SvR wagons 2010

Well, where to start, Chaired sleeper wagon 40554 has had the replacement floor for the raised portion at the north end, cut and drilled ready for fitting, how ever, we have found a nice big crack in one of the frame members, so that will need some "Glue - Electric" on it before the floor goes back in.
The china clay has had top coat applied to most of her, but there are a couple of planks that need replacing. She has had two replacement number plates cast, which have been drilled ready for fitting, then the attention will be turned to her brakes.

 

Work has slowed to a crawl on the chaired sleeper wagon and the Mica B, however, else where work has moved on at a good pace.
The china clay wagon is having some attention to her brakes, and a small modification is being made here, which has lead to me being in the machine shop for most of the day today, with Steve spending an equal percentage of the day under the wagon!
Compo and Pike have made good progress on the roof on the cattle wagon, although the edge plank had to come off and go back on four times owing to someone getting his measurements wrong!
While all this has been going on, Richard has been making some new steps for the goods shed, as the old ones were life expired, and the rot had set in, although considering they were made out of the contents of the loco lighting up pile, many years ago, they have given good service.

 

It has been another productive weekend although not a lot of what we have achived is obvious, Nigel has been chipping away at the woodwork on the Cattle van, locked away in the goods shed, while Dave has done a lot of tidying up of the area, even hoovering the mess van!
Richard has been working to replace the steps on the end of the Dock platform, the existing ones being just about life expired now.
Meanwhile, myself and Steve have been doing the spectacular bits, with sparks flying round the yard from all the cutting, grinding and welding, all for the work on the brakes on the china clay wagon.
It is SVR 40 next weekend, and I belive the yard and the goods shed will be open, so feel free to come down for a look.

 

Did you notice we had "liberated" the Classic P. Way spoil wagons before anyone could fill them up with corrosive ash?. I popped down a fortnight ago to drain and refill the axleboxes, do the horn guides, pins and buffer shanks, etc. We may actually have run north with oil round the bearings.

 

I thought that may have been the plan, cheers John!

 

Well, here we go for this week, the focus for today has been chaired sleeper wagon 40554, which has had the draw bar spring removed to allow the floor to be riveted in to the the raised portion of the deck at the north end of the wagon (to be done next week), this wagon was fitted with what are known as eliptical drawbar springs, which, for those not in the know, is a leaf spring that acts as a combined draw bar and buffer spring, so you can immagine the weight of it!!!!! Didn't realise anglo-saxon and Worcestershire dialect had so many words in common!
The other work done on the wagon today was some bridge reaming on the first section of floor, with the rather ammusing site of me holding a wind motor with one handle and an arm, while it tryed its hardest to turn 17 stone of me around a stationary bridge reamer.
Finally, as I was leaving tonight, Dave was about to paint the last portion of the north end of the frame that Owen spent yesterday cleaning.
Unfortunately, I am firing 5164 tomorrow, but there should be a presence in the down yard, and as it is members day, and the yard, goods shed and Carrige works are all open, please feel free to pop down for a look.
Cheers, Ian

 

Hi Ian,

I did pop down to the Yard on Sunday. I am now looking forward to working in the Wagon Department with you all. I did also see the Cattle Wagon and the Mica. They seem to be getting on really well. Haven't seen the Cattle wagon since May last year.

Garethp8873

 

Good to here, unfortunately I was firing on 5164

 

The china clay wagons brake work is progressing well, Steve has been doing much welding, heating and swearing at it, although the body work appears to be causing some head aches, with the paint just refusing to take to it.
The photographs show the work on the raised portion of chaired sleeper wagon 40554, one shows the new floor, some of which has been riveted into place, while the other one shows the sort of wear and tear the old floor had been subjected too, that hole is where water has rusted through what was one quarter inch plate. Plans are afoot for a big push on the flooring work next week, so wish us well.

 

I would suppose that this is the first major overhaul our Chaired Sleeper wagon has had since it was built 115 years ago? If so then it has certainly done well!

I hear that we maybe be changing the paint manufacturers as well.

Garethp8873.

 

No, she has had several very heavy re-builds, including loosing her Thomas brake gear and being converted at one point to a high sided open.

 

Well, what a productive weekend! 40554 was lifted on saturday, the north end wheels rolled out, and the space between the frames cleaned and painted, the wheels treated the same, while the north end raised portion, was rivited in, then sunday followed with finishing the riviting, re-hanging the brake gear, and re-wheeling the wagon. As one colleague of mine put it, all we need to do now is the other end, then we can worry about the bits in the middle too!

 

my dear friends, I am sorry to inform you that this will be the last update for a while at least.
The repairs to the china clay wagon are coming allong well, with her brake mechanism being in the process of being re-hung when I was last at Bewdley.
On a more serious note, the authour of what has become a regular colomn has not been very well lateley, as I have been suffering very badly with depression and am currently as a result unable to carry out any duties on the Severn Valley, I hope I will be able to return but I must face up to the fact that that may not ever happen.
I would like to thank my friends from both the Severn Valley and South Devon Railways for there support, and if I may be a little selfish here, I would like to ask that you remember me in your thoughts and prayers and wish me the very best of luck.
Ian (Olly) Hollis,
Guard, Fireman and wagon restorer, Bewdley

 

Good news folks, it is official, I'll be back, should be back with the wagon guys in September. Many thanks to everyone who has given support and guidence through this troubled time.
Ian

 

Looking forward to further updates!
Glad to hear that things are looking better.....

StoneRoad

 

Firstly, many thanks to everyone that has offered a shoulder to cry on in these troubled times, I am on the mend and should be back working on those troublesome trucks soon enough.
I did manage to get a quick look at what had been going on at Bewdley while waiting for some of the lads prior to a day out. Many thanks to Compo for the info.
Chaired sleeper wagon 40554 has recived a lot of primer on the parts that won't get to hot with the cutting out of old plate work or riveting of new, although the drilling, Bridge-reaming and riveting will mean I will have a good ammount to work on when I return.
The china clay is nearing completion, being un-rebuilt back to her as built condition.
Hope to bring more up dates somewhen soon
Ian

 

Thanks Martin, I have been through it before, but never this bad, good to be on the mend.
Ian

 

Well, I'm back! Thanks to everyone for the support.
Finally the china clay wagon is finished, the second coat of sign writeing going on today, this wagon has been in for a year, as she has been put back to her origional 1914 condition.
The Mica B has now had the inner skin on the Rock side re-constructed, and is comoing together slowly but surely, although un-fortunately the roof canvass has been found to be in poor condition.
The wagons that may be in the gala goods have had their axle box pad exams, and a general look over. Those of you passing through Arley yesterday, may have seen 5 of us going round oiling up and checking pads, a filthy and surprisingly tireing job, which left us feeling a little stiff, while Steve and co did the wagons at Bewdley on friday afternoon. Two ammusing moments came as a result of this work, the first being one of the guys calling to me, "Ian, I think you may be spilling some of that oil," the reply came back that I was quite aware of that, as it was soaking through my Jeans and running down my leg! The other being the quote of "Those pink sausage like things that are stopping you forcing the keep back on, are actually my fingers, and I would like to keep them!"
Finally, the keen eye'd ones among you may have spotted myself and Tim the Drunk cleaning the green growths off loco coal wagon 83831, and sweeping and inspecting te floor on an Open (the number of which escapes me for the moment) finding the floor to be in poor order.
With gala weekend looming large on the horizon, wish us well, and feel free to come down and see our handy work actually in service!
Cheers
Ian

 

I'll not steal Ian's thunder on this piece of news, but the latest SVR News reveals that plans are seriously afoot to provide a 2-road 200 yards long goods vehicle storage facility (aka " a big shed" !!) in a cutting on the stub of the Stourport line out of Bewdley. Grant funding being looked at.

Over to you Ian....

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