ISSUE 73 - MARCH 2002

INTRO

Remember to return your forms for the Drivers Experience Day at the Dean Forest Railway.

Saturday 13th April is the deadline for Issue 74 of The Railcar.

NEWS

CLASS 126 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a top-up grant of £48,400 to the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. This is to cover the removal of asbestos unexpectedly found during the project to restore the Inter-City Swindon unit.

NIR 1298 Ian McDonald has supplied details of this NIR:
Tyre shifted Class 421 No. 887.  Action :- Ensure all Gibson rings are secure on all tyred wheels.

This shouldn't affect any of our vehicles as the offending wheel had done less than 8000 miles. The wheel had no evidence of dragging brakes or overheating.

SUPPLIERS

HOLDSWORTHS The telephone number for John Holdsworth and Company Ltd is now 01422 433000.

MOQUETTE Hasting Diesels Ltd. are on the verge of ordering a new run of Trojan moquette. If any groups are interested in ordering some of this, contact Micheal Pannell at michael.pannell@btinternet.com. The price is approx. £17 per metre.

SPRINGS Chris Bull and David Arrowsmith have been investigating getting a batch of new springs made for the covers of MU jumper sockets. At about £1.30ish, depending on quantity. If you are interested in these please contact Chris.

PRESERVATION

BO'NESS 126 Work continues on TCK 59404, with Formica being fitted to the compartments. The upper compartment walls have to all the old bitumen type glue sanded off so that new Formica can be glued on. The Ivory coloured sheets are bonded straight to the bulkheads. For the ceilings, new framework has been laminated using a specially built jig. To this is screwed up hardboard, and then the Formica screws on separately.

In second class, with the exception of the corridor side wall, where the Formica is bonded straight to the partition, the rest of the wall patterned material ('tapestry dove grey') is glued onto hardboard and then fitted to the walls.

BRIDGEND VALLEYS RAILWAY 52025 moved from Blunsdon (Swindon & Cricklade) to Pontycymmer near Bridgend on Thursday 21st February. After off-loading this car was successfully started and moved round to the Bridgend Valleys Railway's new shed where it will reside until they are ready to use this car and sister 52006 on revenue earning trains.

There are a number of jobs to be done on 52025 including a repaint into green, internal smartening-up and some mechanical work. The first job will be to identify a full list of defects. Mike Froud finds that if he has a good cleaning session underneath then problems are identified that you don't see when you are looking for them!

This car was found to have received the same attention as their other 107's in that someone seems to have gone around putting silencers on the wrong way around - resulting in the silencer getting stoved in by the corridor connection scissors!

EMBSAY & BOLTON ABBEY 107 52006 and 52031 ran all week on the February half term without significant problems. One problem that is getting to be rather annoying is the poor performance of the Smiths heaters. Due to height one packs up when fuel tank is half empty and the other suffers fan bearing failure and had to be replaced. On this subject Leyland Auto Electrical and Diesel (who many of you will know) may be interested in designing a conversion to a modern reliable diesel heater, but they want to establish interest. Could anyone who may be interested (and willing/able to pay reasonable costs for a replacement) please let Mike Froud know (e-mail FroudM.railtrack@ems.rail.co.uk).

The cab of 52005 in just about complete and looking much tidier with new trafolyte instrument panels in place of the manky original ones.

The seat frames from the saloon of 52005 have returned from shotblasting have been all primed and painted and upholstery refitted. One slight hitch was that the guards seat now has a saloon fan heater mounted underneath and the original was too narrow to fit either side of it. Luckily there seems to be a great variety in the single seat size range (every one seems to be unique!) so another in now being prepared by hand to take its place.

MID-HANTS 122 W55003 is now starting its third season on the MHR. For the early part of the season a 'heritage DMU' service has been timetabled. A special DMMU Driver's Link has been established with Driver's being trained by Geoff Bailey & Bob Allen, owners of L721. W55003 has had a B exam, February 2002, and has suffered very few mechanical problems. The most serious was a failed snaplock on the No. 1 final drive. In the snaplock where the fixed points are situated to the right hand side of the movable set of points the bakelite had split as the metal connection to the wiring terminal through the bakelite had broken and caused the material itself to fail. This showed up as an air/axle light when in reverse gear but no light when in forward gear. Once changed all was back to normal.

The No. 2 engine was causing a few raised eyebrows as it started throwing oil and breathing heavily. This turned out to be blocked up breather pipes from the rocker box covers. Once degunged the engine settled down.

MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY Class 117 DMBS 51360 moved onto the operational line in week ending 24th February after a temporary connection was made to its isolated storage siding.

Class 122 DMBS 55009: New Formica panelling is being sourced for the main saloon. No close match has been found with the original White Oak so they are looking at neutral alternatives. Are there any suggestions from groups having faced this problem?

Class 141: On 23rd February, the Pacer made a successful inaugural test run over the operational section of the MNR between Dereham and Wymondham Abbey. Minor tweaks will be required to the ancillaries before crew training is started.

NORTHAMPTON & LAMPORT W51400 has had all its injectors overhauled and remains in service until the better weather when painting will recommence. W51359 is the next in line for work as and when we can get PWM651 back into service. The plan is to put the glazing back and commence with the saloon interiors. Repainting will also take place hopefully later in the year to match W51400.

W55001 is still in the back row and is still the main repository for spare seat squabs and backs and other assorted spares. PWM651 has undergone a full top end engine rebuild, including head refurbishment and injector overhaul, and cab rebuild over winter. The cab will be rebuilt with new flooring and repainted by the start of the main season after Easter. It will be repainted in Brunswick Green over the summer.

RUDDINGTON 108/116 Work continued to be done to the roof of Class 116 W51151, started at Christmas, grinding and scraping and sanding to a smooth finish. All of the roof is now in primer, half of it in two coats.

Work also continues on the refurbishment of the cab in 108 DMBS M50926. Thanks to a clever device native to Dean Forest DMU restorers pieces held tight by stubborn self tapping screws have been removed.

SWINDON & CRICKLADE 119 51104 was loaded at Blaenavon, on the morning of the 20th Feb., but was damaged in the process. The police were not available until 19.00, so it moved overnight to Leigh Delamare services on the M4 and arrived on the Thursday at 10.30. Class 107 52025 was loaded and due to leave by mid afternoon.

The damage was caused by packing material left on the back bogie of the trailer, which caught under the engine exhaust on no. 1 engine, fracturing the exhaust manifold, this then dragged and damaged the air tank release valve on that side. 51104 was being pulled onto the trailer by the lorry, not winched on, it seems that the drivers mate saw the snagging, but didn't react in time.

Given the equipment that is under DMUs, it is worth pointing this out, to ensure that other groups/owners do not have the same problem. In future, insist on winching onto the trailer and check clearances carefully.

DMBC 51074 has been in the shed to allow the long process of bodywork repairs to begin.

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

EXCHANGE

Anyone out there want to swap destination blinds? We still have a spare Tyseley DMU blind (black background, white lettering, fabric type). Will not sell, exchange only. Dean Forest DMU Group.

FOR SALE

Fluorescent Lighting - the strip lights and defussers 4 x 2 lights and 7x 1 light for sale at £10 each including plugs and inverters. Derby Works-Built DMU Group.

Drivers Manuals — Dated February 1981 BR 33056/13 issue 4 for DMMU trains (Except Class 126 White Circle) — one mint copy. Dated September 1978 BR 33056/2 issue 5 also for DMMU trains (except Class 126 White Circle) four mint copies available. Contact Martin at mrhd9019@aol.com 

WANTED

Rubber Connector - Does anyone also know a source for the non-standard size toilet pan to flush tank rubber connection piece? Class 107 Ltd.

Valves - Does anyone know a source for the little footpump valves used in the toilet sinks? They seem to retain water and freeze breaking the plastic top and both our spares are now broke, but repairable with a new top piece. Class 107 Ltd

2-car DMU — Power twin or driving-trailer, preferably without too much restoration work required. Railcar Enterprises.

DSD springs — for power controller. Any ideas for supplier or can anyone let me have an odd spare? Railcar Enterprises.

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