NVR Wagon Group Updates

Maybe, although it's been suggested that it's unlikely to make the trip in one piece

 

That's what worries me Is there another way of moving it, I wonder?

 

Anything is possible, but a road move costs significant money, so I predict it will remain in the civils siding until a solution is found - pretty much everything else can be moved to Overton by rail.

 

Get some sturdy folk to push it along the track very slowly indeed?

 

Have you got a suitable lowmac/weltrol type wagon and a crane?

 

I appreciate this may be a sacrilegious view... But I would have thought you'd be better photographing and measuring it, and dismantling it...

To rebuild it, even cosmetically, is going to involve an awful lot of new woodwork, including the bowed frames. There are a number of other wagons on site of similar vintage, which are former BSC internal user wagons as well I believe, where scarce resources would be better spent... Once all the others are restored it might make sense to rebuild the banana framed one, but for now, it's probably best left where it is out the way... Or store the metalwork in flat pack form...

 

I agree Chris - this is probably the most likely solution - when I said it was unlikely to make the trip in one piece, this was what I had in mind, rather than it coming apart in transit...

 

Yes, that is one of the options, although I'm not sure if the steam crane is currently allowed down the line, so getting it back off at Overton might be more interesting

 

Is there any track equipment that could do the lift?

 

I think that if you went to those lengths to rebuild it, it would no longer be "original". If nothing else, it would serve as a reminder of why wooden-framed wagons aren't necessarily a good idea.

@big.stu - any news on finding springs for the LMS brake?

 

'There are two ways of doing things... The Great Western Way, or the wrong way'.

Time for a S. C. Ruffey recreation with the visiting prairie?

 

The GCR steam heat van option disappeared when the chassis was sold as a complete rolling chassis. Eventually we will send the existing springs to one of the recognized specialists where I suspect they will end up just being templates for completely new springs, given their current condition, but initial attempts at freeing stuff up to remove them have so far proved less than successful...

 

Here's the official update from last weekend's working session at Overton...mainly tidying up on site and preparing for the arrival of Scammell Scarab tractor and trailers. (And yes, that's me on the ground with the bucket picking up a whole load of broken glass to make the public areas safer!)

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/04/12/05-04-25-new-arrivals-and-a-spring-clean/

 

I should offer the myriad of wartime radio sets I have for display...

 

Well a good day was had by all on the Branch Line Goods freight driving experience with Thomas yesterday - I even had a go on the regulator myself for my annual steam fix

https://nvrwagons.co.uk/2025/04/18/17-04-25-great-fun-with-thomas/

https://www.facebook.com/nvrwagons/...oVC8m7kwXkr9Qz4jGA7m86SgR7jqKBWtS2cPQ3WTQb8tl

Still some morning slots available on the next freight driving day with GWR Prairie 4144: https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/232/western-goods-driving-experience

Overton open day as part of the VE Day 80 celebrations will include Wagon Group and TPO stuff: https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/583/ve-80-weekend

If diesel is more your thing then there will be a Freight Driving Experience with Peak 45041 'Royal Tank Regiment' on Saturday 19th July (I'll provide a link once booking goes live on the NVR website).

 

I think I can give the musical "attraction" at Wansford for VE-80 a miss but I think a look around Overton is a must. Glad the Branch Line Goods DE went well - I watched a bit of it on Railcam yesterday.