Category: Updates

  • 10/07/22 – Another 2 with a 3rd progressed.

    With 763305 and 786348 prepared and undercoated last week, a visit from the wagon fairies sees them undercoated on Tuesday and glossed on Thursday.

    This brings us ahead for the weekend, with Nick, Dave, Jake and I on site.

    Form me and Dave it was out with the mahl sticks and brushes. 763305 for me and 786348 for Dave.

    Slightly modified branding for 348 in memory of Nick’s father.

    777728 is the next van in the train and the usual activity.

    Scrape

    PVA

    Prime

    Once I had completed my signwriting I moved on to the recent arrival,

    Strip

    Prep

    Prime

    Top coat.

    We were also blessed with a visit from Jamie, who assisted Nick with his new purchase.

    As well as our own mini classic car meet.

    I continued in to the evening applying 3 coats of yellow to the tug which I reassembled Sunday.

    Nick joining me early also to apply undercoat to 777728 before the heat set in.

    For me detailing the tug. Wasp stripes and double arrows.

    Ross turned his attention to Danny.

    Prime

    Then top coat.

    A few more coats, then I wonder what details we shall be applying? As the afternoon came to a close we took the tug for a visit to the station, with a few ideas for Railways at Work 2023 beginning to circulate.

    https://videopress.com/v/dGlHiPo8?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

    With 2 completed vans and a tug for this week, Join us next weekend to find out what we were able to achieved.

  • 03/07/22 – Raising a Flag for the Vans

    Welcome to this weeks’ update from the team at Quorn with Matt, Nick, Ross, Jake, Richard and myself all around during the weekend. The first job was admiring our superb new team flag that Matt had sourced.

    Saturday, and we can report the completion of two box vans, being B784409 and B777171, receiving final signwriting after bodyside door & panel replacements and repairs.

    Progress was also made with the signwriting on B783082, the right hand panel detail and Circuit Symbol yellow circle being applied.

    Nick made a start on the next van needing attention, B763305. The bodyside panels were scraped to remove the distressed and loose paint.

    The Volvo received some attention, pumping up a tyre that appeared to have deflated due to a sticky valve which was probably disturbed when we checked the tyre pressures last week. Ross also took a look at the hydraulic lift locking pin mechanism which was being temperamental, an actuator split pin had come adrift causing the pin to drop out; replacements fixed the problem.

    The Bogie Bolster D B928135 also received our attention this weekend; after purchasing some more Lithium EP3 grease for the axle bearings, the east side axleboxes of the wagon could be dealt with.

    In turn I removed the axlebox covers, and as we found on the west side, the insides of the covers had been painted; therefore the covers were thoroughly cleaned and all traces of paint removed before refitting and the pumping in of some new grease. By the end of Saturday the north end bogie was completed.

    The group had a new arrival on Saturday, a 3T Brush Electric Pony. This was quickly trialled by hauling the recently refurbished Brutes.

    Making the most of Sunday mornings’ sunshine, Nick & Ross progressed with the body side panels of B763305. Applying a coat of 50/50 PVA sealer, then allowing to dry before a coat of white primer.

    Matt continued signwriting with the number panel and Circuit Symbol on B783082, this completes another box van.

    I carried on with the south end axleboxes of the Bogie Bolster D B928135; Jake had also popped in and lent a hand with a bit of grease pumping. Once the axlebox covers were refitted, a white undercoat was applied.

    Whilst the primer was drying on the bodysides of B763305 Nick turned his attention to scraping down the bodyside panels and doors of the next van, B786348, then applying a coat of PVA sealer before the white primer.

    With the Bogie Bolster D B928135 nearing completion we decided it was time to do a full vehicle inspection and brake test. The old Vacuum Brake test rig was awoken and coupled to the wagon, then full brake operation and leakage tests were completed. A few items were noted including a missing axle upkeep split pin, a dry coupling, a missing vacuum pipe dummy seal and a small leak from a vacuum branch-pipe, all of which were attended to.

    Whilst the coupling was being oiled, Matt applied the No.1 wheel identification arrow.

    With the white undercoat drying quickly I was able to apply the yellow gloss to the axleboxes. The final item to be completed next week will be the red bands on the east side axleboxes before the wagon can be signed-off to go back into traffic.

    A busy weekend with a number of wagons reaching completion helped boost team spirit and the sense of achievement, so we celebrated by raising 3-flags for the 3 completed box-vans.

    Thanks for reading, all the best, Dave.

  • 26/06/22 – More vans and a Volvo

    Saturday with Nick, Thomas and I on site.

    Undercoating 783082 and 777171 for Nick and Thomas.

    Whilst I applied undercoat and then gloss to 784409, adding the Circuit marker and refreshing the axle box end caps.

    On to Sunday with a larger team on site, Nick, Ross, Dave, Richard and I. First task Gloss the previous days work.

    This was followed by a wash for the Volvo, which we are planning to give a refresh.

    Nick took some time to straighten an engine door and mudguard. which were then refitted.

    With the Volvo clean completed we rearranged a few items to tidy the area around the bufferstop.

    That completes this weekends update, so as always. more next week.

  • 19/06/22 – Rail Oddities

    We begin this update on Friday. Having packed last week all was set for our Welsh road trip to the Gwili Railway. Totalling 508 miles from Lincoln to Bronwydd Arms station via Quorn, Jerry preformed faultlessly.

    Our thanks goes to Phil Budd for inviting us to the event and we extend that thanks to all the volunteers both resident at the Gwili and who brought there own Oddities for making us feel welcome.

    Between manning our own display Ross and I managed to man a Loco. Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd No. 7849 Moorbarrow, to be honest it was a footplate ride.

    With a ride on some of the other oddities, namely the Wickham trolley from the Somerset & Dorset Railway and the Pump trolley from the Great Western Society at Didcot.

    We also met Lawrie from Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels, with a possible joint venture in the future, Jerry becoming a supporter of Lawrie’s work.

    A ”Quick” drive back to Quorn which was followed by Sunday taken up by emptying Jerry, cleaning and drying our kit, interspersed with the raising of our new flag pole, fitting a temporary exhaust to the Volvo as well as looking at a few electrical and cosmetic issues.

    https://videopress.com/v/rUlimCHS?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

    Basically a rest, lets see what next week brings.

  • 12/06/22 – Vans, Vans and Vans (oh and a BRUTE)

    Good evening all, and welcome to another blog post from us at Quorn. This week has been a busy one, including one new arrival, and several vans having had their west side repaint completed. We’ve also added another BRUTE repaint to the growing number.

    Firstly, Nick has taken delivery of a 1988 Mk3 Transit van. Christened Tom, the plan is for it to match Jerry. There is currently no timescales for this, it needs a little bit of work before we can get to that stage.

    Dave has progressed the repaint of the van train, first applying a layer of PVA to a panel on the GW Shocvan. We are trying this to seal the panel, so we’ll see what happens with that. This PVA solution dried relatively quickly so Dave then applied undercoat to both north end panels.

    Both Matt and Dave also did some signwriting on the vans and once Matt had finished that he carried on the repaint of BRUTE number 3, or QW1284. This got a coat of our Trolley Blue and later in the day the details applied, like yellow brake handle and black for the chalking area.

    I concentrated on the Volvo, removing the very tired and broken exhaust silencer and trying to sort out some of the niggling issues as a result of that. The exhaust silencer was very rotten and damaged and I’ve come up with a temporary soltuon until we can find a new silencer. I also tried to push grease into all the grease nipples I could find.

    After painting Gloss on various vans, Nick and Richard got started on the next two vans to in the queue; B777171 and B783082. The doors and panels got scraped, then spot primed/PVA’d. I also got in on the action with the PVA solution.

    That marks 4 more vans with the west side having had a repaint, these being B784409, B850498, B779978 and B780282

    Matt and I also took some time to mock up our stand for our visit to Gwili Railway’s Rail Oddities gala next week. We’ve looking forward to visiting and Jerry is looking forward to making more railway friends!

    Thanks for reading, Matt and I will report on our trip to Gwili, and we’ll see what we can get done on Sunday. See you then!

  • 05/06/22 – Jubilee bank holiday.

    Its Jubilee bank holiday, so what better way than working on items built during the reign of our Queen, although for us thats excludes 22 rail vehicles from our 99 strong fleet.

    Nick, Dave, Jake and I on site Thursday.

    Dave out with the sign writing brushes applying lettering to B852838 and B854782

    Nick and Jake focused on B850498 (0ne of the 22 that was build before the reign of Elizabeth II) and B779978. Scraping the wood work, applying primer and undercoating were possible.

    For me, I began with a mega mixing session, dialling down and recording the precise ratios for our hand mixed Trolley Blue.

    With the mix complete, I applied a second coat to our first completed Brute and to the base of the second as we were literally scraping the bottom of the paint tin last week.

    Details were also applied. Fleet number, Brake handle, chalk board and black to the ID plate.

    Shock squares were then applied to B854782

    Jake glossing the doors of B780282.

    Thursday wraps up with 2 matching Brutes. A completed Shockvan, a partially signwritten Shockvan and 3 vans repaint progressed.

    Only Nick onsite Friday, who primed and undercoated the remaining panels of B780282, undercoated those which had been primed on B850498 and primed B779978.

    On to Saturday with Nick, Ross and I on site. Nick starting with undercoat to B779978. Followed by Gloss to B780282.

    I got the white out applying the shock stripes t0 B852838 and B850498

    This was followed by a touch of sign-writing. Right hand details to 838 and the paint symbol to the east side of B854782.

    Ross and Nick then applied gloss to the previously undercoated panels of B779978.

    Then scraping and priming of 498 and B784409.

    Whilst we waited for paint to dry we decided to do another BRUTE.
    Wire brushed, then a touch of welding. Including a crack, that a number of the trolleys seem to have.

    With the welding complete, it only made sense to prime it, bet you regret visiting us now Owen?

    Oh, and time for one final task.

    Sunday, same team, unfortunately rain stopped play so a tidy session. Although Jerry had the opportunity to sit with Dame Vera Lynns Escort Mk3.

    Here’s hoping for better weather next week.

  • 29/05/22 – Painting in Numbers

    Good evening all, and welcome to this week’s update from Quorn. Dave has been attending to a BRUTE, Nick and I have repainted the west side of 2 vans, and Matt has sorted out the west side bearing end caps on the Bolster.

    Nick and I started preparing the 2 selected vans, B852838 and B854782. Scraping the frame work and giving the previously glossed woodwork a key.

    Dave set to work upon QW1282, attacking it with a brush cup on an angle grinder. Later some degreaser was used on the base to remove the caked on stuff that was there.

    A brief interlude for me saw Dave and I repair a small MIG welder we had been donated in order to repair some of the mesh on the BRUTE. Admittedly with both need some more practise, but there is now more meshing attach than when the BRUTE arrived so that can be classed as a win!

    Dave got to applying the primer, whereas I rejoined Nick to start painting the very familiar purple/red shade of undercoat to the two vans mentioned.

    By the end of Saturday, Dave had finished priming the BRUTE and Nick and I had finsihed undercoating both vans. Sunday saw Matt join us after a work doo on Saturday. My first job on Sunday was to fit a new radio in Jerry, to be a much more period appropriate looking item. Jerry then went to join some other younger Fords in the main yard.

    Matt sorted out the end caps on the Bolster, masking, keying and applying the red band to the caps. We are led to believe that the red band denotes that lithium based grease is used in the bearing.

    Before starting the Bolster, Matt mixed up a further batch of paint for the second BRUTE which Dave started applying.

    Nick and I applied the gloss coat to the shock vans, starting with B852838. We finished the day by applying a layer of undercoat to the next van, B780282. Between them, Dave and Matt had the Brute finished and with the other it really does look splendid!

    Thanks for reading, and join us again on Sunday to see what we get up to!

  • 22/05/22 – Bolster Bearings

    Welcome to this weeks update from the team at Quorn. Thanks to the operations team for the shunt movement during the week, the Bogie Bolster D is now out of the dock and coupled to Test Car 2 which will allow us to finish off the east side of the wagon.

    Tank 3711 taking its place in the dock road ready for us to make a start on its restoration.

    Saturday saw Matt, Michelle, Ross, Nick and myself on site, taking a look at our new gazebo.

    Matt then continued with some finishing touches to Jerry, removing the door trim cards and painting the inner edges of the front doors; whilst Nick attended to a troublesome sliding door in the Mess coach before heading off to a Scout camp.

    Ross and myself made a start on axlebox/bearing maintenance on the Bogie Bolster D, starting on the west side removing the axlebox covers for inspection.

    We were a bit surprised to find that the insides of the covers had been painted, probably during the wagons’ last general repair in 1976. Therefore the covers were thoroughly cleaned out. New grease was pumped into each axlebox in accordance with the BR maintenance instructions. Unfortunately we ran out of bearing grease so the east side axleboxes will have to wait until next weekend.

    Matt completed an overdue task, fitting the Limited Clearance signs to the east side of the shed and garage.

    Sunday started with Ross and Matt taking a look at what appeared to be a slight dragging brake on Jerry. Luckily it was found to be a sticky brake piston which was freed off.

    Matt also re-fitted the front door cards.

    It was a busy morning in Quorn yard with a Ford RS Owners Club regional show day. Jerry being a Ford just had to join-in, an received much attention on his travels around the yard.

    I continued with the Bogie Bolster D, de-greasing and cleaning the west side axlebox covers, then applied a coat of white undercoat. This paint dries really quickly so I was able to follow up with the yellow quite soon afterwards.

    Next the handbrake levers, all four of them, were undercoated and white glossed.

    Ross took a look at an outstanding job on the vacuum brake system, the blanking off of the south end DA valve. The DA (direct admission) valves only have real advantages for longer trains of similarly fitted vehicles. As neither will apply to the operation of this wagon at the GCR we’d decided to blank-off and seal the DA valve rather than spend the time and money overhauling the unit.

    Matt then joined me in applying underframe black to the east side of the bogie frames.

    On their way home with Jerry, Matt & Michelle visited Lincoln station, parking in front of what was the old Red Star parcels office, re-creating a scene reminiscent of a picture taken by Brian Simmons in 1989, Red Star Parcels Ford Escort 1989.

    That concludes what was an enjoyable and productive weekend, thanks for reading; join us again next week; all the best, Dave

  • 15/05/22 – Starting the final details.

    Its vintage vehicle weekend at the GCR, so Madge and Jerry out representing us in the main yard. They also made a new friend who spent the night with them, I wonder what conversations were had?

    They then spent Sunday together.

    On to the main event, as we move closer to the Bogie Bolsters completion.

    Nick and Richard focusing on the bolsters, de-weeding and creosoting.

    Dave with paint and brush applied the east side lettering.

    All that remains is the all important shunt by the Operations department to gain access to the hidden bogie.

    I also had my brushes out completing our secret project.

    Which was then mounted in the evening.

    Thomas was also on site and was able to reach all those areas the less flexible members of the group could not.

    On to Sunday, and a few finishing touches on the sign.

    Literally dotting the I’s as I missed them, tidying of the right hand edge and prime and gloss the back.

    Next task was the annual exam of the Midland Brake van, as this is due and the vehicle required for mid week work .

    We were aware of a foot step issue with the vehicle and this was duly changed and creosoted.

    Final task for me, the first trip home for Jerry. An absolute pleasure with no issues.

    That brings us to the end of this update, lets do it all again next weekend shall we?

  • 08/05/22 – May Bus Rally

    Hello all and welcome to this week’s update. Its a rare weekend without Nick, so let’s see what we’ve got up to.

    Saturday saw the bus rally take place at Quorn, and we were asked to open the Test Car as an attraction. Jerry went and met a few of the buses, including Beatrice and Billie. Dave, Matt and Richard held the fort for the day, and by all accounts it was quite busy. Thank you to all those who came to view Test Car 2 and donated, every bit goes back into the wagons and the coaches. Matt also had the sales stand out for its second airing, so thanks to those who purchased items from us.

    Sunday just had Matt, Eireni and I on site. Our first job was to pick Matt up from Rothley. Jamie has very kindly finished Jerry off with a polish and detail. You are in for a treat, but I’ll be saving the pictures for later.

    Once back at Quorn, our first task was to find and then sink some suitable posts to be used for a special project, more on that in coming weeks. Between the two of us, plus some assistance from Jake, we got the posts sunk in the ground and Matt got them cleaned and painted.

    At this point, I made a start on painting the bogies on the Bogie Bolster. I had hoped to do both sides of both bogies, but it was unable to be shunted out. I concentrated on the West side bogies, these being accessible. I did one coat over the bogie frame and then left it while we had tea and did a second coat. This leaves the east side to do when the wagon is out of the Dock.

    Matt tidied up the yard after opening the Test Car, then painted a last few details on the one painted BRUTE. These details being the chalkboard panel, its new assigned number and the serial number plate.

    Once complete, we got the call from Jamie to come and pick Jerry up from Rothley. In this case pictures speak 1000 words:

    Thank you Jamie, Jerry has really come up a treat! That about wraps up this week. I’m not sure what the plan is next week, but I’m sure that someone will write about it!