Great Central Railway General Matters

Wouldn't you have to do the same for all the wagons, too, though?

 

The rust is beginning to come through on some of them now

 

In theory you could place something through all of the windows. The droplights (doorways) are the most likely candidate for people leaning out, the quarterlights (saloons) can get a face in them and cameras shoved through either on poles or with hands.

If I were the guard I'd operate it the same as HSTs and main line charters, shut the windows before departure and stewards are instructed to keep them shut for the duration of the journey over the affected portion.

I'm sure a plan of action will be sorted out, 2 per vehicle is what I'd be expecting.

 

Cable tying the quarter lights shut would help as well. Then you've only got the droplights to worry about.

 

Well, no matter what it looks like, I am just glad they decided to keep a wonderful loco at the railway and should it go into overhaul? It shall be greatly missed.

 

Sadly true! But to be correct, the rust is coming through - Again! ......as they were all very rusty when they arrived back in 1992/3. All (Bar one) were prepped and painted by 1998 and we are busy having done the second overhaul on more than 24 of them so far. This time though, we are having to replace the complete floor on most of the Windcutter wagons.
Still it is excellent news that 92214 will be staying on the GCR. Thank you DCRT and the anonymous donor.

 

As a railway enthusiast who remembers the BR mineral trains I think they look great rusty but I know what you mean. Perhaps a durable paint and then weather them the same as modellers do!

 

I'm sure Phil will be delighted to receive your cheque

 

When I win the Euromillions he can have it. It was said a bit tongue in cheek. Unfortunately for most of us there is a limit to both the financial and physical effort we can put in.

 

Needless to say we have considered this - we also did try spraying one wagon with dirty oil. However we realised that our rate of overhauling was such that we would get natural weathering anyway!
We were averaging nearly one overhaul per year from 2000 to 2018, but since 2020 we have done 6, so we hope to get all 30 running.... then average two per year to give a 15 year "turnaround" per wagon. We also have to help to do the annual FTR examinations.

 

The latest news about 92214 is that it has been repainted in BR Black, so it will be totally authentic in hauling the Windcutters and the many other freight wagons on the GCR. It should be out during the Winter Gala at the end of January.
In other news, Boscastle will be moved to Quorn yard to commemorate it's arrival on the GCR 50 years ago. There will be a photographic display and talks about the locomotive at regular intervals by members of the Shed Tours team.

 

Good to hear, like the Windcutters it will look the business when it’s weathered a bit

 

Well, it is literally no work at all to not clean it and let it "grime-up" naturally!

 

A day with the poster paint might help though…

 

Good news. I've never been a fan of the Rolling Stones but the song "Paint it black" could not be more appropriate!

 

From GCR Shed Works, Loughborough.
92214 finish back into its BR black after 11 long days of being repainted:
Before going in the shed on the 5th of January fresh from the Christmas season:

 

Thanks for those "Before and After" pics D1002! Great paint job by the GCR team.

 

I can see that being a popular photo charter loco

 

Gloss Smokebox, thats different.

 

Is it?

It was certainly the norm to paint smokeboxes gloss black along with the boiler in BR days and plenty of heritage railways continue with this tradition. For some reason best known to themselves, one or two have painted them in what is presumably a high temperature matt black.

With regard to 9F's in particular, have a look at ex works photos of them in the RCTS book on the class.