LMS Carriage Association news?

Hello,

after one year of absence on facebook the lms carriage association finally posted some progress of their beautifully restored carriages. They're currently restoring carriages at the Ecclesbourne and Peak railway.
It would be lovely to see an updated blog on their internet precence, because currently it seems to me very neglected. Every carriage adicted would love to follow carriages being georgeously restored on an regularly updated website.
I am sure they can do it better!

Here is their main page:
http://lmsca.org.uk/

Here is their facebook account:
https://www.facebook.com/lmsca/?ref=py_c

 

You are quite right Railboy, we should do better. As the vehicle we are mainly working on at Rowsley is a BR CCT being restored and converted to be our upholstery workshop I guess there was some reluctance to post too much simply because it's not LMS!

Regards
Dave

 

Is it only my feeling that you're increasing your presence at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway?

 

That's difficult to quantify, I'd say we have about the same number of volunteers at both sites. What is interesting is the different approaches, for example at Wirksworth they are gluing window glass into the Porthole brake, rather than using clamp wood.

Cheers
Dave

 

Some good news at the beginning of the year!
http://lmsca.org.uk/blog/2018/01/doubly-good-news-2018/

 

That's brilliant news, on both counts. The CCT looks absolutely perfect. Is there any chance it might get out and about at Peak Rail galas? And I'm so pleased that the medical examination car will also find its way to the LMSCA. It should look great paired with 7828.

 

We recently just outshopped 7828 following a couple of months of interior and exterior maintenance. The link to the photo below show 7828 out back on the train just as the snow was starting to fall a week ago:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45229914@N03/40960044342/in/album-72157665030674637/

 

Beautiful carriage, stands out from the standard mk1 and 2s. Is it a popular carriage with the public?

 

Whats going to be the next carriage to be done inside the peak rail shed. The kitchen car would be something special

 

Well, we're kinda waiting at the moment for the arrival of the medical car, but to keep us busy in between we are doing some work on an LMS Brakevan. It was needing a little TLC but as we have started 'digging' it has revealed a considerable amount of rot, so today we have been taking it to bits to see how far the rabbit hole goes. Here's a couple of piccies:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/tcln472tunlopsu/IMG_8461.JPG#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/wzj58bw2r8s6geh/IMG_8487.JPG#

 

Ahha i see. You have quite a collection to work with, if there was a particular one or two that the group wanted to do like 1501 or 1782. Hasnt 1501 had bodywork done to it already in the past?

 

Yes, 1501 came in a bit of a state. The floor and other internal structure was only being held together by the wood worm holding hands! We did a bit of a 'patch and mend' thing on it and made it into an exhibition space. By the time we had finished the need for it had moved on and so it's been in store. We have held our AGMs in it a few times.

This promo video for the LMSCA shows you what we did to it:


There is more info about it here too:
http://www.lmsca.org.uk/stock/1501.php

 

For a patch and mend looking the coachs page. You did a decent job of making it better nick and water/weather tight so it doesnt get worse and could get picked up again at a later date. Carriage groups do get low profile compared to locos.
Lmsca has couple the EVR that i see are coming on well, fairly complete

 

Yes, the other part of our group is working on two period 3 carriages; a TO and what was a BTK but is now a BTO(D) - D for disabled. I think the BTO is the most advanced now and the work they have done on it is amazing. My contribution was welding a bracket on it last year.

 

Well BTO D get more seats in than a btk. Spliting between 2 sites and 2 teams has that sped things up in getting coaches restored rather than just 1 site and ingle carriage shed?

 

Well the BTO(D) does expand on the original space to make use of the double doors in what was the luggage area. As for splitting to two sites? Not sure if it speeds up restoration or not really. It might do as it calls on volunteers from two locations rather than one. Plus two railways get to experience LMS carriage travel instead of one. So it's probably all good really.

 

Ahha just wondered if its actually proved beneficial spliting between 2 sites get access to more workshop space and more manpower etc for the association sounds like it has. Love to see the 50ft kitchen car started and have matching dining saloon for it.

 

It has it's plus points and not so plus points. It does mean that there is a larger volunteer base to draw on, but at Wirksworth the work has to be undertaken in the outside for the most part due to there not being enough shed space. Although there is a container fitted out as a workshop. At Rowsley there is the shed with the workshop space to do the work.

Yeah, we would like to see the kitchen car restored as it would make an excellent compliment to 7828 and the medical car once we have completed that. But as with all these things its time, money, volunteers and skills that we are always short of.

 

I shall keep following lmsca. And progress of the fleet watched promo video on better device. Love the period 3 open interior moquetts very smart pattern, the age old problem of manpower and money. do think pre nat carriages do get a very lower profile than locos.

 

Wonderful job. I've only ever seen coaches like this in black and white photos in large books. Great to see the real thing.
Regards,

jtx