Windcutter Wagons

Four of the team were working at Rothley today, mainly on the Steam Heat Van getting ready for the roof removal and boiler extraction. We also took off two Oleo buffers for re - use. the bare rolling chassis might be finding a new home.
We also did some basic tidying of our work area and checking of a couple of welders (MiG and Arc).
There are two wagons in the yard for FtR but are inaccessible. They will be moved when the Steam Heat Van is stripped.

 

What's the identity of the Iron Ore Tippler that was in the rake of minerals during the recent gala?

 

The Iron Ore Tippler is B 385782 and is part of the Quorn Wagon and Wagon fleet (owned by N Tinsley I believe). It was put in the rake, together with B550356 16T Mineral (also QW&W fleet), to give the 4 wagon bauxite fitted "head" to the rake.

 

Thank you, kind Sir .

 

A very busy workday yesterday saw the inside of B555696 prepped and painted with bitumastic. The Steam Heat van also had some bodywork removal....


Thanks to the Rothley C & W team who shunted the wagons around and used the crane, the roof was removed and boiler lifted out. We are cutting up the roof for scrapping and the rolling chassis has been sold. There is a Brake van chassis that is also sold. These are both due to be taken away next week.

 

The Steam Heat van chassis has gone from the GCR, the sale fee has gone into the DCRT Windcutter account and the steel scrap has also been sold. Some other parts, including two Oleo buffers, have been retained for use
We have been working on both wagons just outside the shed where they were moved to by the C&W team. There were a couple of alterations to the brake gear and a small chassis repair needed on B 556436 as well as a repaint. B555696 will need a repair section on its brake pipe where the headstock fixing bracket has trapped moisture and there is a corrosion hole. By the end of the day on #436 the brake gear was fixed, the body prepped for paint and two sides plus the fixed end undercoated. On #696, more of the floor had been prepped and undersealed.

 

Another good weather workday with four people at work saw the vac pipe repair on B555696 completed together with the floor undersealed. On B556436 there was a small weld repair in the NW corner of the underframe. The South end door prepped and undercoated and the inside undersealed with black bitumastic.

 

Top coating on B556436 started yesterday morning ...and finished later that afternoon. Just the white stripe, black boxes, numbers and underframe to paint, then FtR for both wagons and away to join the rake. We should be getting three or four more wagons when the next big shunt takes place. The steam heat van roof has been cut up and a couple of valves from the boiler have also been sold.

 

Three of us at work today saw the last part of the Steam Heat van roof cut up ready for sale as scrap. The two wagons, B555696 and B556436, had the last bits of paintwork finished (apart from 436's numbering) so they are ready to have FtR (Fitness to Run exam) and join the rake. Meanwhile the GCR staff had sorted out three more wagons for our attention. These are B279724 (2018), B573124(2020) and B279713(2007). The first two look to be in good condition but the last will need a repaint at least.

 

"B279713" = B571604 (Pressed Steel, 1956, lot 2921)
I wish I could tell you what B279724 really is... but alas no (see previous posts on here... won't go through it all again just now).

 

Thanks pmh - we will be renumbering 713 into that correct number B571604.
There is a suggestion that B279724 could be given B24024 and B279723 could be given B24023 - as there is such a number stamped on the Vee iron, these are BRCW numbers.

 

That's interesting about '23 & '24 Phil, let me enquire further of the 'experts'. Is the B stamped or did you just assume that bit? I'm not sure why those numbers would have the same last two digits as a registration number from the 1960s... seems odd, unless the stamp also dates from the conversion. I want to have another crawl under those two wagons when I get a chance.

24023/4 were assigned to a batch of BRCW 1/102 wagons but I can't find any evidence (in published books, anyway) that they were ever actually BR wagons. Mysterious. 1/102 had bottom doors (so independent handbrakes) and no top flaps though, that much matches at least!

 

Hi pmh
I am guided by Rob and John who know far more about these things!
Incidentally I was out and about in a brake van on Sunday, prior to the GCR offering a Goods Experience on selected dates this year. It certainly gives a different view!

 

The team were busy today prepping B279713 (B571604 to be) for some floor/stanchion welded repairs. Meanwhile B279724 had its replica wagon plates fitted and B573124 had its oiler pads examined.

 

Out in the sunshine at the front of the C&W shed is B556436 on display for the Reunification Weekend.

 

713/604 was inside the shed having the original South end floor removed and the chassis rails being prepped for the new floor sheets. There are also lower stanchion repairs to be done.


Meanwhile out in the yard both B279724 and B573124 had the insides cleaned out and bitumastic applied to the sides and floor.

 

More progress on #713/604.


We are awaiting the delivery of two new floor sheet sections and the start of inside welding. Meanwhile we are also passing on skills and tips to one of our younger members of the team.

 

More progress today on 713/604.