SVR wagons 2013

Well, its taken me long enough to get round to writing this but here we go, another 6500 views last year so I must be doing something right.
Just to bring everyone up to speed, In the works at the moment are GWR chaired sleeper wagon, Number 40554 and Tool van, 80982.
40554, built by the Wiltshire Job Creation Scheme at their Swindon works in 1899 is nearing the end of a long overhaul having come in as "Just a quick paint job to give the junior club something to do." A complete new floor and four chain pockets later, she is almost ready for traffic once more.
Meanwhile, inside the goods shed, our mess van, GWR tool van 80982, origionally built as an S&T wagon, is celebrating her 100th year by having some heavy repairs to the roof, ammounting more or less to half a new roof, plus repairs to her doors, floor and windows. The roof sheets at one end are on, having being bolted down last week, and are in primer, the other end is still awaiting cutting. Her brake gear is slowly being looked at too, but its a case of the people with relevent skills being tied up elsewhere at the moment.
All the best for 2013 everyone.
Olly

 

Thanks for the update. What is happening with the massive Bolster sat in green primer that's been there as long as I've been visiting South Box?

 

Nothing to do with me mate, so haven't got a clue. The carridge lads are working on that.

 

Ask Colin Astbury, jamie. His boys are doing the biz between their carriage jobs. It came in for a quick refurb a while ago, but has ended up a full restoration job, including bogies and axleboxes. It is coming back together now. The Kiddy end bogie is complete, the Bewdley end one has some stuff still to do. It will be a first class job when complete and go straight back to P. Way work.

Regards,

jtx

 

This week's snow fall has prevented much progress at Bewdley, still, not much progress is better than none at all! The south end Rockside brake gear off 80982 has now recieved two new brake pins, to replace the two that were badly worn. These were turned down from scrap 7/8" pins left over from the referb of 68501's brake gear. The GWR would be proud!

 

Thanks for the info, jtx. I know that if Mr. Astbury is at the helm of the project it will be a sterling product when its finished, and will have taken the time required to get right. My comment on it being there a while was facetious.

 

Work on 80982 is progressing well. The North end sky light has been glued together, while the South end Rock side brake gear has been re-hung while the River side is now under repair, she's had two new drop links made, and two more 3/4" pins. The repaired brake gear has been painted up to undercoat and should hopefully be back on before next week.

 

Well, its been one of those weekends! The south end brake gear on 80982 is finished, but setting it has proved to be a bit of a pain. Dropping the north end river side off has not only revealed more worn out parts in need of replacement, but also a puzzel..... it looks a little bent! It's entirely possiable that, knowing the tough lives that wagons lead, it may have struck something or been off the road at some point in its 100 years, or it could be that it is a deliberate act in order to centralise the brake block on the tread of the wheel to avoid flanging, however, the inner and outer link in this pair dont match, being bent in different places by different ammounts.
GWR toad 68501 has had some minor repairs, to replace a broken drawbar spring.
I'm not there next week, so hopefully I'll bring you an update in two weeks time.

 

Will there be a Gala freight for the SVR Spring do? I love seeing all the wagons rattling along the Severn!

Thanks,
Lewis

 

I hope so too - I think the SVR Waggons collection is one of it's major plus points.

Remember when we used to have a Heavy Freight Weekend?

 

I'd love to see a freight train operating regularly, similarly to the Mid Hants. I know running costs/steaming fees would probably make it not viable, but for the enthusiast and families it would be great to see. Would brakevan rides ever be possible if something like this ever started?

Thanks,
Lewis

 

Probably not, unfortunately, as it is an unfitted set and therefore would be against the rules on passenger carriage. Moreover a Guard on an unfitted set has his work cut out - even on empties - so even if the rules could be circumvented, it would still be unsafe as it might impede the Guard getting at the Handbrake, keeping an eye on where he was etc. Of course, if an alternative fitted set were used, then it would be a distinct possibility.

I very much agree with you though that it would be great to see the set out and about regularly a la MHR.

 

It has been done

 

I'm going to hazard a guess at c.1992? North's Distants in and 7714 looking fresh out the works?

Of course, this is a brake van special - nothing to stop them, so long as the vans are all vac fitted. I think Lewis was pondering on the possibility of having paying passengers aboard a brake van to the front and/or rear of the freight train, as has been done on other railways with fitted trains - Llangollen springs to mind.

 

I think I've got some other pics of brake van rides around Bewdley - I just beed to do a bot more digging.

 

In answer to the question of the gala, I don't know, the people organising the gala tell us what they want and we try to make them available. As for brake van rides, you'd have to speak to the railway management about how we could do it, I'm sure there are ways round it.

 

Well, turning up at Bewdley on saturday, it was apparent that the gap in 80982's roof had got even bigger as another rotten sheet had been removed, while the cleaning up of the remainder of the roof has revealed a hole in another sheet. All this goes to prove that you don't know how big a job really is untill you get the thing to bits. Two more brake drop lonks have had to be made as the overhaul of the brake gear continues, and some interesting bits of the wagons histort revealed as a result of it, this set of brake gear being twisted, and is belived to be as a result of some work done for the 1985 run to Newport. If you are wondering why re-machining of brake gear is a re-occuring theme lately, the fact the machine shop is warmer than the goods shed is high on the list of reasons for this!
40554 needs some minor finishing off work which hopefully we can sort soon, although there is also the small matter of a gala aproaching.
Wish us luck.
Olly

 

Best of luck! Thanks for the update; incidentally, the six-wheeler milk wagon's disappeared. What's on the cards for it? Would be lovely to have it for galas - and even just on the back of the odd shorter service train

 

At our last SLS meeting in Kidderminster (9th Feb) I noticed the wagons from the musuem compound had got into an even more sorry state and had been shifted out into the disabled car parking area. Have they a future anywhere or were they just going for scrap/parts recycling?

[NB If being scrapped I guess more victims of the ever present problem on all preserved lines - not enough dry covered storage and no money to build the necessary sheds even if there was space to do so]

 

Wasn't aware it had moved. You'd have to ask Steve what the plans are but we have a fair bit on at the moment