Bowes railway, carriage and wagon

Not at Bowes, but "Ordinary" 971 is now under cover and drying out.

Images to follow ...
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/album/962430

 

Looking forward to seeing her progress, hoping to pop up and see you as work progresses. Will make a brilliant addition to the fleet on her return to traffic.

 

Was over at our timber supplier today, and the green oak for the underframe will be heading to Haltwhistle in a few days ...

Didn't take any images as I was in civvies and without steelies so I didn't wander over to look at it - and I know how much that stuff weighs !

@Robkitchuk - you'll be very welcome, just give the workshop a ring in advance, to give the kettle a chance to boil !

 

Brilliant news @StoneRoad. Will definitely do that. Hoping to report on our other projects in the next few days.

 

Quick update on current projects:
Ballast hopper 13 - welding has taken place to fit new plates to the ballast chutes. Work on strengthening the corners and bracing continues. It will then be repainted and sign write shortly.
Loco coal 1424 - awaiting cutting of new floor planks.
B33 - one door is now completed. Dismantling of the old second door is underway, before final lettering can be added.
Van A18 - paint has arrived to repaint the faded wasp stripes.
PWD - still awaiting painting.

 

The restoration of B33 is nearing the signwriting stage. With only the lettering to complete. This will complete the biggest project at the railway in recent years.

 

B33 IS FINISHED!

Finally here is the result of all the hard graft! Many never expected us to get to this point.

B33 was in a forlorn state when we started on her during summer 2016. I was told ‘It only needs a floor and a lick of paint’. Well, things were much more serious than we anticipated. We cut out the rot and took her back to solid wood and surveyed what was left. Not a lot!

What followed turned out to be the biggest renovation job undertaken at Springwell for many years...

The total list of work carried out: new rear crossmember; full length top half of left solebar; new left hingebar; patches to right hingebar and both headstocks; both end planking completely renewed; new floor (finally); two new dropside doors.
In fact apart from a few chassis timbers the only re-useable parts were the ironwork!

We hit very lucky when it came to timber as there was no way cash strapped Bowes would be able to lay its hands on anything like the sizes and amounts needed. Sleepers and point timbers were adapted for the chassis work. The biggest stroke of luck came when we investigated a pile of scrap firewood at the back of the site. This turned out to be the remains of a demolished church donated by a nearby demolition firm. Amongst this we found softwood timbers substantial enough to be machined to the sizes we needed. Let me tell you 16 ft pitch pine planks were going to be VERY hard for us to come by so the Lord was smiling on us that day ha ha!

All in all divine intervention and reclaimed wood has meant B33 has ended up costing less than £150 in materials. This is very much a one off though and new materials would be needed for all future jobs of such scale. B33 has been painted in the livery and non standard lettering she carried in a photograph of her in service in 1968 at Marley Hill that we used for reference. Careful weatherproofing and painting every step of the way hopefully ensures B33 will survive for a good few years. Completion of this project means that now the entire ‘B’ bogie fleet has been restored. B33 has taken almost a year of chipping away and she has been a real black hole sucking in all man-hours we could manage to throw at her. Not a perfect resto but the best that could be done given the dire straits we work in, she’s now freshly painted, lettered, lubricated and passed fit to run and ready for work.
We are very proud of her!

John, project leader.

 

Congratulations on a great job!


Keith

 

B3 has had its end plank and stantions replaced by volunteer Al. Loco coal is undercover again to allow work to begin again in the future. Wondering if @StoneRoad can update on any progress with 971?

 

A quick update on the waggon departments slow progress this year. Loco coal 1424 has become the focus of Alan's attention. With three planks being replaced, sections of the frame replaced, such as the upper bracing on the diagonals, and then it's new floor, which will allow it to perform it's original function as a mobile coaling platform.
B39 had also appeared in the waggonshop, this is to remove it's load of rope haulage equipment. Prior to its reinstallation on the inclines. The waggon was reported to have a squeaking Axlebox when last in service, so it has had the box removed, water and oil drained and a new pad added to cure the issue.
Once B39 is completed then work will, recommence on B24 (fitting of handrails and refitting of vac bags and seats) and 308 with its new central beam.

 

Work is progressing on 971, but I'm more than a bit behind on updating the images on Ipernity. (Real life seems to be getting in the way).

 

update ... (the work in progress shots will be added to the Ipernity album sometime quite soon, I hope)


BR 971 - getting there Jan 2018 par StoneRoad2013, on ipernity

 

Super!

 

BR971 is, effectively, finished ...

Quick note to let you know how things are going (being snowed in has had *some* advantages ! )

I am still playing catch-up with project images ...
completed (or almost so) are the albums for
a) NER 2853
b) the 3ft gauge replica / exhibit for Ravenglass museum
c) Bowes "Ordinary" 971 --- see here --- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/album/962430 (there are a small number of additional images, mainly for the work on installing the hopper)
and then I need to get up to date with the "Knotty Brake"
as well as the many other random things I see ...

The Link in my sig takes you to my "album home page" so feel free to have an explore.

 

@Robkitchuk
Wot U doing on this Thursday ???? (*29th March) ...

 

Stuck at work I think. Trying to resolve that situation though...

 

Get ready to catch @Robkitchuk !

 

The obligatory Bowes arrival shot.

 

Glad 971 arrived safely !