NVR Wagon Group Updates

Apologies that due to a manic few weeks chez Big Stu, I have missed several updates (and work sessions!), so here is a bumper edition I'll just use the website links rather than FB as well...there's been a lot of painting!

Matt continuing to paint of all the Scammell vehicles in to BR liveries

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/06/09/07-06-25-08-06-25-matt-solo/

Scammell trailer, Banana Van and some fence painting

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/06/15/14-06-25-everyone-loves-a-bit-of-freight-brown/

Painting Scammell tractor, trailers and more of the fences

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/07/01/20-06-25-28-06-25-what-a-week/

More Scammell painting

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/07/06/05-07-25-its-all-in-the-detail/

Signwriting the Banana Van and repairs to Tim's Brake Van followed by a meeting to discuss the Overton project on the previous weekend, and then a Freight Driving Experience with a difference - running alongside the normal Saturday passenger service while being hauled by resident Class 45 Peak 45041 'Royal Tank Regiment'

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/07/21/12-07-25-19-07-25-a-peak-performance/

 

And there are still places on our next Freight Driving Experience with the Class 14 on Friday 8th August.

https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/351/teddy-bear-freight-experience

 

Catching up on the sessions that have happened while I've been on my holidays...mostly woodwork and painting on B780952 - another van ready for the rake as part of the Paul Foxwell Express Freight project.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/08/10/08-08-25-09-08-25-back-on-the-vans/

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/08/25/25-08-24-vanfit-progress/

 

Updates from last Saturday's session - Josh and I were there too, but we weren't working on the wagons on this occasion.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/09/06/06-09-25-vanfit-identity/

https://www.facebook.com/nvrwagons/...NKU3QvpJkgqPsqRRvRUJeiZhubogjSVACfRK3aVV5osRl

 

... and I remember that sign in its original location too.

 

A low key session today - the van fit edges towards being ready for the rake, while a lot of today was spent on smaller jobs and tidying around the Overton site.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/09/20/20-09-25-chassis-time/

 

It's been a very busy couple of days at Overton...

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/10/04/04-10-25-overton-shunt-tidy/

 

So have all the uprights that were going to be for some sort of shed (?) now gone?

 

Half (nine) have been taken down and temporarily stored elsewhere on site (the shed was a long stalled private project, which doesn't fit the goods yard plan, so we have carefully dismantled it in order that the owner can reuse it elsewhere). There needs to be some major reorganization at the back of the site to deal with the other row of nine (possibly not until the track is slewed across and we can get the TASC machine in to them, or have a telehandler on site).

 

A good effort continuing to tidy the Overton site from a smaller team last Saturday (sadly I was laid low by the lurgy, so we didn't make it across).

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/10/18/18-10-25-overton-tidy-2/

https://www.facebook.com/nvrwagons/...ZRvFG1XRSvFv3XsGNpSqYaeoQuGkFmnHWXEvPS3uqKW2l

 

Save the date - tickets not yet available, but a Wagon Group photographic day on 11th January 2026 with the Standard 2MT on our fitted freight, including staged reenactment with road vehicles in Overton Yard.

https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/672/

[Edited due to event name change - don't ask]

 

Thanks for the updates Big Stu, they are appreciated.

 

Likewise Phil! It's good to have a thriving freight/wagon community across our railways

 

Another working session at Overton, including early preparations for the upcoming photo charter in January, tidying and preparation for our primary winter task concentrating on roofs. We also had a new arrival in the form of BR Shark Ballast Plough Brake DB993757 which, once restored, will be used for both demonstrations and ballast ploughing.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/11/01/01-11-25-pre-winter-prep/

Tickets now available for our first event in 2026 - a freight photo charter on 11th January with BR Standard 2MT 78019 running as 78064, the last Standard 2 built.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/courses-and-experiences/

 

Looking at that lovely illuminated sign, perhaps you could also have one made that paid homage to a BBC documentary: "Engines Must Not Enter The Potato Siding"

 

Report on the work session from last weekend - a good start on the roofing project with progress on the first three wagons. Tim and I had previously replenished our supply of lorry side curtain sheets with a trip to Dudley and the very kind loan of Teversham Motors van once again.

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/11/16/15-10-25-winter-roofers/

 

While I've been busy playing carolling gigs, the rest of the Wagon Group have continued knocking out van roofs...

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/11/30/30-11-25-winter-roofers-2

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/12/14/13-12-2025-winter-roofers-3

 

Looks like an impressive number of vehicles have gone through there in a short space of time. Making good use of the undercover accommodation!

Sent from my moto g85 5G using Tapatalk

 

Undercover is definitely a bonus for us, but the key thing is the high level walkways in the carriage and wagon shed which allow us to work on roofs easily and safely, so we have planned to tackle both BR and Southern brake vans and all of the vans which have roof issues (some are just leaking, others have required significant repairs, and one or two are basically missing!). Being able to work at roof height on three vehicles at a time has really enabled the guys to be very productive.

The end result should be that the demonstration freight has a full set of watertight vehicles, and we have a couple more to finish the rest of the restoration next year knowing the roofs are now good.

At some point the Shark will also need it's roof rebuilt, but that is for another time...