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ISSUE 65 - JULY 2001
There was only one entry to last month's caption competition, with Kev & Rob hoovering the gutter of one of their Class 104s. Thanks to Frank Nicholas for the effort, who now has his subscription extended for a year. His submissions were:
- Damn! The vacuum is blocked with another b***** 104 again!
- Rob to Kev: "Don't hoover up too much rust, we need something to weld to."
- Installation of new prototype roof mounted extraction system for use after a night in the curry and ale houses.
- (In the style of Rolf Harris) : Two little boys had too many toys, Each had a 104...
- Kev to Rob: "How come I am on the ladder doing the work, and you are sat up there trying to look pretty??
- "Don't fart again Rob. The Hoover cannot cope!"
- After trying to couple the Hoover to the 104, Rob and Kev suddenly realised they should have been using a Class 50.
Saturday 11th August is the deadline for Issue 66 of The Railcar.
TRA
DMU Convention (Friday 14th – Sunday 16th September)
The Friday Driving Experience must be pre-booked as soon as possible, it costs £25.00. For this, meet at Dereham station at 09:30.
There is a station yard visit on the Saturday, meet at Dereham station at 11:00. The meeting is at 13:00 at the King's Head Hotel. Anyone wishing to speak or make a presentation at this, please ring Mike Evans on 07974 724853.
NEWS
BUBBLE MOVEMENTS Matthew Smith reports that on Thursday 28th June, Reading lost its last two 121s and is therefore without DMUs for the first time in around 40 years. Two bubbles were sent from Aylesbury, arriving at Reading 11:50, to top and tail the two cars from Reading (dead) back to Aylesbury. Departure from Reading was scheduled for 14:48 but actual departure was 60 min. late but with all engines in use!
A submission on the Internet reports that a second convoy of bubbles arrived at Aylesbury on the 11th July at 17.35, formed 55027, 975042, 977858, 55031. Eight bubbles now resident there?
NEW BOOK The Chiltern Heritage DMU Project, who have the Class 115 51885 + 59761 + 51899 at the Buckingham Railway Centre have produced a booklet about their set. The 23-page booklet looks at the evolution of DMUs, Class 115s in general and the restoration of their set. The covers are in colour and there are plenty of B&W pics and illustrations throughout. It can be bought on site for £2.75, or by mail order for £3.25 (inc. p&p) from the Buckingham Railway Centre on 01296 655270.
NEW DMU GROUPS Not one but two new DMU groups have just been started! One is an operating/restoration group for the 104s based on the Churnet Valley Railway. It is called the "Birmingham RailCar Workgroup" (B.R.C.W.). Kevin wonders if people have heard those initials before somewhere?
The other is the "Derby Works Built DMU Group" based at the Midland Railway Centre. Its first newsletter, in colour, looks at its initial plans and a brief history of the line's 114 and 127. It costs 50p, or is free to members. Membership costs £10 a year, contact Phil Deane, 2 Newton Close, Belper, DERBYSHIRE DE56 1TN.
SUPPLIERS
The Dean Forest DMU Group have had a further batch of feed valve rubbers manufactured if anyone still requires these.
PRESERVATION
CHURNET VALLEY 104s 50517 was dragged up from Oakamoor to Cheddleton on Fri 6th July for cab re-wire, air/vac work, etc., which commenced the following day. By Tues 10th, Frank Nicholas had performed wonders and 50517 was able to control 50455 with all air and vac working perfectly. Frank decided that the original wiring loom was good enough to go back in, so the planned re-wire with new cable was not done. There are still a few bits and bobs to sort out but 50517's cab back is well on the way to full working order again for the first time in a good five years following the major structural rebuilding work that was required to the cab area. Box- and T-sections of steel had turned to something that resembled "Alpen"! It has been in this state since BR days, when it must have run about with the secondman's side of the cab bodywork flapping around freely, not connected to the underframe at all!
EMBSAY & BOLTON ABBEY 107s Entry found in the defect book on Sc52005: Heater blowing cold air, very cold. This cab is FREEZING. This unit had an A exam today and still same faults reported 23rd November. One box of matches and one can of petrol to repair.
SWINDON & CRICKLADE An engine on 51434 has been modified so that it now has "tubeless" injector cylinder heads. Compression ratios of both types are the same. Matthew Smith has not seen any railway 680s with these heads; all have the brass injector tube inserts which are like a "time-bomb" waiting to go off suddenly, leaking coolant into oil and eventually causing major failure if not spotted. Thankfully he managed to catch this engine misbehaving very early on. Having different cylinder heads means having different injectors but the nozzles (spray pattern) of each type is identical. A bonus is that the new type of injectors seal on DMU injector pipe olives lower down giving them a new lease of life. He obtained the cylinder heads from a Leyland National 2 bus (most are fitted with 680s).
Matthew also wants to put in writing a fact that is not widely known. The first 117s were built with and retained curved headcode boxes (118-style). These were:
L400 51332+59484+51374
L401 51333+59485+51375
B436 51334+59486+51376 (now has trailer 59500)
Set L402 (51335+59487+51377) was an oddity as it was built during the transition and only 51335 had the curved box. If anyone remembers other 117 sets with a curved box this would be due to Reading's spare car of many years putting in an appearance. This was 118 DMS 51319 and, if only deputising for a day, would still have the appropriate set number applied (or scrawled) on the front end.
- If you can help any of the following groups with their needs or information, please e-mail us at editor@railcar.co.uk
WANTED
Help - Would anybody be willing to purchase a 101 driving car for spares, so that I may obtain the cab section for display in my back garden? Obviously subject to the asbestos situation. If so, please contact me. Also any Class 101 observations from the Manchester area would be most welcome. Keith Mitchell.
Information - can anyone shed light of whether bogies obtained from a 117 would be suitable for a Class 108? Nottingham (GC) DMU Group.
Leaf springs - for a Class 121. Graham Petts.
Pictures - I own the Class 110 on the East Lancs Railway and I would like copies of pictures of Class 110s in traffic, and of my set in particular, or information on some of its workings. Allan Schofield, scudfield@aol.com.
Pictures - Any Class 101 pics, particularly interiors and in the Skegness area. Sharon Gray.
Exhauster - For the Middleton Railway, I am seeking a standard rotary DMU exhauster. EM2 Locomotive Society.
FOR SALE
Water pumps and rectifiers - 3 brand new unused water pumps suitable for Leyland Albion 900 series engines £75.00 each, plus 4 RUG IIA rectifiers (need cleaning) hence £25.00 each or will exchange for final drive casing (complete) and/or driver's window(s) suitable for Class 117 or 122. W55003 Group.
Seats - from Class 101s - free, but must be uplifted ASAP or they will be skipped. Williton Traction Group.
NEXT ISSUE : 18th July 2001