Tag: 730562

This weekend we haven’t managed to achieve much, mainly due to the heat. On Saturday, Matt made a visit to the Mountsorrel Heritage Centre at Bond Lane, to assist in the signwriting of their Midland Brake van. It looks marvellous and awaits a few final details before it is release to traffic

At Quorn, Nick and I were working on the Midland Brake’s successor, the LMS brake M730562. Initially, we started on the west side (where it was shady) where we replaced the stepboard that runs the length of the body of the van. we had sourced a quite twisted bit of wood that had the right dimensions. This was trimmed, and clamped into place, ready for drilling. The board was drilled and then the underside was painted in black bitumen paint. The plank was then bolted into place and again coated in black bitumen paint on the top side. the next step for this board is the kickplate backing.

As the sun moved around and the day got hotter, we moved round to the dockside. There, we began to remove the handrails and capping wood from the dock side of the brake van, in preparation for some planks to be replaced. We are currently sourcing the replacement wood for this, for which we had the remove a plank. This took a surprising amount of disassembly, both inside and out, including the stove side seat base.

On Sunday, Nick and I effected a repair to the South-west step board, used by the guard for access. The metal plate that supports the end of the axlebox cover flap had rotted, so the step board had to be removed in order to replace the plate. I coated the replacement plate in red oxide before it was refitted. Whilst this occured, Matt started signwriting the van’s number above the ducket seat on the side of the van that is fitted with the seats/storage benches.

Matt mainly concentrated on the interior of the vehicle, removing a redundant batten of timber, and making a cover plate for the bit of capping that was displaced. We think the batten of timber was part of a lamp filling table, which would have had a zinc top. We removed it because it interrupted the demarcation line between the cream and the bauxite, and had no purpose. Matt also touched in some areas of the cream paint that had been bled into with the removal of the masking tape used when painting the bauxite.

We finish the update on an announcement. We have recently acquired an LMS van, from the David Clarke Railway Trust. M500604 (was M501438) is in use a nut and bolt store for the Windcutter Group, a purpose it will still continue to serve. we plan to re-clad the van to that the van can be released to traffic. The van is also still holding the interior of the packing van, B854782, so we are loath to start working on it whilst these items are held under cover.

Thanks for reading!

This update includes work carried out during the week as I popped in after my Early shift to carry out some tasks on M730562.  Monday I applied a coat of primer to the bare woodwork on the East side and red oxide to areas of bare metal.

Wednesday I was back to apply a coat of white to the ceiling

On to the weekend and the next colour to apply was the deep cream, as per B954268 we are applying the British Transport Commision scheme for brake vans of white, cream and bauxite.

With the ongoing heatwave the cream was ready for masking Sunday, the first coat of 3ft 6in high bauxite was applied as well as the vacuum gauge which had been removed for painting.  A second coat of bauxite will be required but we shall give it a week for the first to harden off.

The final task this weekend was the application of Gloss white and detailing of the Handbrake wheel.

Nick and Jake carried out a number of tasks and drew up plans for the purchase and replacement of parts of the exterior cladding.
Ross was away with his work at the IMechE Railway Challenge 2018.
His team of first-year graduates from SNC-Lavalin came 2nd out of 10. The competition was to design and build a locomotive to compete in a few dynamic tests and challenges. Dynamic challenges included Traction, regenerative braking and energy storage.

 

One brake van in but two out, B954268 has returned to traffic and pressed straight into service by bringing the Van train from Swithland to Quorn and doesn’t it make the yard look like a working yard.

B954546 has left longterm storage at Quorn and has become a Volunteer project for those that volunteer within Carriage and Wagon at Rothley, this is a positive step forward for this vehicles return to traffic.

On to the one that came in and this is M730562, a new catchphrase from Nick accompanies this vehicle,  No longer are we to mind the lamp brackets, its the low door frame that will catch you out on this one. First task was the replacement of the step boards as these are required to access the vehicle. Nick, Ross and Jake began by removing all of the life-expired boards.

With the boards off the exposed metal work was red oxided.

Whilst this work was being carried out I began with the interior. The east side of the van (Although the west side until very recent) has been beaten by the weather and the interior had been adversely affected. Paint had begun peeling so out came the heat gun and the arduous task of stripping the side. Ross assisted with the task once the step-boards had been complete.

Nick and Jake also came into clean up the inside of the duckets that had also experienced a little weather beating. Once tidy red oxide was applied.

Once the East side wall was stripped the rest of the van internal was sanded to give a key for painting.  As we progressed around the van faults were repaired by Ross,  Loose veranda wall cladding,  loose locker door fixing, raised screw heads and loose door frame all rectified.  With the wall down to its initial LMS Crimson the 3′ 6″ demarcation line applied by BR can just be made out confirming the references we use.

With the Red oxide applied now dry new step boards were fitted, all but the West side middle board which requires new timber purchasing.  Measurements were also taken as we will be ordering a number of timbers to replace a few on the van sides.

Finally, we can announce the secret task that we have mentioned in two previous updates:
Update mention 1
Update mention 2

For the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice and the end of the War to end all Wars, the GCR will be remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice over the 10th and 11th November.  One of the items taking part is a full size replica of a WWI tank.  This is owned by Jack Shaw, GCR volunteer and friend of Quorn Wagon and Wagon.  We have been assisted over the last few weeks to rebuild the tank on site.  Including a little signwriting applied by me.