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
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