ISSUE 88 - JUNE 2003

INTRO

The debate on our fire systems continues! Apparently Railtrack Group Standard GM/RT 2120 on fire systems would allow is to just simply remove the BCF bottles. This is being followed up, and will no doubt be a hot topic at Chasewater!

Saturday 12th July is the deadline for Issue 89 of The Railcar.  Submissions to editor@railcar.co.uk.

NEWS

The Wensleydale Railway wishes to hire another heritage railcar set to run alongside the Class 107 when the new service starts this summer. A 2 or 3 car set is needed urgently. The Railway now has the on-site capability to handle minor repairs and exams in accordance with the VMI. Contact Steve Deane, tel. 01296 696397 or 0781 330 9946.

DMU CONVENTION    July 11th - 13th Chasewater Rly

Driver Experience can be booked through Frank Nicholas on 07778 941062 or 0151 357 1546 (ansaphone available), or via e-mail at jabawoki@boltblue.com. Friday slots are available from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00, maybe earlier if demand is high... Cost is £10.00 per driver. Tea and coffee and buffet-lunch facilities are available on Friday from 11:00 onwards at Brownhills West, and also on Saturday.

The meeting will be at Chasewater Heath station from about 13:00 - 17:00ish, with (hopefully) a trip over the extension to Chasetown afterwards, and opportunities to take photos on the way back. Details of accommodation in the area are available on Chasewater's web site.

MOVEMENTS

The former Elliot Track Recording coach, based on a Wickham railbus, moved to the Middleton Railway on the 11th June. It is now reunited with its former Old Dalby stablemate, the EM2 society's Drewry Car. The future plan for the Wickham is to fit it out with some form of seating and use it as a passenger carrying vehicle. This will obviously involve some changes to the interior although these will be kept to an absolute minimum. No external alterations are planned. Right: seen during its first test run, at Middleton Park on Saturday 14th June. Photo: Graham Parkin.

SUPPLIERS

VACUUM PARTS Chris Bull reports: for a while now I have been looking into getting the four rubber parts manufactured to make up an overhaul kit for the DMU Automatic Isolating Valve. This is the little known valve positioned between the Vacuum reservoirs and the release pipe and is fitted to all trailer and power cars. It keeps the Hi Vac to minimum of 18" in the reservoir, - well it should if your seals are working.

I am basing it on the standard by Messrs Gresham and Craven of their Celebrated Two-Pipe Quick release system, our example on the 108's is the 1.5" variety, however one part (the sealing ring) will be different for a 1" system (if anyone has one)!

Orders have now been placed at two different makers/suppliers for the 3 x moulds required. 2 x flat gaskets and 1 x dished diaphragm are needed for hi vac isolating valve, seating seal will be manufactured by a separate supplier. Material also being ordered. Lead time for moulds are approx. three weeks, and then the gaskets and diaphragms will have to be made. Therefore unlikely to be ready for DMU convention, but orders will be taken before and at the DMU event to gauge amounts required. As usual, the more response then the cheaper price per set.... Also pressure is being put on John Joyce to come up with another of his superb illustrated instruction sheets.

When you have purchased your new vac hoses from Rediweld Cerambond (see item below), you will need a clip to rejoin them to the aluminium connector casting. The old BR vac bags were often turned out from the big railway with a stainless steel band, put on by a machine. We have looked into these bands and they cost out at approx. £7 to £8 locally if you turn up with your hose.

After talking to many people and looking in catalogues etc., I visited Sealtite in Didcot, near Swindon. They have many types of clips in stock, but I thought that a heavy duty one made by Mikalor was ideally suited to our purpose. It is a 25mm (1") wide stainless steel band which opens from 68 to 73mm diameter, and has a plated carbon steel bolt that can be done up with a power tool. With a cost of slightly less than £2 each they seem to be an ideal and inexpensive way to connect the vac bags onto the connectors. See www.sealite.co.uk or call 01235 512500. I bought a box of 25 for slightly less than £40....

VACUUM HOSES The supplier for these (including smaller diameter types) Rediweld Cerambond has been renamed. Halyard Ltd (Cerambond Division). Contact details are Unit 6, Westfield Ind. Est., Horndean, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 9JX. Tel. 02392 593979 www.halyard.eu.com.

WEBSITES

Two groups now have a new web presence. The DMU Group (West Midlands) at www.svr-visitor.org.uk/DMU01.htm and the Ruddington Group at www.ramrail.co.uk. 

On our own railcar site has been new photo galleries on the 121s, 128s, the dismantling of Class 117 51369, and DMU ABCs. There has been a daily diary on the painting of the Wickham, a unit now commonly referred to as the 'Wigwam' unit thanks to Uncle Alan (Ramrail).

The DC Kits site has been revamped by its new webmaster, as I barely get enough time to spend on our own site never mind any one else's! Have a look at www.dckits.co.uk, there are some exciting DMU kits planned!!!

PRESERVATION

CHEDDLETON 104 Report from Paul Moxon: When we came to start the restoration of 50455 the motor brake second, we thought that it would be a "quick job" - we noticed as soon as we tried to get in through the guards van doors, that the floor had risen to the extent that we could hardly open either of the inner opening van doors.

This was due to the steel support plates that were welded to the top of the sole bar, having corroded to such an extent, that they had de-laminated, and pushed the floor upwards by over a quarter of an inch. The solutions were on the 2nd mans side to remove the plates and replace them with new steel, and on the drivers side to remove the excess rust. NSE had thoughtfully screwed a large lump of softwood to the edge of the decayed timber and finished it off with a steel edging. All looked fine until we lifted the chequerplate floor covering to reveal half a dozen 4 inch woodscrews holding all of this together!

Christopher painting the solebar supports for the 2nd mans wooden door step in preparation for the hardwood supports (note the deckchairs in the sand in readiness for lunchtime!) (Note also the mirror reflection on the van door. What a paint job! Stuart)
Lump of shaped hardwood for fitting under guards doors - the lip supports the treated softwood supports for the chequerplate floor which I think was a later BR/NSE modification.
The timber supports in place (after a days work cutting and fitting!)
The chequerplate flooring in place - note the circular grooving (on the left hand side of the platework) that the inwards opening door bottom has gouged out.
We have also restored the seat frames in the 2 second class saloons. This "little" task has taken Christopher and myself about 8 weekends to remove the cushions and backs, strip and repaint the frames, reassemble the furry components, and finally refit the finished seats. (and we know there's an extra saloon to do in 50517!)
The empty saloon with cleaned and polished lino floor.
Kevin bolting in the seat frame around one of the header tanks in 50455.
Interior of 50455 (the motor brake) showing the finished saloon.
Almost ready for service ? - well, not quite...  - In the bay at Cheddleton on static display for a photo charter. (Mid April)

FOR SALE

Leyland Railbus Demonstrator - the railbus is one of three demonstrators built by BREL in Derby (and Leyland bus in Workington) during the early 1980's. Bearing the number RB004, it was shipped to the United States in 1984, and travelled widely before returning to Derby works in 1986. The railbuses were designed as modified Leyland bus bodies running on four-wheeled railway chassis, and were very similar to the Class 141 units, which have recently been withdrawn and many sold abroad. Powered by 200bhp 6-cylinder Leyland TR11 diesel engines, with fully automatic gearbox units, they also had a flexicoil suspension system which could be used at speeds up to 100mph! As the unit was sent out to America, some modifications were carried out resulting in a large bell being fitted on both ends, and the provision of air conditioning. Upon its return to England, the railbus was converted to offices, having all the seating removed. At the same time the exterior was used for paint trials - hence the current livery which is somewhat unorthodox! In terms of restoration, the partition has been removed which was fitted during its role as an office and the seats have been replaced - aided by the fact that they were standard bus seats – plus a new destination blind has been provided. Serious offers invited. Contact: David Barlow by email on dbsouthgate@tiscali.co.uk or on 07764 308350.

Click on picture for larger image.

AEC engine - due to retirement I am running down my business and I have for sale a low mileage AEC 11.3 litre type A220 engine (ex DMU). I also have some exhaust parts including ceramic coated silencers and angle drive for radiator fan drive. For price and more details I can be contacted on 07836 529555. Don Allmey

DMU Generator - BR No. 052/018835. Suitable for Trailer cars etc.. Unused since overhaul. £250.00. Buyer Collects. W55003 Group, 01234 750769

Throttle rod return springs - DMU Group have had a small batch of springs manufactured to the original specification with a corrosion resistant finish, price £5.40 each p&p extra. These will give a long and reliable life. The BR type were made with soft wire hooks which wear through fairly quickly. The new ones have hard wire hooks and should not fail in service. Trevor Daw 01926-484670 after 7pm any day.

Engine parts - Two x TL11 cylinder heads, ex store probably new with original tape over valves. One Leyland Leopard coach fluid flywheel similar to DMU power cars. Offers to Trevor Daw 01926-484670 after 7pm any day.

Window Frames - 7 unused interior window frames, 31" x 42" x 7/8" hardwood, recessed with curved inside corners for a Class 104. £20.00 each £100.00 the lot. Buyer collects. Ian McDonald 01234 750769.

Silencers Two ex-Class 116 vertical silencers, £50 each. Contact Mervyn Rogers 01277 623141

Injectors - New injectors for Leyland 680 engines. BR part no. 15-77004. £18 each plus postage/carriage. Contact David Aldridge (55000) 01626 879453.

WANTED

Partition parts - A couple of alloy poles and fittings, and a couple of sheets of glass are required to reinstate a partition in Iris, removed in research days. Stuart Mackay 07974 565 243 or e-mail editor@railcar.co.uk 

Seat cushions - and backs for 3 first class seats in dark purple/orange fleck moquette as fitted to 108 DTCL during refurb at Doncaster about 1990. Also 2 double and one triple seat cushion and 1 double seat back for second class in same moquette. Mike Hancocks abb19@globalnet.co.uk or 07957 645021

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