Tag: 1802

  • 16/02/2025 – New Arrival

    16/02/2025 – New Arrival

    Hello and welcome to our weekly update from the team at Quorn.

    This week we are pleased to announce a new arrival to our fleet and we are nearing completion of the vacuum through piping on both of the TTAs.

    So here is our new arrival; 35T TSV Tank wagon number 3621, built in 1958 by Hurst Nelson in Wakefield for Esso, initially registered to BR Scottish Region (registration number 808). In the 1980s it was sold to the CEGB, renumbered 48527; then subsequently entered preservation in 1990. It has been acquired from the Foxfield Railway where it had been used as a water carrier; arriving at Quorn on 14 Feb 2025.

    There is some work to do on the tank to get it operational, including freeing off the seized brakes, replacing the missing Vacuum brake cylinder and the faulty buffers; and removing the non original water pump and pipework.
    The aim will then be to restore it back into its original Esso livery and for it to join the other Esso tanks in the train.

    Saturday and with Nick, Ross, Ernie, Harry, Charlie and myself on-site, we concentrated on finishing off making and assembling the remaining sections of vacuum pipe for TTA tank 1919.

    Once assembled the north and south end sections of vacuum pipe were threaded under the wagon and clamped into place.

    This allowed us to then accurately measure the centre straight section of pipe, cut, thread and fit in place with the two temporary clamps. The final joint being an in-line coupler.

    Although some of the clamps are still temporary and final more substantial ones made; with the completion of the pipes we got out the vacuum test rig to see if the two wagons would hold vacuum.
    Before we connected the rig compressed air from Edward was blown through the new pipework on both wagons to ensure they were clear and free from any debris.

    With the vacuum rig connected to both wagons the new pipework was checked for leakage using the standard vacuum test gauges, and stood up very well.
    We then decided to do a full check of the air brake system on both wagons. Air from Edward was fed via the regulator, air valves and gauges on the test rig allowing us to control brakes on both wagons. The brakes operated as they should and using Test Car 2s air test gauge and stopwatch the application and release times of the air brakes were confirmed to be within specification.

    We finished the day on Saturday taking a look at the seized brakes on tank 3621 in the yard. Initial findings were that the majority of the brake rigging is not seized, just very gunked up.

    Sunday saw more hands on-site with Nick, Ross, Ernie, Charlie, Mark, Tom, Dan, Oliver, James and myself at Quorn.
    It was great to be able to help Ernie celebrate his 82nd Birthday, and enjoy some cake too.

    Happy Birthday Ernie !

    Ernie and myself continued with vacuum pipe bracket manufacturing for tank 1919, cutting strips of steel plate then heating and bending to shape. Mounting bolt holes were then drilled.

    Three new brackets were completed and fitted into place. The parts for the final two brackets were also made and are ready for welding up next week.

    The rest of the team concentrated on tank 3621. Whilst the wagon was in the yard and easily accessible for the Volvo, the opportunity was taken to fit the vacuum brake cylinder that we had refurbished a few weeks ago ready. A replacement outer trunnion bracket was sourced and new nuts, washers & bolts.

    The wagon was then moved down the yard to our working area; the water pump, filling pipe and associated fittings & valves were all removed.

    More work was also done cleaning up and freeing off the brake rigging and couplings.

    Ross had to attend to a damaged sill cover from his car, making a new end piece and repairing some of the broken clips; whilst Charlie re-wired a 110v transformer for Ross to check before it was tested.

    That wraps up a busy weekend for the team; our new arrival looking very much at home stabled with the TTAs.

    Join us again next week, all the best, Dave

  • 09/02/24 – Happy birthday, Tom!

    09/02/24 – Happy birthday, Tom!

    Hello everyone and welcome to another update from Quorn. We’ve finished the through pipe on 1802 which is now fully fitted but not yet tested. This just leaves the same pipe to make on 1919, which we’ve made a good start on.

    Firstly, we wish Tom a happy 18th birthday!. Tom’s family very kindly sent along some lovely cakes last week (which I should have mentioned, sorry!).

    First action on the tanks was to remove the pipework as fitted to 1802 to use as a template for the pipe on the 1919. While the pipe was in I measured up to make the last pipe bracket. We also got the heat gun out and adjusted the two dummy brackets fitted to 1802.

    With the heat gun out, we shunted the Lowfit on to the end of the tanks to sort the last remaining bent corner on the west door.

    Ernie and Nick started looking at the bits of pipe we have in stock to match them up to the pipe from 1802, then the pipe cutting and threading continued, with new recruit Harry having a go on the pipe threader.

    I welded up the pipe bracket, getting it ready for fitting. The team got the pipes fitted back into position, while the 6 pipe brackets were fitted with locking nuts. Some hardwood packers have been fitted in some positions to minimise the stress to the pipework.

    Some of the pipe remnants seems quite hard, so required annealing with the heat gun before being manipulated for 1919.

    The Baldwin lads (with some interjection by Charlie) started a secret project on the dock with some scrap wood. Dan was caught having a sit down… Tom and Mark did some touching up on the undercoat north end of the GUV. Dave and Ernie had a brief break by fixing one of Nick’s lamps.

    Last thing to do was christen 1802 and fit some vacuum bags. Next week this will be leak tested alongside the air brakes, and the pipe work on 1919 should be very close to being finished. we’ll then get organised for the TEA, maybe with a brief interlude to play with a recently delivered new toy! Join us then and see how we get on!

  • 02/02/24 – Finally, a blow through!

    02/02/24 – Finally, a blow through!

    Hello everyone and welcome to another update from Quorn. This week we’ve finished fabricating a through pipe for one of the two TTA tanks, plus we’ve made more progress on painting the GUV.

    Dave and Ernie made a start making the set piece of pipe for the south end, first trying a recovered piece of pipe with a set, but then found that two 45degree elbows would work. With the set pipe made, it was onto cutting a section of straight pipe to fix to the centre section. Plenty of threading action for the three of us!

    Nick, Charlie and James tidied up the bit of yard behind the signal box, and also adjusted the door to the grounded fish van. Dave drilled one of the trollies to mount a large vice as some of the piped were too short to hold and thread in the pipe vice.

    The straight piece of pipe over the south axle was measured, cut then fitted. Even Charlie had a go on the pipe threader…

    Nick started on Sunday painting the south end of the GUV into black gloss, as befitting a brush painted carriage. Ernie and I started to fabricate the last section of pipe, a straight section across the front of the air brake equipment.

    Mark and Oliver took over the black gloss, while Tom worked on the north end of the GUV and primed the metal work. Dan started work on tidying the A type Container, applying primer and scraping the side.

    Nick and Ernie started adjusting some dummy brackets to fit to the now through piped tank, one required a bit of heating, straightening and re-twisting. While they did that, I measured up to alter a pipe bracket for the tank.

    That about wraps up this weekend’s activities on TTA number one, unfortunately we’ll have to repeat it all again on TTA number two. On the plus side, we’ll be well practiced at pipe work! Join us next week to see what we’ve got up to. Thanks for reading.

  • 26/01/25 – Winter Gala Pipe Wrangling

    26/01/25 – Winter Gala Pipe Wrangling

    Hello everyone, and welcome to the update from the Winter Gala. We’ve been progressing in our little yard while watching the freights whizz up and down the line.

    The team set up a handrail and platform at the north end of the GUV to continue the repaint. After this was ready, Mark and Oliver started to undercoat the south end of the GUV.

    Ernie, Dan and I carried on with the through pipe on the TTA, finding a helpfully shaped bit of pipe to sort out the north end of the pipe run. It required a bit of fettling and trimming to suit.

    Mark and Oliver continued with the temporary north end scaffold, adding a rope barrier and a shelf to sit their paint bucket on. They then used the temporary scaffold to scrape and prime the wood on the north end of the GUV, but rain stopped play for any other painting just after lunch on Sunday.

    Ernie, Dave and I measured up to alter the pipework bracket, cutting bending and then welding up the bracket. Dave altered the bracket for the headstock with Nick and Ernie unbending then re-bending an existing bracket to make it suit.

    Nick and Charlie started stripping down the other pipework to make them less of a trip hazard and to ready them for use on either the other TTA or for the TEA.

    The pipe was set back underneath in its new brackets and measured against the next piece along. both was cut to suit and threaded for the two pieces to be married together.

    In the fading light the pipe was hung back underneath ready for the next bit to be measure for and made, but that’s a job for next week! This leaves two pipe lengths still measure, cut then bend. Oh and then we’ll have to repeat it all again for the second tank! Join us then and see how we get on.

  • 19/01/2025 – Tank Pipes

    19/01/2025 – Tank Pipes

    Hello and welcome to another cold weekend update from Quorn. We have reassembled a vacuum cylinder and started manufacturing the vacuum piping for the two TTA Tanks.

    On Saturday morning The Class 50 arrived to collect the van train from the yard in preparation for next weeks Winter Steam Gala.

    Ross fitted a replacement coil pack to the small petrol generator which was then successfully started up. This will be a useful addition to provide power for small tools etc. when we are working away from a mains supply in the yard for example.

    Ross and Ernie then got started selecting suitable pieces of vacuum pipe and modifying lengths and elbow joints to produce the main stepped section of pipe for the first TTA, some heat was necessary to release old joints; the pipe was trimmed to length and new threaded sections cut before assembling.

    The stepped pipe section was trial fitted to TTA 60874 along with the swan neck hose adaptor on the headstock.

    On the vacuum cylinder that had been started a couple of weeks ago, the release valve mounting threads were cleaned up using a die-nut. The piston rod gland was removed, studs cleaned to and the seal replaced with a new one.

    The cylinder was then re-assembled, firstly fitting the piston adaptor that allows a piston rod to be fitted from the top to aid lifting it into place. The rolling was carefully fitted to the upper edge of the piston then the piston was lowered into the cylinder, with a little jiggling to get it to go down evenly.

    The dome was then re-fitted with a new sealing ring and the securing nuts torqued up.

    A transport screw was fitted to the vac cylinder to keep the piston in place preventing damage to the rolling ring, this allowed the cylinder to be turned as necessary for scraping and wire brushing. It was then cleaned before being given a coat of Red Oxide primer.

    A second stepped vacuum pipe section was prepared for 60879.

    Sunday was very much a tidying up day, although some progress was made with cleaning up the final areas of the south end of the GUV, then applying Red Oxide primer to the metal parts.

    The inside of the Mess Coach and GUV were both given a good tidy up along with sorting out the taps and dies that had been recently donated.

    Once the Red Oxide had dried on the end of the GUV the wood areas were treated with wood primer.

    The two TTAs had their vacuum pipes removed when in main line service many years ago; along with the pipes some of the multi pipe brackets were cut back. It was therefore necessary to remove these brackets to allow us to make and re-fit the missing sections that will hold the new vacuum pipe. Some bolts un-did easily whilst others needed the grinder treatment.

    Using a piece of scrap plate of the right thickness, sections were cut, dressed and bent to form the vacuum pipe part for each bracket. These will subsequently be welded to the existing brackets at a later date.

    https://tickets.gcrailway.co.uk/events/91505That wraps up another cold but busy weekend for us; thanks for reading, join us again next week when the GCR will be running the Winter Steam Gala.

    More info here :- Winter Steam Gala 2025

  • 12/01/25 – A very cold weekend!

    12/01/25 – A very cold weekend!

    Hello everyone, and welcome to another weekend update from Quorn. Saturday was a bit of a cold one, with the below 0 temperatures precluding any meaningful external work, though I did design a part for the cut off saw to accept the commercially available abrasive wheels. We laid some more carpet inside the cage area of the mess coach. At least the tank train looked very picturesque in the Down Lie-by!

    With my newly designed and 3d printed parts, I got the cut off saw working and ready to work. Dan and I used it to prepare some of the pipework found last week, cutting away the flame cut ends to square up them up.

    Mark, Tom and Nick did some more work on the south end of the GUV, re-fixing some of the hinge strapping back to the doors, and scrapping the iron and woodwork.

    Danny was uncovered and started for the first time this year to take some items to the vans in the yard. His sheet was unfolded and measured and found to be suitable for a van roof, so this was stripped of components and folded for storage.

    Lastly, we also assembled some pallet racking in the fish van to increase storage space.

    Thanks for reading, and join us next week where we should be starting to fit vacuum pipework to the TTAs.

  • 05/01/25 – Cool Tanks

    05/01/25 – Cool Tanks

    Hello and welcome to our first update for 2025. We have been painting the GUV when the weather has allowed, assessing parts for the tank wagon vacuum piping, and doing some housekeeping.

    Mark, Tom, Dan and Oliver took the opportunity of the good weather on New Years Eve to get the West side of the GUV painted in gloss. They also started work on the south end doors.

    On Saturday Nick, Ernie, Charlie and myself made a start collecting together and assessing what pipework we have that could be used for the vacuum through piping of the three tank wagons. The pipe route on the two TTA wagons is relatively straightforward as these two wagons were vac through pipe fitted when new. Some of the brackets still remain too.

    The TEA however has never had a vacuum pipe so sorting the best route and where to fit suitable mounting brackets is a little more complex.

    On Sunday Mark, Tom, Dan and Oliver continued with the housekeeping including erecting some much needed storage shelving in the Fish Van.

    It was great to see the tanks running throughout the weekend that were being operated as part of staff training exercises.

    Thanks for reading, join us again next week, best regards, Dave

  • 22/12/24 – New projects…

    22/12/24 – New projects…

    Hello, and welcome to another update from Quorn. Now that the Catfish have departed Quorn destined for the Mixed Freight set, we’ve received the two TTAs, and the TEA has been brought down from the top of the yard. We’ll be looking at vacuum through piping these over the coming weeks and months. We’ve also been preparing for a short spell at Rothley to give the roofs of four of the vans some attention.

    First off, the team set about locating our 21″ vacuum cylinder spares, which were spread across a few locations. During this, the yard area was tidied up to release a complete (but not very well cylinder) from inside the Volvo’s bucket.

    This cylinder was removed from 3711 when it arrived, for obvious reasons. Now we are restoring a handful of engineer’s vehicles, which usually all have a 21″ cylinder, we felt that we’d need to check the condition of all available parts, which includes that cylinder…

    With a lot of brute force and occasional ignorance but without heat (surprisingly), the cylinder was dismantled. It remains to be seen if this cylinder will resurrect, but we can only try. Plus it gives us a chance to try soda blasting it!

    Dave removed the cylinder head from the de greaser and gave it a rinse off with the pressure washer. This was left to dry out in the heated mess coach. We’ll begin to assess the rest of the parts as time and other projects allow.

    As the light was falling, Dave and I took a brief look at the through pipe route for the three green tanks, the two TTAs having a well defined route in a bit of a contrast to the TEA.

    All that leaves us to say is Merry Christmas from us. We’ll have another update for you before the New Year with a bit of a wrap up and to cover what we’ve done over the Christmas and New Year period, do join us then!