run the engines up until you can smell meths throughout the unit. You cannot smell the Kilfrost so you're never too sure if it's working. It always does, however. The rest will find its way around the system in due course.

As far as the air system is concerned I ensure all EP valves are free and oiled where required, all air pipes are open and all flexible pipes are clear.

If the final drive is starting to give trouble I would also inspect the final drive, as per the VMI instructions, and especially look at the piston that operates the dog for wear and tear. Ensure the oil is at the correct level (with no water contamination) and that the correct type is used, normally HST Crankcase lub oil, Shell Rotella HST or the like. If water is present then drain, clean out and refill. Make sure the snaplock is free as well. They can get moisture in them if not sealed properly. They can then corrode badly causing a poor contact to be made.

Just draining the air tanks will result in expelling most of the moisture but once the unit cools down condensation will soon appear.

The units are noted as being over cooled especially when used like we do — little and not very often, as far as main line units go, that is.

From Trevor Daw (DMU Group (West Midlands)):
Re. Chappel questions: I was surprised by the problem of moisture causing reversing failure. At that distance from the source of supply I would say that the problem was not at either of the reversing cylinders. I recommend that he look carefully at the in-line dirt trap. It is adjacent to the EP valve manifold before it enters the metal box that contains the throttle motors and the forward/reverse functions. It could be lack of air reaching the piston on a cold day? He will find the dirt trap full of rusty scale. Probably finding the inside diameter of the pipe work is much reduced owing to scale. Moisture does collect at this low point, hence the dirt trap. In normal service you just unscrew the small drain plug and let the water run out. There is a felt filter in this body which must be removed, washed in parrafin, squeezed dry and replaced. I have carried out this job with a great deal of improvement of the EP valves.

First, remove the valves and clean thoroughly. Clean the inlet port and inside manifold, this may require the use of a round file to remove the build up of scale. Similarly, de-scale the pipe fittings between trap and manifold. It is quite likely the steel pipe delivering air to this point is life-expired. If you try to de-scale it use plenty of heat and tap out the rubbish. It will probably go into lots of small holes. Replace this length of pipe with modern high-density black nylon tube available from all hydraulic suppliers. It would be wise to replace the Ermeto fittings between dirt trap and manifold. I gave information as to where to source these peculiar items in a previous Bulletin (issue 41 - ed). Otherwise, the rest of the new pipe work can be done in metric fittings. There are other dirt traps on each car, one of which is right above your head, protecting another air line. I cannot say from memory what this serves. It was in better condition than the one adjacent to the manifold; requiring cleaning of the felt filter and putting back together. You must drain all air reservoirs at end of each day. This is a daily maintenance item, which your insurance inspector will expect you to confirm when he comes to check safety valve performance.

The subject of raising engine temperature by the use of small boards placed in front of radiators is so simple as not to have been considered by anyone previously. I am old enough to recall putting cardboard in front of my Ford Prefect radiator to prevent the siphon cooling freezing-up! When you consider that in preservation service, I doubt if the engines are working for more than 30% of the journey. On a recent charter trip of 64 miles I checked all six engines to find the header tanks were only warm. Not at all hot. I suggest our BUT engines would work a lot better if they ran hotter. What is the opinion of members with more experience?

From Chiltern DMU Fund (Buckingham Railway Centre):
Although we all love preserved railway vehicles, steam locos have been giving us a problem with the soot cascading down on to the roof of our 3-car 115, which then settles into the gutters, mixes with the rain water and causes sulphuric acid. In the old days while the vehicles were constantly on the move this was not a problem, but having to take its turn with other events, keeping gutters clean is a rather tedious job, let alone the damage caused to the roofs. Although the powers that be do not like sheeting up the vehicles it is the only way to protect them except for access to some shed space.

We must say a very special thank you from our small group: how grateful we are for the contribution from all the other groups — extremely useful for contacts and servicing hints. If anyone wants help with heavyweight types and Albion engines, please write or give us a call as we have quite a lot of technical assistance.

From Matthew Smith:
Re. 101 formations: I would very much like to re-unite such a set with my 59117, preferably with 53311 & 53322 as this 3-car was formed in 1979 and was together until 1993 (except for a time in 1984/5). I also read the possible original 101 formations with interest. 51433 & 51367, which are mentioned, operate as 977391 and 977392 for SERCO and are rebuilt with Mark I sides (I believe they are also unique for a DMU by being air braked).

NEXT ISSUE : 16th February 2000

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