SVR wagon's 2009

We had our floor up on 68784 a few years ago during its restoration, we managed to reuse a lot of the dome headed bolts used as weights we found when we rebuild the veranda end, still need to get the other end done when time allows. We have just had 6 high bar ends cast, we are putting two new bars on 10931 86582 very shortly and hopefully getting a GWR style tarp to go over them.

 

I fished out about 1/2 a ton of loose scrap weights from NER Snowplough18.
Mainly consisting of broken wagon number plates, Brake blocks and what look like bits of axle box keeps.
A couple of weight plates have survived intact, but unfortunately no number plates in one piece.
I tried doing a jigsaw puzzle of all the number plates but too many bits and nothing matched up.

 

I was thinking bits of scrap loco frame etc! Mind you, we did retrive a 3/8 drill from there, and a couple of other bits, and throw some SVR scrap in there!

 

These bits we already had, but the rest of the sheet support rail (they were only high bars after 1941) including the end hoops, we have made from scratch. Nice to know who may have a pattern if we need to make any new ones!

 

Hi
A recent sighting came up with Army 46053, an open wagon. I have no record of this. Could this possibly be ex British Sugar 16053 / 13 in the stock book?
Cheers
Steve

 

I suspect so, where did you see it?

 

It was noted from the train by Kidderminster carriage shed.
Steve

 

Not sure in that case then, the British Sugar wagons are grounded outside of Kidderminster museum, one of which has fallen appart completely.

 

Sorry Olly
It was noted from the platform at Kidderminster. It was complete though.
Steve

 

Sorry if the details are a little sketchy, I haven't been around the Down yard myself for a few weeks owning to other commitments, but as far as I understand it, Mink number 93016 is now in top coat, Pete and Co have been busy with the frames, and Steve has applied the lettering to the river side of the wagon, although this will need a second coat.

 

Well, they say that no news is good news, and that theory appears to be holding good for now.
Mink number 93016 has recived her first coat of sign writing, and Steve is getting stuck into the second coat. She had her pads exam this weekend, and will be joining her sister 93045 in the Gala goods as soon as the train is formed up.
Talking of the gala goods train, that is how my weekend has been spent, checking oil levels, sucking out water from axle boxes, ensuring that everything that should be there is there, so if any of you spotted a rather anti-social bloke with a syphon, bucket of dirty water, and jug of oil, skuling round Bewdley Down yard, that was me.
Chaired sleeper wagon, 40554, is now getting seriuos built in 1899 at Swindon, she is starting to show the effects of her 110 year life. The floor is badly corroded, and the well end uprights are in need of patching, and to re-floor the raised end, we will need to dismantle the brake rigging, lift the wagon and have the wheels out. Still, it would be boring if all our jobs were straight forward!

 

It's been a while since I have been able to put anything detailed on here, but silly season is almost at an end, and I have actually been able to spend some time in the down yard this weekend.
Great Western Chaired sleeper wagon 40554 was built in 1899 to Diagram T1, at Swindon works. As built they had single side long leaver brakes, but were later modified to carry DC2 type brakes instead.
The floor on the wagon made it look like it was in appauling condition, however, the floor has been removed from the raised deck at the north end, and the frames underneath are actually in very good nick, and don't appear to nead much more than a good clean down and re-paint.
In the shed is Mica B 105873, which is making slow but steady progress. Not really got to much to report on this one, as Steve and Mark are chipping away at it as and when Time Permits.
Next to the Mica, is Oxfit Cattle Wagon number B891054, built at Shildon in 1950, suffering from the effects of 59 years of abuse, this wagon is in for a new canvass (yes, we have another one to do!!!!) and some re-planking to do too.
After the gala, we will also be having a China clay wagon joining us, however, this is been kept out of the way for the gala.

 

Is the cattle wagon the one that was used as a stable when we had the late and much lamented Heavy Horse Weekend?

 

That is the one

 

Well, work on the chaired sleeper wagon has edged forward over the last couple of weeks, but driving and firing turns for various folks over gala weekend have slowed things down a touch.
Away from that, the new tin shed has had some new shelves, giving us a lovely new stores / work shop, which is now more or less finished.
The old shelves found their way to the stafford road van, where they were erected and had some of the contents of the floor loaded onto them. we ended up finding things we had forgotten we had!
Hopefully while the weather is pleasent, we can crack on with the wagons that are outside, before we have to move into the shed. Before anyone says at least it will be warm, trust me, it won't, it gets very cold in there.
Fingers crossed and hope for the best folks!

 

Well, it has not been a very newsy week, there are only so many ways I can say thet progress has been good and steady!
the new Angles for the north end of the Well deck have been made, and the painting and cleaning down of the frames has continued at a fair old pace.
Work has begun on Southern brakevan 55577, thanks to one of our voleenteers who has returned to the SVR after a number of years away from the railway.
The van is actually one of the MOD brake vans built at Ashford in the style of the southern vans, being built as WD 49010, and taking the identity of her late southern cosin 55577 in preservation days, and has recived a number of spare parts from the real 55577.
We will shortly need to look at BR van 953153, as a trip to Arley and back with her to take the stock for santa's grotto up there on saturday, revealed dammage to the roof, and yet another canvass required

 

well, I have a little more to talk about this week.
The side River side at the north end of Mica B 105873 has been dismantled and marked up ready for the replacement of the rotten bits and reassembly.
Cattle Wagon 891054 has had the canvas removed from her roof, and the rotten planks identified for replacement. the ominous condemed symbol appearing in a few places. The problem is, her canvass had split in several places and the water had got in and sat on the roof, eating away at it.
The chaired sleeper wagon has had the first of her patches inserted in the 1/2 inch end plate, and a serious dose of bashing and painting, allong with the brake rigging, which has had to be taken down, has had some TLC from Tim.
The brake rigging has had to come off the wagon to allow the draw bar spring to be dropped off, to allow us to rivet the new floor in.
Hopefully we can continue the pace next weekend!

 

Not much to right about this week, as it is mainly more of the same, so I though I would post some pics of the kind of work that is going on.
The first pic shows chaired sleeper wagon 40554 with the raised deck on the North end removed ready for replacement.
The second photo shows the dammage to the floor and bulk head on the south end. The vertical plate, that has holes visiable in each corner started life as half inch plate!
The third pic is the partly repaired Northern Bulk head, with a patch welded into the far side, and another section (at the bottom left of the painted bit) to be cut and patched. Gap in the floor will also be replaced along with the rest of the floor.
Finally, the Mica B with her river side north end dismantled (that is the big hole at the left hand end of the wagon) To the right of her is the cattle wagon with it's roof canvas off.

 

Thanks Olly - both for your good work and for the updates

 

Thankyou for your kind words. Rest assured, it is not ALL my work, the group is small, but there are still a few of us.