LMSCA TO severely damaged by fire :-(

It has been reported from Ecclesbourne Valley Railway that the LMS TO under restoration at Wirksworth has been partially destroyed by fire.
The fire is believed to have been caused after welding was carried out late yesterday evening, it is not thought that there was any foul play involved.

A survey is to be carried out to establish the extent of the damage and whether the vehicle is ultimately restorable. It is a great shame after so much hard work had been carried out and so much positive attention had been gained from the public.

Fingers crossed that the damage isn't insurmountable and that an eventual restoration can be completed.

Dave

 

That is terrible news, particularly as the coach was so close to being finished. People don't seem to learn, though, when it comes to welding on coaches - it seems to be one of the most common causes of destruction. I can think of a Brighton Belle car at Carnforth and the Bognor Buffet at the Nene Valley and I';m fairly sure there have been others.

 

Sad news.

 

All welding works (and other hot works such as plumbing) areas should be checked at 30 minutes and 60 minutes after work has stopped at the least, and preferably an hour or so after that. This has been a well-known precaution in fire prevention circles for many years - I once visited a factory which had burnt down precisely because they hadn't followed this golden rule!
John Webb (40+ years in fire safety)

 

Very true - my Dad is a qualified welder and mechanic and refuses to do welding in the last two hours of his shift.

 

Interesting that, it seems the cause, if officially known, was never published publicly. Quite possible though. One thing is for certain, I think any form of arson has been ruled out.
The other possibility could have been an electrical fault.

 

Not so Jamie as there is no official reason why the fire started at Ropley.

In all seriousness the insurance company would not have paid out is this was so.

Kindest regards

Chris Willis

Mid-Hants volunteer.

 

My apologies, I obviously heard a rumour but it was told to me as if it were the cold hard fact of the matter. Post amended.

 

What vehicle number is it?

 

27162

 

I believe they are still waiting for a full assessment. It seems as though the interior furnishings are reasonably badly damaged, particularly at one end (the toilet compartment end) but the framework, body side panels and under frame are largely OK.

 

That sounds promising. Lets pray the insurance will cover it and the under frame wasn't twisted with the heat. Real shame - lovely vehicle. Not enough pre-nationalisation coaches in good order about. To loose one is heartbreaking

 

Is this the vehicle (in happier times)?
http://www.lmsca.org.uk/stock/27162.php

 

I knew I had seen it before.
It was at Shildon at the same time as my Snowplough, the work on it looked good at the time.
Hope its repairable.

 

The word is that the frame is not twisted. Fortunately, as part of the restoration, mineral wool insulation was fitted between the inner and outer skins which seems to have acted as a significant barrier and slowed the progress of the fire.

Tim

 

Great news that the frame hasn't twisted. Still a great shame considering the work that had been completed and the quality of the workmanship.

Dave

 

Hope that as the frame is not twisted that restoration will be completed...and that the insurance is paid out quickly.

Good luck with the work.

 

Just an update: http://lmsca.org.uk/blog/ 27162 has had the fire damaged timber framework and roof removed at the south end of the vehicle and new material is currently being machined offsite by a contractor who will deliver the various components and fit it together at Wirksworth. Whilst it is in the shed we have decided to remove all the windows and re-bed them, remove the guttering as it hadn't been sealed and fastened correctly by the previous contractor and complete the renewal of all bodyside screws with stainless ones, the latter has proven quite a challenge, there being several hundred of them! We have also decided to use 3M panel bonding adhesive to bond the screw heads to each countersink in the steel paneling to prevent the screws from moving and cracking the body filler(which is a common problem with steel paneled stock). It will eventually emerge and be paired with sister vehicle (BTK 27001) in order to fit both vehicles interiors out together which is likely to take around two years.

 

I wouldnt!

Its not the screws moving that causes the filler to crack, its different expansion rates between the screw and steel panel.

Using a bonding adhesive will make future repairs a nightmare should any of the screws/panels need removing. It will also be a nightmare/impossible to sand and may well not be over paintable.