Windcutter Wagons

Work on B570618 has continued with the remaining lower sides cut off and the vacuum cylinder removed, ready for overhaul. 6 new steel sheets have been ordered, cut and delivered for the new floor - after repairs to the South end headstock have been completed.

 

It was good to have a fresh face, with a new volunteer helping her father to overhaul a brake vacuum cylinder....

 

The 30@30 event looks like it's dropped off the Special Events section of the GCR website. Has it been cancelled?

 

Hi Chris
It was originally scheduled for Nov 12/13 but that clashes with the Sunday Remembrance Service. Due to that, together with the increased cost of coal and the need to economise, it was agreed to run 30@30, the Lengthy Train, as part of the Last Hurrah Gala Nov 19/20th...(...which I see also does not show?). That is the last information that I had from the GCR.

 

Work on B570618 has continued with repairs to the headstock ends being completed. The vac cylinder is re-assembled and painted, but not yet installed. The underframe is being cleaned up ready for the new floor plates to be welded when the end gusset plates have been put in place. The West side door repairs have nearly been completed.

 

Thanks Phil,

It makes sense to not have 2 enthusiast weekends 2 weeks apart in November I guess. Last Hurrah is still showing on the events list on the website

 

Hi Chris
When we discussed the possibility of a "Windcutter Weekend" we thought that a completely dedicated event would work, rather than as part of a gala. However, with the increase in fuel costs plus the general tightening of budgets, it makes more sense now to make the change.
I have now clicked on the Special Events full list and you are quite correct that it is there.
Now all we have to do is get more wagons finished.... the team are working really hard and it is great that we have had some new people join us.

 

Four people hard at work yesterday saw lots more progress, but mostly in preparation work getting the underframe ready for its new steel sheet floor. It was an early start and finish in the heat!

 

A week later and that lower edge has been repaired with one of our specially bent steel sections.


On the other side of the wagon, one of our new volunteers is doing the final preparation for the new section to be welded.

 

I see from the latest "Trackside" magazine (T14) that the J27 is due to haul the "Windcutter"wagons during the Autumn Gala as a headline act. We are also planning to have an Information/Sales Stand at Rothley shed for the weekend.

 

The vacuum cylinder is back in place and the brake gear has been re-assembled. The SW headstock area has been repaired and buffer re-installed so, steadily, B560618 is coming back together.


There are a couple more cracked welds on the underframe to be repaired before we can weld the floor sheets.

 

Just to provide an overview...
We still have 2 non-runners at Quorn and 3 at Swithland.
When we thought of 30@30 we knew it was ambitious but thought that 4 or 5 wagons would not need too much work. Wrong! And we had another covid lock down....but we still have another three months and have done 4 wagons this year with another just awaiting wheelset swapping. We could "borrow" a 16T and a "Tippler" from the Quorn wagon group and get 2 rakes of 13 wagons with two brake vans which would give us 30 and operationally, at Loughborough a total of 28 wagons including brake vans is believed to be as long as can be run around. So certainly "A lengthy train" of 16T mineral wagons will be running at the Last Hurrah Gala...... We should have a good length rake behind the J27 as well for next month's Autumn Gala.

 

Feel free to accuse me of greed....but if you manage "nearly30@30" (a great achievement nevertheless) is the plan to press on towards 30 for a later event, or would a period of consolidation follow after the anniversary date with work returning to wagons already operational but due work?

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If you’re going to play properly with the J27 you need to forget your 16 tonners and hurriedly get to work on a train of coal hoppers. Do you have any?

 

Hi Chris
The plan is to get all 30 of our wagons back in running order. In fact 29 have run and only one B279727 (ex British Coal Onllwyn) has never, yet, run on the GCR. Then we will work our way back getting the rougher wagons back in order.
When they first arrived, the restoration work was fairly simple and basic, we got about 36 wagons done in the first five years. Then it was a matter of keeping them running and doing more on each one. A more thorough inspection regime in 2000 saw about 15 wagons sidelined as unserviceable and the running rake varied between 14 - 18 wagons for many years with about 9 full restorations done in 12 years. (We have achieved 4 so far this year)
Then there were three wagons to MOSI and 6 wagons went on loan to the P & B so we had the 30.....with about 12 non runners in 2019.
Once we get 30 running, then 2 per year going through Rothley should keep them in reasonable order???

 

B165121 & B273798 have never run on the GCR. I’m not sure which of these you are referring to as 27. Did the other go to P&B?


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Hi pmh
Yes B165121 has gone to the P & B.
B279727 should get returned to its correct B273798 number when it gets its (long delayed!) overhaul.

 

Hi Steve
I think there is one coal hopper on the GCR, B425356 which is part of the Quorn wagon fleet. But I'm sure the J27 spent much more time hauling 16T wagons

 

Sounds like a great plan!

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I don’t think it has ever carried 279727.


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