Sentinel works no 6807 Gervase

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Just a quick update! The lift has started, with the wheels and the cab remains having been lifted from the weeds. We only lost two members in the expedition....

The plan, as I understand it, is to lift the rest of the engine in the near future to a place from which it can be easily transferred to the lorry. It will then undertake it's longest journey for a while, possibly ever!!!!

Below is a pic of Richard Moffatt starting work on the axleboxes....

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p51125627.html

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

The latest news is that the frames and boiler have been lifted, so that they are in a convenient place for when the lift proper takes place. And no, there is no truth in the rumour that certain elements at Rolvenden want to put a jacuzzi in the resulting empty hole!!!!

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Seeing your pictures of the 'parts bin' did make me wonder, not entirely seriously, whether there might still be a few bits of 'DOM' left amongst all that lot! Good luck with putting it all back together.

The rescue and, hopefully, restoration of Gervase (not Gervaise) has some additional historical significance since this marks the end of a very long K&ESR tradition, going back to the 1920s, of abandoned steam locomotives disappearing into the undergrowth at Rolvenden.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Oh no, I'm sure we can abandon something else............. ](*,)

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Are the remains of "Dom" not the remains of a sentinel loco that has rusted away at the Alderney Railway?

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Possibly, but not the "Dom" in question here. The Dom in this case was a Sentinel engine that started life as part of a "railmotor". At some point, a rather messy divorce took place, and Dom, as a stand alone engine, was initially preserved on the KESR. Dom looked nothing like a Sentinel engine, as I believe I am right in saying that the body she had was "home-made" in industrial service.

Dom, even when she arrived at the KESR, was beyond steaming, and was used as a brake van on engineers trains in the early days. At some point she was sold (given?) to the Sentinel Group at Quainton. I am informed that the motion from her was used for the Sentinel engine that is now at Isfield, and the rest of the engine was scrapped.

Ironically, more recently the Pallot Museum on Jersey began searching for Dom, as they have the coach that originally formed the body of the railmotor. Regrettably, they started looking rather too late, and I fear that their ambition to resurrect a railmotor may not now be feasible.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

I had the chance to go down today and take some pictures, together with meeting the "Benevolent Benefactor". I have stuck a number of pictures up at...

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p51336751.html

and the subsequent pictures. Also included in those are several views from behind the scenes, including images in Rolvenden shed that aren't usually available.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Gervase should be leaving the KESR tomorrow (Wednesday) for it's trip up north. I understand the intention is to shotblast the frames, to see if there is actually any metal left under the rust. Once that is done, thought can be given to strengthening the frames. If I can get any picture updates, I will post them here.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

can you announce where in the north it will be going (i do know a lot of the country is north of kent). is it going to be restored to its original manning wardle condition or its rebuilt sentinal condition?

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

I am not at liberty to say EXACTLY where Gervase is going, but I can say the following! Gervase is going to a private site, and not to another railway. I understand that the bits will be returned to working condition there, then sent back to the KESR for assembly. The private site concerned is in a county just to the north east of Derbyshire..

Gervase will be restored to her Sentinel condition. There are no proposals to recreate the Manning Wardle, given Gervase's unique position in the preservation history of the KESR. The "benevolent benefactor" in this case is a Sentinel owner and enthusiast. As two H class engines survive, albeit in Australia, this is not a chance to retro-build a unique engine.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

I have now been informed that "Gervase" left the KESR on Tuesday, heading north to the shotblasters. The restoration clock has started running, and from what I am told, the benefactor hopes to complete it within a couple of years! I hope to have the post-shotblasters pictures in a fortnight or so....

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Thanks for all the pictures and info. Great to see this sudden attention to what seemed to be a 'forgotten' loco.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Thanks. I have to say, Gervase wasn't completely forgotten, but a lot of people had forgotten it is a loco! In fact, on our own internal web board, one of our directors admitted he had been walking past the frames for years without the slightest clue what they actually were!

These things happen, I suppose.....

For anyone who hasn't seen the pics, my collection can be found at:

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/

.... in the "Gervase & other animals" set.

Thanks to everyone for their interest, and support thus far. It really is appreciated by those of us who have been involved with this project, especially as it doesn't have the "glamour" of other restorations.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

I think I may have seen some bits of it on weds on the back of a lorry...

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

I wouldn't be overly surprised. I think most of the bits we've got fell off the back of one....

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Most engines tend to move by low loader, but I suppose when this is as much as you have....:

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p51836153.html

This is Gervase being loaded up for it's trip to the shotblasters. I now have the pictures of the results of the shotblasting, and I will post the link up once I have gotten them onto my machine.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p51836429.html and the four subsequent pics show the condition of the parts now, in stark contrast to how they were when I first photographed them. The overhaul is under way.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

Looking very good.

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

The latest news, as sent to me..:

So, what are we doing to the frames? The staged process we have embarked on is:

Job 1 - repair side frame plates to restore wastage and repair myriad of redundant holes.
Job 2 - fabricate new frame stretchers to strengthen frames and help pull them straight.
Job 3 - Machine these new frame stretchers to precise distance between frame plates (47.3/4 " for those who are interested!)
Job 4 - Accurately align the side frames and fit the new machined frame stretchers with fitted bolts.
Job 5 - Then remove buffers beams repair and fit replacement drawgear (at the moment the buffer beams are about all that's holding the assembly together)

That will all take a few weeks (particularly while we wait for the machining contractor to machine the new stretchers to length).



http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p52199926.html
http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p52199927.html
http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p52199928.html
http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p52199929.html

 

Re: Kent and East Sussex 'GERVAISE'.

All good stuff, hope you'll keep us posted as work progresses?