With the Christmas holidays still in effect work continues. Although Monday was rather lucrative with a trip to the Llangollen Railway but more on this in a future update.
So Tuesday (New Year’s eve if you prefer) Nick, Matt, and Dave in attendance and work continues on ADB977107. The Guards compartment ceiling was progressed as well as the roof repairs.
Wednesday, Nick, Matt and Jake with Roof vents and repairs sealed as well as previous repair patches and rain strips
The tank filler that had detached from the north end was refitted with a new piece of hose
Finally, for Wednesday, a tale of hinges, Due to a lack of right-hand door hinges the north most luggage door top body side hinge was actually fitted with a lower hinge. This was rectified by using a modified door side hinge although as part of the task the GCRs collection of hinges was also sorted and paired up.
Thursday and Nick and Dave with Jamie from C&W. Jamie continued with welding concentrating on the removed window areas.
The Guards ceiling was completed as well as a few areas on the side walls.
Once the welding was complete the First Class door was fitted as well as new packing wood for the window bottoms.
Friday, Nick and Jake fitted the windows to Thursdays repaired areas.
Saturday, and for once back at Quorn. Nick, Matt, Dave, James, Eddie, Harry, Jack and I in attendance. Dave and I kicked off by taking a look at the generator feed contactor for Test Car 2. The contactor clicks in when the button is pressed but doesn’t latch as it had previously. Unfortunately, without a wiring diagram, it’s tricky to fault find the cause of the problem but we shall put the feelers out for assistance where we can find it with the bespoke system. Nick, James and I had a brief trip to Rothley to check on supplies and returned with some more items that can be back at Quorn.
Once back at Quorn, I took a look at the vacuum system on the Iron Ore Tippler. It is fitted with a 21″ and a 15″ cylinder with an empty and loaded changeover lever. As the wagon will never be loaded, and to remove complications, I have directly piped to the 15″ and removed, overhauled and refitted the release valve. This was subsequently tested and failed. The next step for this cylinder is an overhaul.
Nick and Eddie prepped some more vacuum hoses for fitment while James and Harry began scraping the wagons in the yard, getting them ready for paint when the weather turns.
The main focus for Matt, Jack and Dave was Madge, the Scammell Scarab. The roof-mounted indicators, which were requested by the RAF but not by BR, were removed. The fuel and vacuum tank that was painted crimson were painted black as per BR specifications and she was given the opportunity to meet 45305 and have a little run around the yard.
Sunday’s work concentrated back on ADB977107 at Rothley. Nick and I began by focusing on the south end interior paneling with required removal prior to welding. The end sheet steel has been tacked into place, but now requires seam welding. I took one of the ceiling panels out to the workbench to have the frame strengthened and the plywood panel fixed back to it.
Matt started by sorting and tidying the bedroom, throwing out all the old clothes and detritus and making all the beds. Where the heaters had been removed, the paneling was removed and thrown out upon conversion. Matt manufactured some more and I fixed some timber battens to the Z irons for Matt to fix things too.
I had Jake on a wild goose chase for most of the day. To get the wiring to the thermostat in the saloon, I wanted to follow the existing wiring run through the conduit at head level in the bedroom and main saloon. As the toilet ceiling is lower than that of the saloons, the wiring runs above the toilet ceiling. I had Jake remove the trim pieces and remove the screws to drop the ceiling. Sadly, the ceiling is impossible to remove without stripping most of the toilet down further, so an alternative route will have to be used. On the plus side, an alternative heater has been found for the bedroom instead of the two underbed heaters. it is felt that a stand-alone heater rather than ones under the bunk will be safer.
Nick finished the day by blanking off the fresh air intakes for the now removed gas heaters from underneath the coach. I think that wraps up this update, so thanks for reading and join us again next week, where we will be continuing to work on the Yellow Coach.
Quorn Wagon & Wagon 