30/06/24 – More Flame, Better!

Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for another update from Quorn. Work on the Catfish progresses, with more bodywork attention and new skills learned in making safety loops. First though, I’ll cover some work on B954268 by Nick and Tom. The cladding on the East side of the van has rotted, so is being removed to be replaced.

Richard, Dave and I started by removing some safety loops from DB993560 to use as a template. Catfish have 3 safety loops per axle, and these serve as secondary retention for the brake bow girders and pull rods. In the unlikely event that a pin fails in the brake rigging, these safety loops prevent any loose components dropping down causing damage to the wagon, or event derailing it.

DB983393 arrived on site with none of its safety loops, so we’ve had to manufacture them. Dave found some steel stock which was suitable, and between himself, Richard guided by Ernie got cracking on heating and bending.

I worked on the Catfish. After reviewing the time taken trying to cut and close up the stretched material, we decided that it would be quicker and easier to cut out the damaged material and weld in new.

I got the first bit cut out, and decided to cut out a section of the bigger panel. Dave managed to catch the panel mid drop.

Richard, Dave and Ernie made good progress and got the two centre safety loops and one ‘outer’ loop made.

Encouraged by progress on Saturday, Dave and I with various assistance continued to make the rest of the safety loops.

Nick, Mark, Tom, Dan and Oliver processed our other lorry sheets, getting them ready for use on some of the vans. They cut the rivets hold the straps into the curtain and removed the straps. The sheet was then folded and cut in half.

By the end of the day, we’d made all safety loops required for DB993560. The next stage on these is to weld prepare some bolts to weld to the top of each loop to mount them to the wagon.

Thanks for reading everyone, join us next week were we should be trying to weld bits in to the Catfish and finish the safety loops. Join us then!