Tag: 3854

Hello and welcome to a damp and chilly weekend of progress at Quorn. We dismantle a very corroded vacuum brake cylinder to provide parts to save other cylinders; and make a start with the signwriting on tank 3621.

During the week I spent a day at Rothley helping the C&W team with some finishing touches to TSO E4982 which was needed for Santa Special duties over the weekend.

The weather was not kind to us on Saturday, so Harry, Charlie and myself worked in the dry overhauling vacuum brake release valves to put into stock.

Ross made a start removing the studs from the very corroded vacuum cylinder; some of which were very stubborn and needed a bit of heat to release.

Once the studs were removed the trunion sections were cut around the edges and will be cleaned up and stored as spares.

The next step was to cut off the cylinder dome, cutting from the inside using the lower edge of the dome as a guide.

Centurion ‘Loades’ demonstrating what could be an alternative use for vacuum cylinder parts !

As the day brightened up Ross cleaned up the edges of dome before this was also put into store.

The steps that we use to access the Mess Coach have suffered somewhat with rot and need some urgent repairs; in the meantime we moved the steps normally used for visitor access to Test Car 2 into place next to the mess coach.

Sunday saw more of the team on-site and despite the cold start good progress was made with the tanks.

Mark, Tom and Oliver cleaning and drying out the chassis end pockets on 3854 ready for paint; and Dan finishing off the Overhead Warning sign on 3606.

Ross took a look at the re-wiring of the big welder, however on powering-up it became clear that we need a bigger generator to provide it with enough power to work.
The piston was removed from the Lowfits’ 18″ vacuum cylinder that was started last week and found to be in good order; the marking on the piston confirming that it was last attended to by the Mid Hants Railway in 2008.

With a little help from Nick aligning the template, I marked out and painted the speed rating stars on both sides of tank 3621.

Using a bit of spare 3/16″ plate, Ernie flame cut a circle big enough to use as a patch repair for the dome of the 18″ vacuum brake cylinder. Once cut, the plate was placed on an old steel car wheel, heated and given a few blows with a hammer to create a dish shape.

Nick cleaned up the top of the cylinder and the patch laid in place; Ernie and Ross then made a start welding using the smaller welder.

Dan picked out the Empty-Load changeover valve lettering on both 3606 and 3621; whilst I added the Commuted Charge Star and logo square to both sides of 3621.

Oliver, Tom and Mark did some gutter clearing on the Mess Coach and also Test Car 2. They also applied some red-oxide to the cleaned out chassis pockets on 3854.

Thanks for reading, join us again next week, all the best, Dave

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new look Quorn Wagon & Wagon website. As the website wasn’t ready last week, this update will cover two weeks of work. The website took a liittle more work than initially expected but we’re really happy with how it came out.

Last weekend, we removed the holed vacuum cylinder from 3689 and took a look at the brake rigging as the handbrake was difficult to operate and the brakes did not release cleanly. Charlie and Oliver took charge on the wagon, oiling and working the brakes. Eventually as with the other Esso tanks we split apart the system and found the sticky link. Usually with these its a bolted link right up in the top of the underframe that usually misses lubrication. We got the bolt undone (a surprise in itself!) and manage to get the link down to take it back up the yard for cleaning.

While this was done, a 21 inch vacuum cylinder from stock was prepared to be fitted, with Ernie and James dressing the studs from the cylinder while Harry and Charlie cleaned the cylinder, piston and dome cover. All surfaces applicable got a coat of red oxide primer.

Speaking of red oxide primer, Mark, Oliver, Tom and Ernie coated the last sections of 3854’s barrel in red oxide, after first preparing the surface. Hopefully we can get undercoat on it, however I suspect we have lost painting weather for the year now.

Towards the end of Sunday we got the overhauled cylinder fitted to 3689, but lost the light before getting it connected up. I also measured up the tyre profiles for 3689, which mostly measured up as new.

On to this week then, Saturday was pretty much a wash out, with the yard under 3689 a pond meaning we couldn’t get working to reconnect the vacuum cylinder. In a gap in the rain, we got the cylinder from 3689 stripped apart, using the Volvo to press the piston out of the bore. Harry and Charlie started to clean down the cylinder in the shelter of the garage. This one is definitely a case of looking worse than it is, but there is still some distance to go on that cylinder, maybe might be an opportunity to crack out the soda blaster.

In the afternoon we looked in the van train for any spare 21″ domes as we have 2 in need of repair. we found a further one, so its possible that we can make 2 good ones out of 3 holey ones!

Sunday was a much better day, we started by shunting out the Lowfit, taking the opportunity of a clear middle road to use the Volvo to lift the cylinder out of the wagon. The cylinder in the Lowfit had been damaged by a load in the wagon, filled with water and had subsequently holed through.

To ease rebuilding an 18″ I took the opportunity to take a rolling ring piston rod to make it into a guide rod to use when lowering a piston back into a cylinder. I cut the eye off the end and then drilled a cross hole for a bar to tighten/loosen the rod. We used it, to great effect, on the replacement 18″ cylinder for the Lowfit. The piston behaved exactly as described in the overhaul spec which is encouraging!

Using the Volvo again to lower the overhauled cylinder into the wagon, it was bolted back into the wagon and reconnected ot he brake system. Unfortunately, when we tried to test the system we found a the north end of the train pipe under the headstock is a little more akin to brandy snap and was letting the vacuum out. Another winter job for the list.

Nick and Tom walked back down the yard and got 3689 ready to test after which the team went up to test the brakes, after they were knocked back a half hole on the adjuster as the block gap was too tight to spec.

Charlie looked at the release valve removed from 3689, which to be honest I thought was more use as an anchor for a dingy! Mark and Oliver also got stuck in selecting a valve to look at..

The test went well, and the system passed with flying colours. After which we put everything away and had a celebratory cup of tea!

Thanks for joining us, and do let me know what you think of the new website. Cheers, Ross!

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Quorn update. We start off wishing Mark a happy birthday. To celebrate, Alison with help from Dan made a Test Car 2 cake for us to share, which was very tasty!

Charlie and I began by looking at the two welders collected last week, starting with an inspection. Firstly we noticed that the input cable on both sets were perished so these were removed. A new cable was made for the smaller set, and a bit more research is required for the larger set so these won’t be used for a little while

Dave continued the push on 3606, signwriting the “Esso Petroleum Company Limited” wording on the West side.

Nick and Ernie manufactured some more Esso plate brackets for 3689, bending then marking and drilling the holes and matching the bracket up into sets for each side of the tank.

Charlie was able to use the smaller of the two new welding sets to practise welding on a very rotten spark guard from 3689. While we aren’t focusing on that tank, the opportunity to try out the welder was valuable

Once the 3854 had been dried off, Mark, Oliver, Tom and I started the final sanding of the barrel aiming to get some red oxide primer applied.

Dave and Dan continued with the signwriting on 3606 with Dan taking care of the OLE warning flashes, and Dave the lettering on the west side solebar.

The signwriting on 3606 is pretty much complete aside from part of the west side OLE flash, picking out the SKF on the bearing end caps and of course the big Esso plates.

Most of the team ended up with a brush of primer in their hand for 3854, getting the west side of the barrel and the two ends into red oxide, prepared for the next stage.

We also noticed that the OLE flash mounting plate on the east side of 3854 was also positioned over the Esso Petroleum text, so Nick removed it. As we are before paint, this will likely be welded back to the tank on the other side of the ladder.

That’s where we wrap up this update. Thanks for reading, and join us again next weekend! Cheers, Ross

Hello and welcome to this weeks news from the team at Quorn; one wagon has departed to pasture new, and we welcome a new arrival.

Grampus DB984713 has departed, heading to a new home at the Northampton Ironstone Railway Trust.

Esso tank 3689 built by Hurst Nelson in 1959 has arrived from Shillingstone; it’s currently sporting a fictitious number (6069), however we plan to restore it to its original Esso Petroleum Company condition.

This tank had been used by British Rail (numbered DB999083) at Bournemouth EMU depot as a waste oil tanker before it was saved for preservation at the Swanage Railway; moving to Shillingstone in 2010.

Initial inspection confirms that tank is in good order, the handbrake works well and the buffers / drawgear are serviceable. It however seems to have a little issue with its identity, and when it comes to the vacuum brakes we are faced with some challenges.

The current plan is to complete the restoration work on tanks 3606, 3621 and 3854 before we start in earnest on the new arrival.

Concentrating on 3606 on Saturday, the stars were marked out and painted on both sides of the barrel.

The Commuted Carriage Charge markings on both sides of 3606 were then applied.

Followed by the Tare and Wheelbase solebar lettering.

The new ladders that have been made for us by Lauda Fabrications were collected.

Two welding plants have been kindly loaded to us by Roger Hibbert; these will be commissioned and no doubt help greatly with future repairs work.

On Sunday the signwriting continued on 3606, with the east side wheelbase text and the west side builders plate being completed. The vacuum release designation stars were also applied to both sides.

The last of the repaired spark guards for 3854 had its mounting holes drilled and was painted in red oxide.

The new ladders were fitted to both sides of 3606, and the original ladder from 3621, that had been loaned to Lauda as a template, was also re-fitted.
A little adjustment was required to 3606’s bracket holes to accept the lower bolts.

The ladders for 3606 had been painted by Lauda, however the one re-fitted to 3621 needed a coat of black.

Looking ahead, a start was made on producing another set of Esso plate brackets that will be required for tank 3689. Plate was cut for 16 brackets and a few were heated an bent to a right angle.

Thanks for reading, join us again next week for more tank wagon news.

All the best, Dave

Hello and welcome to the news from another busy weekend at Quorn, as we progress a little further with the tank wagons.

Saturday started dry, with Nick, Ernie, Charlie, James and myself on-site.
Charlie helped me set out the Esso company lettering on the East side of 3606. Once we’d checked the position it was chalked up and traced.

Ernie and Charlie continued with the splasher repairs for tank 3854.

I made a start on the Esso Petroleum Company lettering before the rain brought proceedings to a halt for a while. The splasher repairs were however able to continue in the garage.

The rain cleared after lunch allowing the lettering to continue.

Nick and James also painted the swan necks, lamp brackets and lamp irons.

On Sunday (after an extra hours’ sleep) we had many enthusiastic hands on site, with Nick, Harry, Ernie, Mark, Dan, Tom, Oliver, Charlie and myself.

Despite the weather turning cooler and with occasional showers we still managed to make good progress.

Mark, Oliver and Tom getting stuck into more paint removal from tank 3854.

Ernie and Charlie continued with the splasher repairs.

Dan applied the empty-load lever position teardrop to both sides of 3606 and made a start on the west side builders plate; whilst Nick took a look at the two label clip blocks for tank 3621, having to modify standard hardwood blocks to suit the mounting holes on the tank.

I finished off the east side Esso Petroleum Company lettering, then marked out, undercoated and yellowed the Commuted Carriage Charge markings on both sides of 3606.

Last week Ernie designed, cut and welded-up a little clamp bracket. All was revealed this week as he brought the assembled bracket to show how it will be used to clamp steel pins into his milling machine vice to allow flats to be machined on the pin heads. All in aid of producing a set of new pins for use by the S&T department.

At some point we’ll need another set of Esso oval plate brackets making; however after a tidy-up the drawing I had made previously has been put somewhere safe, very safe; so I decided to re-measure, cut, drill and bend a bracket to confirm the design before we go about making another set.

Well that rounds up another week for the team at Quorn, despite the weathers’ best efforts we do continue to progress. Join us again next week, all the best, Dave

Hello and welcome to our news from the Autumn Steam Gala weekend. The weather has been kind enough to allow us to get the second coat of gloss black on both tank wagons 3606 and 3621. We’ve also progressed preparation work on tank 3854.

The Steam Gala weekend was a great opportunity to see some of our goods wagons in operation, with the mixed and the vans operating throughout the weekend.

On Saturday Nick, Ernie, Mark, Harry, Tom, Oliver and Dan made good progress with the needle guns cleaning up the underframe and the west side of the tank barrel on 3854.

Red oxide primer was applied to the cleaned up areas of the underframe.

On Sunday whilst myself and Ross prepared the paint and spraying equipment Charlie and Ernie continued with their work repairing the spark guards for tank 3854.

Nick spent the day continuing with the needle gun cleaning up the East side underframe of tank 3854.

The tank barrel of 3606 was sprayed first.

Then the barrel of 3621, followed by the soldbars of both wagons.

The next stage for both 3606 and 3621 is touching up and painting the details such as axlebox covers and brake swan necks, followed by the signwriting of the Esso lettering on the barrels and solebar information.

Join us next week to see how we get on; all the best, Dave

Hello everyone and welcome to another update from Quorn. This week we’ve prepped both 3606 and 3621 for their second coat of paint, and 3854 has received a bit more work on the underframe to clear the corrosion.

James, Charlie and I spent most of the day scuffing the fresh black paint. We managed to get both east side barrels done and three of the four ends. While we did this, Ernie sorted some donated large spanners and impact sockets away

Nick, Harry, Tom, Mark and Dan continued the push on 3854, using the needle guns and hammer and chisels on the end pockets and the solebars.

Oliver and Charlie finished repairing the hand rail to the tool van

The team also finished scuffing all the areas on the two tanks missed

That wraps up this week, and sorry its a bit of a late one! I’m travelling for work again so this is the only chance I’ve had! Join us next week where hopefully the tanks will have received their extra coat. Thanks for reading.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another update from Quorn. This week, we’ve finally been able to get some paint on both 3606 and 3621 which marks a big step forward in their restoration, especially given the recent abrupt end to the summer.

While Dave and I got the equipment assembled and ready, Ernie, Daniel, James and Nick completed some final preparation work on the tanks.

Our new paint pot is an upgrade, we now have capacity for 10litres of paint up from 2, which means a lot less time spent mixing and filling up the tank! Dave and I used 12 litres of grey primer/undercoat over both 3606 and 3621. We had to spent a little bit of time avoiding/ drying up after small showers during the day, but we were able to get both tanks into undercoat, save for the portion of the under fame below the dock.

While Dave, Nick and I got the tanks painted, Charlie and Ernie made a start welding up the splash guards for 3854. Nick assisted with bending up a new end for one of the pieces.

For Dave and I, Sunday was pretty much a rinse and repeat of Satruday, only this time with black gloss paint, rather than grey! Nick and Oliver assisted with some spot drying of the tank barrel and underframe. We’ve opted to try some skip and container paint on these as an experiment. Tom got some undercoat on the underframe on the parts of the tanks below the dock, and he was willing to have a go with the spray gun.

Nick and Oliver ended up going to Swithland to look at 80307, which was noticed to have had a window blank fallen inside the vehicle. This has been fitted since it arrived, and had fallen out in the wind. The piece was refitted, and sealed back to the door for the time being.

Charlie and Ernie carried on with the weldeing until the generator ran out of petrol, after which Charlie and Oliver started to repair the steps up to the tool van.

Tom finished up the tank; by taking the spray gun below the dock again and spraying up the underframe. A second coat is required for both tanks, but we’re glad we’ve got them both started!

That wraps up this weekend’s work, We’ll have to sort out a second coat for the tanks at some point soon, and then its on with the signwritng. Plus we’ll have to sort out the Esso plates! I’m not sure what the plan is for next week, we are very dependent on the weather at the moment, so join us next week and see what we end up doing! Thanks for reading, Ross