Hello everyone and welcome to another update from Quorn. This week has been one of defect clearance, cleaning and finishing off vac cylinder repairs, including a new improved special tool! Its also been lovely to see the tank train running on Saturday for as part of the firing school. Okay, lets jump in to what we’ve done..
First job was to fit a flip down stop board in the four foot of the dock road to protect the vehicles in the siding, and the people working on them.
Ernie arrived with a new plate to use for pressure testing vacuum cylinder domes once they have been repaired. This also means we can test 18 inch domes as well. Thanks to Ernie for sorting this out. Between Ernie and myself we got the plate sorted and made two o rings to act as the seal between the plate and the dome.
Ernie also worked on another tool used to push out the guide bush in the bottom of the vacuum cylinder.
Charlie, James Oliver and Dan started tidying the area outside the coach beyond the dock as it was starting to look quite untidy and overgrown. Some equipment was re-sited and a lot of brush clearance was done.
Mark, Tom, Oliver and Dan finished off washing the vans in the yard. Mark and Tom then moved over to needle gunning in the pockets of 3689.
Nick and I cleared some of the defects noted against the vans when they have their Fitness to Run exams. A few handbrake rack bolts, underkeep bolts and a handbrake chain. With a bit of assistance we also change two buffers on B784409 on opposite corners.
I had managed to get hold of some soda media in the week and finally had the opportunity to try out the soda blaster, firstly on a vacuum cylinder, but also on 3689. It made a bit of a mess, but thankfully its water soluble! We’ll keep experimenting on this to find out what its best to use it for.
We pressure tested the latest cylinder and found a few further pin holes, however the new plate worked a treat!
Thanks for reading, and join us next week to see what we get up to! Cheers, Ross
Hello and welcome to the news from Quorn this week. We continue with vacuum cylinder repairs, Esso barrel plates and some housekeeping.
James, Nick and Ernie all having a bash at needle gunning the repaired 21″ cylinder to check for any more pitting/holes. Thankfully only pitting was found.
Ross and Charlie assembled the new welding screens.
I gave one of Esso barrel plates a second coat on the red text, the other one was done by Ross on Sunday. These will get a coat of varnish before fitting to a tank.
A damaged 15″ cylinder was retrieved from storage in the van train. It was stripped down and assessed. All quite good, however one of the cylinder lugs has broken. This will require sending away for repair. Ross removed the release valve studs from the cylinder, one of which needed a little heat to release.
I fitted the freshly painted 3D printed builders plates to tank 3621.
The Commuted Charge panel and star were also given a second coat of yellow.
We are also trialling our own make of Overhead Warning flash plates as an alternative to signwriting them on. In order to assess how well they stand up to the good old British weather, one has been fitted to the south end of the garage building.
Mark, Tom and Oliver started cleaning the corrugated ends of the vans in the yard, in preparation for a freshen up later in the year. they look loads better for just a wash.
Tom also brought in cake for his upcoming birthday. Happy birthday Tom!
Ernie and Ross pressure tested the cleaned down 21″ cylinder finding a few small pinholes which will need to be rectified.
That about wraps things up there, join us next time where we should hopefully be mounting some Esso plates to a wagon and probably many other things!
Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s update from the railways winter gala. The tank train has been up and down, with both 3606 (sans Esso plate, though more on that later…) and 1919 making their freight train debuts. Apologies to some of you as they were both facing north!
Ernie carried on with Operation Vacuum Colander, tackling the cylinder removed from 3689 with the hole in the side. Using side wall sections out of a donor cylinder, Ernie cut out the rot and replaced with the ‘new’ metal. This kept Ernie busy for most of the weekend, as more metal was put in the more holes appeared!
Daniel and Charlie started wire brushing two vacuum cylinders which have been in the garage in bits. The surface rust has been removed now ready for some primer to be applied to the appropriate areas
James helped me fix down the table top in the mess coach, finishing the preparation and spreading the glue contact adhesive on both surfaces. The Formica surface was lowered back onto the wood and then clamped and weighed down. I’m going to try and polish the Formica and the surrounding wood will get a coat of varnish too.
During the week, I collected 8 Esso plates from DEU in Derby who cut, rolled and painted them white for us. This leaves Dave and I to signwrite them. Nick and I unloaded these from my car and stored them in Madge’s box trailer out of harms way.
Dave used the good day on Saturday to get the ‘Esso Petroleum Company Limited’ wording on the west side of 3621, which finishes the lettering on that side, just details left there now.
Nick, Charlie and Oliver went to Swithland on Sunday to recover a gas box to fit to the mess coach, which was done when they got back. We’ll use the gas box to store the fuel for the new heater.
Mark and Tom gave the Conflat a wash down, and then got the needle guns out to prepare the end pockets on 3689. While they did this, Dan picked out the lettering on the Hurst Nelson builders plates.
Dave and I got set up in the Test Car, each of us tackling an Esso plate. There is some work still to do on these including a coat of varnish. Not sure if we’ll put these on 3606 or 3621 yet, but they’ll appear out in the wild soon!
Thanks for joining us, and hopefully you’ve enjoyed seeing the tanks out again at the gala. Next week, I’m sure there will be more tank related activity, but who knows! See you then.
Hello and welcome to our this week’s news from Quorn. Work continues on two of the tanks, the lowfit, two vacuum cylinders and we get the diesel heater working in the mess coach.
The power switch and circuit breaker for the heater were installed into a 3d printed panel that Ross set into the end panel in the mess area. A temporary warm air outlet was fitted to the end of the heater, and under the coach the fuel pump was fitted & plumbed up to a temporary fuel arrangement. After a little challenge bleeding the system and changing the feed pipe to a smaller diameter tube, the heater was powered up and has performed admirably over the weekend keeping the mess-area nice and warm. The next stage will be to fit the under seat ducting for the air inlet and warm air outlets, & finishing off the fuel supply arrangement.
Mark, Tom, Oliver and Daniel progressed bodyside and underframe paint removal from the Lowfit using needle guns and scrapers. Red oxide primer was then applied to the prepared areas.
After drying off the overnight rain from tank 3621, Dan and myself completed some signwriting. Dan looking after a registration plate, tare and load text; and myself doing the east side Esso Petroleum Company Limited tank barrel text.
Ernie continued with final areas of welding and cleaning up the two repaired vacuum cylinder domes. The 21″ one also receiving a coat of primer.
After applying a little heat, Nick straightened up the bent lamp bracket on tank 3689.
The mess coach table tops have been attempting to part company from the tables for some time, so Charlie and Ross set to work carefully removing the Formica panel from the worst affected table. The remains of the glue was then scraped off the table surface and the underside of the Formica with a little heat-gun help.
The overhead warning flash plate that had to be removed from one side of tank 3854 last year (to allow for the Esso text), was repaired and re-fitted in the normal position in the centre of the wagon. To do this some additional length was welded onto the plate lugs, which were then dressed before the the plate was welded into place.
Two birthday cakes were dealt with in the normal manner (being devoured very quickly). James’s cake went that quickly there was no chance of a picture, and very little of mine was left by the time this snap was taken….lol.
Thanks for reading, join us again next week, all the best; Dave.
Hello everyone and welcome to this weekend’s update. How did everyone enjoy the weather they got? There was no snow evident at Quorn at the weekend, but at home in Derby I had a good 2 to 3 inches of the stuff which was still hanging around. Both 3854 and 3689 have seen some activity this weekend, and the additional heater in the coach procedes ever closer to being fired up.
Saturday was a colder day, so I spent it inside the coach again running the feed wires from the coach’s bespoke electrical cubicle to the new DC/DC converter that I’ve fitted next to the heater.
Nick, James and Charlie went on a road trip to Foxfield to gather some more Esso tank parts, this time it was more outfeed pipes and valves to replace those that arrived missing on 3854. When they got back and after a cup of tea, the valves and outfeed pipes were fitted.
With the day being a little warmer on Sunday the pressure washer was cracked out to clean down 3689. Tom, Dan, Oliver and Tom worked on this most of the day, getting wet through in the process. Most of the unsound paint came off including most of the black sign writing resembling silver snowflakes. After this the team gave 1802 a going over, removing its layer of algae.
I carried on in the coach, getting the heater all wired up and at the end of the day I was able to get the heater powered on which leaves the plumbing for me to do. Ernie spent the morning at Loughborough using the machinery to make us a tool for punching out the bushes in the base of the vacuum cylinders. Thanks to Dave Wright of LMS for the material offcuts.
That wraps up this week, thanks for reading everyone! See you next week for more wagon antics!
Hello and welcome to this weeks update covering work at Rothley and also back at Quorn.
The last few days of 2025 saw the final stages of painting, lettering and varnishing of Vanfit B777728 at Rothley.
The east side solebar was black glossed by Nick and Charlie, whilst Ernie cleaned up and painted the vacuum pipe swan-necks & handbrake lever ends.
I prepared the signwriting templates and chalked up the east bodyside ready for applying the running number and wagon details.
The re-assembled vacuum cylinder was re-fitted to Palshoc Van B855568; and one of the springs was removed to be used as a pattern for making some replacement ones. In order for the van to remain movable a temporary spring was fitted in its place.
The spare axleboxes that were removed from the old wheelsets of the Palshoc chassis were cleaned and the nuts/bolts removed before the parts were put into store. Some of the nuts needed a little heat persuasion to release.
Whilst Nick varnished the west bodyside; I applied the running number and bodyside lettering to the east side of B777728; along with what will be the last use of the 2025 paint symbol.
The west side solebar Builders Plate was then chalked up and painted on, along with the vacuum release star.
Into 2026 and some of the team returned to Quorn whilst Mark, Ross and myself put the finishing touches to B777728 at Rothley.
The east bodyside and van ends were varnished.
The east side solebar Builders Plate and vacuum release star were applied.
The rest of the team at Quorn removed one of the defective leaf springs from tank 3621 which was taken to Rothley, This will be sent away with the Palshoc springs as a pattern for replacements to be made.
Tom got stuck in to picking out the Esso Owners Plates lettering and completed all 8 of the plates that will be fitted in due course to 3606, 3621, 3854 and 3689.
The plates picked out by Tom for 3621 were fitted by Nick on Sunday. Unfortunately due to the cold weather not a lot else could be done outside.
Ross made a start fitting a diesel heater to the mess coach, cutting out a floor aperture for the burner air inlet and exhaust and bolting the mounting plate and heater to the floor.
That winds up our work this week, we’ll keep looking at the forecast hoping for warmer weather next weekend so that we can progress with our projects. Thanks for reading!
In what is our first post of the 2026, we look back on 2025. For us you could call this the year of the tank, perhaps more specifically the year of the Esso tank. We started off the year however with the TTAs.
In the first months of 2025, we worked to produce two identical vacuum through pipes for both 1802 and 1919 after first establishing the routing. This has turned our two TTA tanks into TTBs as they were built – B being the suffix code in TOPS for an air braked and vacuum piped wagon.
February also marked the arrival of 3621 from the Fox field Railway. Its arrival marks the fourth such tank at the railway, and you may notice a thread forming…
In March, an Esso tank chassis arrived from Foxfield Railway which, thanks to our friends at the National Wagon Preservation Group (NWPG), was identified as the chassis from 3797. This began a bigger project, and probably a preservation first, to reunite a barrel and chassis.
Thanks again to the NWPG, a barrel was located and purchase and was lifted on in March, and welded on in July with new side tank supports and ladders fabricated and fitted. 3606 and 3621 were both prepped and painted in October.
With 1919 still at Quorn, its barrel and chassis was prepared, painted and signwritten and release to traffic in August.
Winding back to July, the gang helped Eireni and I celebrate our wedding at the Museum of Making. I still smile at the memories of the day and seeing the Quorn lot greek dancing.
Also in July, another Esso tank had arrived from Llangollen. Numbered 3854, it sat as next in the queue. By the end of the year, its sat in primer waiting for undercoat and gloss when the weather is right.
The Lowfit went to Rothley to have both dragboxes rebuilt has a contract job by the C&W team, and also at Rothley a further chassis had arrived to re-wheel a Shock Palvan body. The body was owned by RVP as a store, and is in good general condition aside from the door frame work.
In October, yet another Esso tank arrives at the railway this time from the North Dorset Railway. This tank is 3689, it was made fit to move and has had the vacuum system repaired following the discovery of a ventilated vacuum cylinder. This tank marks the 7th 35t gross Esso tank to arrive at the railway.
Now back at Quorn, the Lowfit received a vacuum cylinder overhaul and a weld repair to the vacuum train pipe.
Towards the end of the year, we’ve again been able to move to Rothley to repair B777728 after it was withdrawn earlier in the year due to the roof trying to part company with the van. We’ve been able to repair and re-sheet the roof, we’ve fitted new door ‘noggins’ and have repainted the two ends and the east side. The west side has also been varnished to increase its longevity.
We’ve opened the Test Car for various events in the year, three times in April, and also the Rail 200 event in August which has given us the opportunity to share the vehicles unique history and meet you all. We supported the ever popular Railways at Work Gala and put on a fantastic show.
Around new arrivals and repaints, we’ve carried on with the usual vacuum cylinder overhauls, annual bearing exams and other small jobs. The BEVs have had repairs and maintenance, and Edward has also had a rebuild.
We’ve launched our new look website, and after a few teething issues its settled down. I’ve got a few other ideas for improvements which I’ll be working on over the coming year.
In 2026, we’ll be continuing push on the Esso tanks, aiming towards a block train of Esso type tanks. 3621 is awaiting signwriting, 3854 is awaiting undercoat and gloss and 3689 needs the works. We’re planning to refresh the van train, the east side of most vans haven’t bee touched for a number of years and they are starting to look a bit tired. We’ve also got a few more roofs to look at. We’ll also get the Conflat and the Lowfit out after a new floor each.
Thank you for reading, and for your support over the year. Our next update will contiue as normal on the 4th.
Hi, Seasons Greetings and a warm welcome to our BETWIXTMAS update from the Team at Quorn as we continue with work at Rothley.
After buffer shank cleaning, oiling up and final inspection, tank 3606 departed Quorn on the 22 December to join the rest of the tank train at Swithland.
Tanks 3621, 3854 and 3689 were also shunted into the dock at Quorn ready for when we return to work there in the New Year.
At Rothley work continued on B777728, with Charlie and Nick fitting the repair sections to the roof edges, and the roof sheet was slid into position.
Saturday 27th, Mark, Dan, Tom and Oliver got to work with the east body side, which was scraped and sanded and a few patch filler repairs completed. The metalwork was then given a coat of primer.
The body ends were scraped and wire brushed, then primed.
Meanwhile myself and Ross cleaned up and primed the roof hoops.
The team took a break for a ride on a Betwixtmas service train to enjoy a fabulous Griddle Car breakfast.
Back to work, Charlie and James made a start disconnecting the vacuum cylinder on Palshoc Van B855568. The brake rigging was also disconnected on the west side in preparation for cylinder removal.
Ross and myself trial fitted the roof end hoops, then removed them to apply sealant before bolting them into place and the sealant edges were wiped to give a neat finish.
The roof sheet ends were then trimmed neatly.
Mark, Oliver, Tom and Dan applied undercoat to the east side of B777728.
Ross and myself then helped with the vacuum cylinder removal from the Palshoc. Some stubborn brake rigging needed a little hammer persuasion, and the inner trunion needed a little heat to free it off.
Sunday, Tom and Oliver applied gloss Bauxite to the east body side and both ends of B777728.
Ross and myself stripped the damaged studs from the Palshoc’s vacuum cylinder and removed the piston rod nut to allow easy cleaning out of the threads; whilst Nick cleaned up the piston rod.
Ross and myself then trial fitted the two new door top noggins to B777728, this enabled us to mark-out a couple of slight modifications needed to allow the noggins to clear some bodyside frame bolts. A router was used to carefully cut recesses to clear the bolts and also for the door lock bar / retaining plate.
Once the noggins were routed out we were able to mark-out and drill the eight locating bolt holes.
Tom and Oliver cleaned up the flaking surface of the solebars on B777728 which had previously been painted with bitumen paint. Unfortunately we are are finding that after a few years, the bitumen paint that we used on a few wagons is not lasting very well. We’ve since reverted to using Black Gloss, of which a coat was applied to the west side and both ends.
The noggins and retaining plates were given a final trial fit before removing to allow painting. Nick also cleaned up the trunion mounting plate for the Palshoc.
That wraps up our Christmas week working at Rothley; join us next for a look back over the last 12 months as we head towards 2026.
Best wishes for your New Year celebrations, and a reminder that you can see in the New Year on-board the GCR’s Nightrider train, more details here – “Nightrider” cheers, Dave.
Hello everyone and thanks for joining us for the last update before Christmas. We’ve wrapped up our last bit of work at Quorn while we move to Rothley over the Christmas period to work on B777728, which was withdrawn earlier in the year with a roof that was trying to break free.
Our weekend starts this time on Friday after B777728 was placed into the shed to start its drying out process. Nick and Charlie stripped the roof hoops and roof sheet, then removed the previous roof edge repairs.
On Saturday the team were back at Quorn, first task for Nick, James and I was to vacuum test 3606 to prepare it for release on Monday. We’ll have to sort out getting the Esso plates fitted at a later date, but we can do this from two ladders. Only three missing split pins were found on the inspection, which were all rectified.
Mark, Oliver, Tom and Dan carried on with needle gunning the Lowfit, getting the west side and the headstock back to bare metal and then splashing the primer around.
Charlie, Harry, and James though also joined by Oliver and Dan carried on the ground works on the ramp up to the dock which got tested with both Danny and Hector.
Ernie carried on with the welding of the cylinder dome, in the cycle of finding then repairing leaks in the weld, though thankfully this time all the leak have now been rectified. This dome can now be painted inside and out, and put back into use. Ernie also welded the one corner of the side of the Lowfit, both ends of which have cracked the lower weld.
Today, Nick, Charlie, Ernie and I went to Rothley to remove the door ‘noggins’ and start to measure and cut the new roof edges. Charlie prepared the metal frame of the van, which Ernie duly primed.
Charlie and I undid the door top frames and removed them from the van, then measured up for the new roof edges.
After we got the pieces cut and before leaving, Charlie painted the framework where we had been working to get it ready to fit the repair pieces.
That’s where we wrap up today, all that left for me to do is to wish you all a Merry Christmas! We hope you have a restful and happy holiday. Join us again next week, where we’ll have a bit of midweek working to report on, as well as the activities of the weekend.
Hello and welcome; this week we have been busy with the Tanks, the Lowfit, and a vacuum cylinder, in between celebrating and some festive feasting. Nick is recovering (on light duties) this week after an operation; however it didn’t stop him celebrating his Birthday with Cuthbert the Caterpillar.
Saturday, James and myself used paint removal discs to clean off the white paint from the tyres of tank 3854. A coat of black was then applied.
Charlie & Ernie meanwhile made a start making a blanking plate for the repaired 21″ vacuum cylinder so that we could pressure test the cylinder repairs. The plate was cut, the edges ground up, mounting holes marked and drilled out. A centre hole was also drilled ready for the pressure fitting.
The cylinder studs were run down with a die-nut to clean the threads and a boss was welded to the plate to take the pressure fitting.
Once the sun had raised the temperature a bit, I was able to start applying the running numbers to tank 3621.
James applied a coat of black to the Owners plates for tanks 3606 and 3621.
On Sunday, Ernie, Charlie and Ross fitted the air test gauge and pipe to the blanking plate, then the plate was bolted to the vacuum dome using an old rubber cylinder seal in the joint.
The air supply from Edward was coupled via a valve; then raising the pressure slowly to around 20psi and using some washing up liquid solution, we were able to see a couple of pin-hole leaks in the weld repair around the top of the dome. These were ground back and re-welded.
Mark, Tom, Harry and Oliver continued with the Lowfit scraping and needle gunning work started last week.
I busied myself with some solebar lettering on tank 3621.
Sunday lunchtime, and our Chefs Mark & Tom treated us all to some festive Turkey & Duck baguettes, with trimmings of course.
Followed by crackers!
After a rather extended lunch-break, work continued with some red oxide being applied to the areas cleaned up on the Lowfit.
A coupe of final jobs were attended to on tank 3606, including securing the new brake rigging split pins, removing the operating link from the redundant vacuum cylinder and securing the cylinder to prevent rotation by making and fitting bracket between the cylinder and the underframe. Once the vacuum release chords are fitted, tank 3606 will be ready for handover to the C&W Department for final inspection before entering traffic.
Join us again next week, in the meantime I’ll leave you with pics of the Tanks and Lowfit; all the best, Dave
