Category: Updates

Hello everyone, and welcome to our 2nd Bank Holiday update. In this 3 day weekend, we’ve been maintaining the van train in between the showers. During the week, Nick went to Coalville to pick up some donations to go into the theatrical vans.

Dave started Saturday by completing the signwriting on the Plate, taking care of the final D plate. Now this wagon is finished we’re looking at what will be next, which is likely to be the Pipe wagon.

The team of Nick, Mark, Tom, Oliver and Dan started sorting out some ladders for each van in the train while also locating the roof sheet required for B852838 which we’ve decided is the next to get a next roff covering. It was found while doing this that door of the doors were stiff to open, so they went along the train oiling the door hinges and mechanisms to ensure that the doors don’t seize up.

Having finished the Plate, Dave assisted with the sorting, but also fitted a door pull handle to an sticky internal swing door in the Yellow Coach.

Nick and I were on site on Sunday, and we put up the scaffold towers to look at the failed roof covering on P18422. It was noticed when the Test Car was last open that the roof felt had opened up. We had some roofing felt in-store, despite preferring sheets these days. We stuck the flap back down with felt adhesive, then overlayed 3 panels of roof felt with copious amount of adhesive to stick the panels down, and then to seal the joins. Pictures show the before and after taken from the scaffold tower.

After the roof was done and the adhesive setting, we looked at some lose body planking and a trim strip on the end of the east side siding door.

Mark and Dan joined Nick and I today, but due to the weather this ended up being a sorting and tidying day. I did manage to investigate Kiki’s wobbly tiller. I think a nylon bush is required to take out any play, so will have to measure up for this. Nick and I took Danny for a skip trip to end the day.

That’s the end of activities this week. Next week, weather dependent, we’ll be looking at the roof on B852838, wish us luck with the weather! Thanks for reading.

Hello and welcome to the first May Bank Holiday update from us! This week, we’ve been fixing some arising work on the Dogfish, which was picked up after their annual exams.

On Saturday, the team started by identifying 5 spare buffers from our stash to replace those identified as failed on the wagons. Nick, Mark and I worked on the buffers, using the oxy/propane to heat the nuts up prior to removal.

Thomas, Dan and Tom started the process of oiling the wagons, starting with the doors, their oil pots and then moving onto the oiling the brake rigging and handbrake mechanisms. Their size was an advantage here!

While the hot spanner was out, we also tightened up some brake safety loops the had become loose.

Thomas, Nick, David and I were on site on Sunday, and I started with a bit of signwriting!

The south end of DB986166 was reported as having no brake safety loops. Nick, David and Thomas found some and fitted them to the wagon to make this complete.

Having finished the D plate I was signwriting, I started to take a look at the Generator again, draining some of the fuel tank to check the contents, and replacing the engine fuel filter and bleeding the fuel system up to the injector pump. I also replaced the rocker cover gasket.

Monday was more work on the Dogfish, taking a closer look at some of the stiffer doors and further oiling them up as best as access permisses. Oh to have a pit! Thankfully some of the doors freed off an amount which should help when they come to be used in the near future.

I think that covers this weekend. 5 buffers have been changed, 21 doors have been maintained, one D plate painted and 3 safety loops fitted. 5 of the Dogfish have now re-entered traffic to jon DB993412, with the 6th one awaiting replacement wheelsets. Next week, weather dependent we’ll be looking at some box van roofs, and there is still one D plate to signwrite. Thanks for reading!

A diesel themed weekend for the team, we’ve welcomed visitors into Test Car 2 during the Spring Diesel Gala, and started investigating the problems with the Test Cars’ generator.

During the week we opened Test Car 2 as part of a University group visit to the railway. Ross, Richard and myself providing engineering students with insight into the groups work, the Test Car and railway wagons.

On Saturday the Test Car was readied again to greet visitors to the Spring Diesel Gala.

It’s been great to see so many interested visitors in the Test Car which also provided a great viewing area to see the varied traction in operation this Spring Diesel Gala.
The star of the show being the unique visiting Clayton, Class 17 D8568.

Whilst I was busy entertaining visitors in Test Car 2, Ross and Nick fitted and painted a replacement tiller to BEV Tug 9804 ( also known as Kiki ). Those of you who are old enough to remember late ’60s kids TV may recognise the connection between our Electric Tug’s names; Hector, ZsaZsa and Kiki.

Ross also took a look at the filters on Test Car 2. We think the diesel tank may need to be cleaned out, and the fuel system given a good flush through.

Sunday brought a few showers through the day, however we again welcomed a good number of visitors into the Test Car, with Richard and Ross helping out providing an insight into the Test Cars’ history and wagon testing.

Over the weekend we’ve also had our model slip/brake test train on display.

The OO Gauge model of Test Car 2 has been superbly made by Kev Nolan who has very kindly donated it for us to display and help us explain the slip/brake test process to visitors.

The other models making up the typical slip/brake test train are on loan from our friends at West Hill Wagon Works.

Throughout the weekend Hector has been keeping a tight reign on his train of restored Brute trolleys.

Join us again next week when we will hopefully return to some wagon work; all the best, Dave

Hello everyone and welcome to another update from Quorn! This week has been has seen the signwriting on the Plate wagon ,E212315, nearly finished and the 2 TTAs, 1802 and 1919, got washed and an initial survey of the vacuum pipe routing.

As we are opening Test Car 2 up for both a visit in the week and at the Diesel Gala, Dave spent the day freshening up the interior, making it ready for visitors. The flies that have made TC2 home over the winter have also been evicted!

Nick started by picking out the white details on the plate wagon, these being the handbrake ends and vacuum pipe swan necks. He then joined Mark, Oliver, Dan and I in washing the 2 TTA wagons.

Dave, now finished in the Test Car, continued the signwriting on the Plate, writing the tare weight on the east side and chalking out the wheelbase on the solebar for me.

As menitioned previously, I was in the main yard with Mark, Dan and Oliver washing the tanks. These look a bit better having had judicious application of Traffic Film Remover, agitation with a brush and being rinsed with the pressure washer. There is still a fair amount of bedded in brake dust to remove, so suggestions welcome for that!

It was just Nick and I onsite on Sunday, so I first spent some time on the Plate, signwriting the wheelbase which Dave had kindly chalked for me. Nick used the time to talk Rothley’s BEV back to the shed.

I also took a look at the air outlet on the Hydrovane. After the needle guns had become full of condensation, I have put a water trap between the outlet and the hose connection to better control this.

Thanks for reading. We’ll have the Test Car open on both Saturday and Sunday next week, so do pop down and see us if you are visiting!

Hello and welcome to an Easter holidays update from the team at Quorn.

The big news this week is that our two ex.VTG, 1966 built TTA tank wagons have finally arrived from Gascoigne Wood (near Selby). The first to be delivered was 60879 (original number 1919) on the 3rd April, the second 60874 (original number 1802) arrived late on the 3rd and was unloaded on the 4th April 2023.

A total of thirteen wagons have been saved from the last batch of twenty-two, 4-wheeled tank wagons to operate on the mainline network. These two and another 11 which have been saved by the National Wagon Preservation Group at the Dean Forest Railway. They were latterly used for aviation fuel transportation between Grangemouth and Prestwick Airport.

We plan to restore both the tanks into a 1960s period livery; 1919 will be used by the GCR as an additional water carrier tank, whilst 1802 will be restored for inclusion into the tank train.

Making the most of a couple of days of sunshine during the week, the undercoat was applied to the plate wagon E212315.

On Good Friday, Nick, Mark, myself, Dan and Oli were on site and we got to work with the gloss Bauxite paint on the plate wagon.

By the mid-afternoon the plate wagon was looking much smarter.

Dan and Oliver helped me with our first good inspection of the new arrivals; our Vehicle Condition Survey forms were completed for each tank wagon. Overall they are in very good order with only minor work being required to make them operational.

On Saturday with just Nick and myself on site a few areas on the underframe were attended to in preparation for paint, including some stubborn rusting where the label clip block had rotted away. The air line was used to clean down any debris.

As the sun came out and things began to warm up, I made a start on giving the plate back its identity. The previously prepared templates were chalked and aligned on the wagon side doors; the numbering was then outlined to give a neat chalk template for signwriting.

The running number, load capacity, tare weight and wagon name were then applied to both sides.

On Sunday Nick, Mark and Dan continued with work on the plate; the non-original steps on the west side that were added for its crane jib runner duties by BR, were removed. The east side ones having been removed prior to preservation. The east side label clip and block were replaced.

Next it was out with black container paint and brushes to tackle the west side of the underframe.

Both headstocks were also painted.

Despite the typically wet start to the bank holiday Monday weather Nick, Mark, Dan, Oliver and Tom managed to complete the painting of the east side underframe.

At the end of the Easter weekend we have a very respectable looking plate wagon E212315.
The last few bits of signwriting on the underframe and detail painting are on the agenda for next weekend.

Join us again next week; all the best, Dave

Welcome to April’s first update from Quorn. Time for a bit of a tidy-up, but we couldn’t resist continuing with work on the bare plate wagon E212315. It was also great to see trains running past us at Quorn again after completion of the bridge repairs.

Danny was called upon to help with the tidying up trips to the skip.

Seeing as the Hydrovane compressor trailer had been so useful last week, we decided to extract it from it’s long-time resting place on the dock to make it more accessible for use.

The dock space was cleared of some foliage and the old floor planks from the Plate wagon were used to make a bed to allow us to tidy up the spare van body sections.

The Hydrovane compressor has found a new mobile home being secured onto the back of the pick-up.

We then got stuck into needle gunning the remaining areas of the Plate E212315

A start was made measuring up and working out what lettering and numbering templates will be required for the signwriting once the Plate is painted.

We continued on Sunday with the final preparations of the plate E212315 ready for painting.
Door tops and bottoms had any paint removed.

Door and body-end inside faces were scraped.

The needle guns were used to remove any last bits of stubborn paint around the door hinges and buffers.

One of the door centre stanchions was noted to be a little stiff so this was freed off.

The whole wagon was then swept and any remaining dust and paint debris blown off with compressed air.

With paint brushes in-hand and paint kettles charged we set too with the Primer.

Well, we did say we would be painting a ‘plate’ today!

Back to the wagon and the painting continued.

By the end of the afternoon the doors, kerb rails and body ends were all in primer.

Thanks for reading, join us again on the 10th April for the Easter weekend update.

Hello everyone, welcome to another QWW update. This week, we’ve continued work on the LNER Plate wagon, E212315.

The paint on the Plate is quite cracked and crazed, which means we’re having to strip it back to bare metal before we repaint it. To that end, Nick and I decided that we should make a start looking at the air equipment and making sure it was all working, including 3 needle guns.

We’d managed to get the generator in the Test Car going to use the coach’s compressor, but the engine didn’t really sound too happy, though it started and ran the compressor. Two out of the three needle guns we’ve got worked so we made a start on the east side of the wagon, you know, just to test them. By the end of the day, we’d completed three quarters of the west side doors.

Sunday saw more of the gang here, Nick and I were joined by Mark, Tom, Dan and Oliver. Sunday was a trying day on the equipment front. The genset in the Test Car would not start, so we had to try the Hydrovane. The battery I put on it ended up being flat, so we got the charger/jump pack out which promptly decided it would let some of its magic smoke escape.

Thankfully, we found another battery and the Hydrovane sprang into life after around a 3 year slumber. It did spring an air leak later in the day, but this was patched with a piece of rubber and some jubilee clips as a temporary repair.

Finally, we got back to needle gunning the wagon. We concentrated on the West side today due to the very much reduced train movements while the bridge job is still underway. Everyone got both doors stripped down, plus 3/4 of the west side solebar, and then moved around to the head stock and the final 2 panels Nick and I left yesterday.

In anticipation of a couple of pending arrivals, I made sure the pressure washer is still functioning after its winter in the shed, which thankfully it did. All being well, we just have 2 TTAs arrived next week that need a wash!

That about covers this week, join next week to see if we’ve been cleaned some new tank wagons, or continued with the Plate! Thanks for reading.

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s update! This week has seen further progress on the Plate, E212315. Starting with last week’s floor, which had just been laid loosely down in the wagon.

The floor was left sat on top of rivets from the underframe, something which isn’t uncommon on wagons. These usually need a relief making in the floor timber to allow the board to sit down fully. Nick, using his favourite tool, made impressions of the rivet heads in the underneath of the plank.

Mark then lifted the plank out and rolled it over, after which I set about it with the big drill and a Forstner bit to make the relief.

Dan was kept on his toes, cleaning up the cuttings and sawdust behind us prior to putting the plank back down to check for if any other drilling was required.

After the planks were fully seated, we moved on to the capping strips, laid down each edge of the wagon. The floor was drilled from underneath, and the strip positioned above. The strip was then bolted to the kerb rail, and thus the floor secured.

Sunday saw Michael join us to help with scraping the Plate, getting it ready for paint.

Nick and I concentrated on cracked welds around the bottom of the doors. At some point in its life, the doors on the wagon had metal strips stitch welded to them. Some of these have since had rust build up between the strip and the door angle iron, resulting in the welds cracking, or even one strip having broken clean off the wagon!

All the doors had some welding attention, but the west side required much more with the north door having both strips broken off and reattached.

Michael made an excellent job of the east side underframe, which is now ready for paint. Both sides still need the doors needle gunning before the body can be painted however, which might be a job for next week…

That brings us to a close this weekend, thanks for reading!

Welcome to our Quorn Wagon & Wagon update from the first week of March 2023.

1937 built LNER Plate wagon E212315 arrived at the GCR way back in 1997, and has been seen over the years operating in many mixed freight formations; however we thought it was about time we made a start on some well overdue restoration work.

The first task was to remove the old rotten floor planks, which revealed quite a lot of loose underframe surface rust, however the framework itself was found to be in very good overall condition.

Mark, Tom, Daniel and Charlie all helped Nick & Ross scraping and cleaning the underframe.

Once the underframe was scraped, cleaned and swept, a start was made applying bitumen paint to the inner faces of the framework that will be covered up once the new flooring is fitted.

A start was also made on scraping the side doors which revealed some original paintwork, numbering and lettering.

On Sunday I joined Ross & Nick to continue with the Plate underframe work.

The framework along the middle section of this wagon is 2″ lower than the side frames, therefore wooden battens are fitted on top of the frame longitudes to support the flooring planks that are laid across the wagon. These battens were all found to be rotten when the floor was removed, therefore replacements are required.

Ross and myself set about recovering some old floor planking, removing nails, measuring up and slicing to make the replacement battens.

Nick continued with the bitumen painting of the underframe inner surfaces.

The new battens were trimmed to give neat joints between each other, then marked and drilled for the mounting bolts. Our small pillar drill was temporarily mounted to the wagon underframe to help the process.

The replacement battens were all fitted in place with temporary bolts. They will be removed again next week for painting and final fitting once we have obtained some new coach bolts.

Join us again next week for some more Plate work, all the best, Dave