Pre-Nationalisation Coach Restorations, ex-End of the Line thread

Hi All,
This seems the best place to post this. We are making steady progress on restoration of G.W.R 216 at the Gwili. The last bit of new beading was machined yesterday Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will see lots of visual progress as it is fitted to the coach.

 

Hi Nick. That response wasn't and isn't typical of the attitude of the railway. However, (says he stirring the pot slightly), you may have made that approach accidentally around the time that the railway was approached by another society looking to acquire the Railcar. I believe I am right in saying it would have been somewhere about that period. I dare say that Seagull or HWS would remember better than I do. Anyway, on behalf of the whole company, (apart from whichever nameless pr@ you got that day), may I say sorry for the way you were treated?

 

Hello,
Thank you for the apology, it was many moons ago and I like most have changed for good or bad!

Many thanks

Nick

 

From the Bluebell e-Newsletter:

"C&W UPDATE: RAISE THE ROOF ON NO. 3188

Progress continues on LCDR 5-compartment third No. 3188, with the exterior of the roof essentially now complete with all roof-furniture, including rain-strips and an electrical-lighting conduit.

The top layer of the floor is laid in two compartments: newly-laid diagonal planks retain the original LCDR look, on top of the plywood installed some time ago. Tony Clements' prototype seat-base design has proved successful in the first compartment, and the pads for three seat-backs have been prepared, with one test-trimmed in some odd scraps of moquette by Frank Ferris.

The plain seat base will be finished off with a horse-hair stuffed cushion, in the same way as some of the Chesham coaches, a spare cushion from which--although an inch too wide and an inch short--is seen in place to confirm the design.

Installation of the lighting is now well-advanced, as is the construction of droplights for the doors, and Dave Clarke's internal paintwork is complete in three of the compartments and progressing in the remaining two, with Jenny Wills also now learning how to do "scumbling" (grain-painting to resemble a natural timber finish).

By Richard Salmon, C&W Volunteer"

Incidentally, a good place to follow this project is on Dave Clarke's Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/extension3363/sets/72157626960166136/

Tom

 

How is the underframe doing Tom?

Paul H.

 

Not really my area but as I understand, it is awaiting a trip down to SP for some final work. There are some photos on Dave Clarke's Flickr site.

Tom

 

Interesting how two workshops do the same sort of work in completely different ways. Havenstreet does up an underframe first and puts the unrestored body thereon, bolting the two together when the bottom rail of the body is sorted. Horsted Keynes does the body up before mounting it on the frame.

Not saying that one method is better than the other, I can see advantages to both but it is an interesting contrast.

Paul H

 

Yes the Bluebell has got method in their madness as it will be more easy to send an unrestored under-frame to the IOW and to swap for a restored one and the IOW start thinking I thought we had repaired that one.

 

I wondered where they were disappearing to

 

i would go with the IOW way, putting the body on a temporary under frame whilst you repair and shorten the one you intend to use, its so much easier and safer grinding and cutting without a body in the way, plus you can see what is what, and i would guess its faster to overhaul an underframe on its own, also i would guess that the least times you have to lift a body the less chance of distortion,

 

Stanegate's usual method is to restore the body off the underframe .................

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/25911175/in/album/402585

 

Does it not affect the fitting and swing of the doors if the body is restored off the underframe?

 

Not usually, in my experience with the short four-wheelers. They have substantial cills and compartment / bulkheads .................

 

depends on the structure of the coach, but i would say yes it would, once you start replacing main body strutures its going to move, even when its on the underframe, ,District 4 wheeler 100 needed a whole new side, and much work in hanging the doors before they were right

 

Perhaps "not significantly" would be more accurate than "not usually" but we've not found it too difficult a problem, or maybe we've just been lucky with the coaches - tbh there was more problem with the Forcett Coach when we worked on that, which was still on wheels ............

 

err the Bluebell actually sort the underframe out before the body is mounted on it....

 

...then remove the padding from the seats, and put the coach into service.

 

The KESR stock register on their website lists 2 operational LNWR coaches, plus various other rarities from a host of pre BR companies.

http://www.kesr.org.uk/stock-register/coaching-stock