SVR wagon's 2009

At the moment, not a lot. Sorry, can't be any more spacific than that.

 

Bringing people up to date with what is going on at Bewdley, 13154 has now had the majority of the rotten planks replaced. The blanks for her new spring cups have arrived (even we couldn't muster the tooling to make those, and have started making the tooling to fit them.
Some of our younger volenteers have spent a significant portion of their easter holidays working on some of the less glamerous jobs. As a result, the clean down of 13154's chassis and 93016's body has moved on well. Thanks boys.
13154's brake pins are starting to show signs of wear, so that is another job to add to the already long list of turning that is to be done, allong with some more parts for the sheet support rail.

 

It has been one of those frustrateing weekends, where you work like stink with no visiable change. The sign writeing on 93045 has moved forwards, and more of the rotten timber has been removed from the Mica B, which, thankfully has not revealed anything un expected (So far).
Open number 13154 has been the main source of my frustration, as I spent most of yesterday, cutting the excess threads off the bolts through the body planks. This may seem like a fairly pointless asthetic exercise, but in actuall fact, means that is a sheet is used over the wagon, it won't snag on the excess thread and rip the sheet, and also, it means that when you do have to undo a bolt, you don't end up dragging the usuall large amounts of paint, rust, and muck through the thread, making the job a little easier.
Sunday, the same wagon, and we found a few more rotten planks, so spent the whole day getting the wagon back to the point we thought we were at in the morning.

 

Sorry for not keeping folks up to date, have been busy firing locos and guarding trains, for a few weeks, with a bit of luck, I will be able to bring people up to speed this weekend.

 

Bringing people up to speed with the goings on in Bewdley Goods shed, or outside as the case may be, as we have been making the most of the nice weather.
Great Western open 13154 had her springs removed last week to allow the removal of the spring shoes, which had corroded all the way through in several places. The replacements came from blanks that we had made several years ago, which we recently had pressed at a firm in the Black country (Who's name escapes me). A few pieces of good luck helped prevent the usuall curseing and swearing that follows these jobs as a rule. She regained her springs this afternoon, having had the holes that we had made in her sole bar yesterday, repaired in the morning.
Other repairs to her frames and body are going well, and attention next week will turn to replacing a very tired, and very heavy, sheet support rail. The other wagons are progressing more slowly at the moment, 93045, being almost finished appart from the repairs needed to her floor, while the two inside the shed have come to a stop as we make the most of the sun shine.

 

Thanks for update Olly

 

tell us more about the mink shunted in by mistake... :-$

 

I'm assuming that you are refering to 101961 mentioned in my own rambleings on here late last year, and Steve's article in the SVR news from Autmn 2008? Nothing to tell really, it was decided to keep her in for a patch and re-paint, which grew like you-know-what, resulting in door and body repairs and a full re-paint. The wagon was released back into traffic in February.
I was involved in the shunt to bring her and 65801 in, the mistake comming from one of our number who had forgotten which wagon we were supposed to be bringing in. 65801, and (If memory serves me correctly) 134290 were supposed to be comming in to recive attention on the roof, however, the information I recived was wrong, so we brought 101961 by mistake. I was duely dispatched up the ladder to inspect both roof canvasses, returning with the information that 65801 had some dammage from a falling roof tile, and that all which was wrong with 101961 was a few bits of flakey paint.
Later that afternoon, Dave phoned the gaffer with the good news, while the rest of us enjoyed a cuppa.
"Ian says 68501 needs apatch, but 101961 is fine," he said, followed by a very long pause.
I looked at Terry Wykes, "We've brought the wrong wagon in," I said
"You think?" he replied.
The swearing flowing from the direction of the telephone confirmed that we were correct in our suspicions. By the time Dave turned round to tell us, myself and Terry had been overcome my a terrible fit of the giggles!

 

Not a bad weekend, but not much of interest to write about. The warm weather has pushed work on 13154 at a good pace, the work on cleaning and painting the underframe has progressed well, and the process of dropping, cleaning, painting and reassembling the brake gear has reached the final set of brake rods, which are on the bench, cleaned and primed, waiting to go back on (Which I may do in the week, if I get chance)
Unfortunately, we are now comming into the main summer season, and almost every one of us also has at least one operational job on the railway, and at this time of year, most weekends will involve one, two or more of us working trains in some capacity, so I appologise if the reports become in-frequent, and sketchy.

 

The summer, and driving, firing and guarding has taken it's toll on our staff levels at the moment, (There were two of us today!!!) but 13154, the rather tired looking GWR open, is now fully in undercoat, except for one corner of the chassis. The pile of parts for the new sheet support rail is growing, slowly, and she has had a new drawbar spring fitted to replace a broken one on the Kidderminster end of the wagon. It has needed more work than we first thought, but there again, if I'm looking that good when I'm as old as the wagon, it's 97 years old and still going strong

 

Keep up the good work!


Keith

 

Cheers Keith

 

Seconded Ian seconded. I hope you have been getting my updates OK?.

Regards
Chris

 

Yeah, unfortunately, not had much chance to read them recently. Up to my eyeballs in all manor of work at the moment.

 

All the work lately has been concentrated on GWR open number 13152. The cleaning down of the frames is going well, and the sheet supporter is going back together, the hoops, blocks and uprights are on, whill the rail it's self is awaiting welding together, and fitting.

 

We have a bit of catching up to do, as I have been away from the department guarding trains and firing locomotives, so here goes.
Firstly, Open B number 13154, this has had it's new sheet supporter rail fitted. The old one dates back to before we had access to a set of pipe benders, so the ends were formed out of solid bar, which made it back breakingly heavy to move and prone to jamming. The new one is entirely hollow, and much lighter. The wagon has had her last coat of top coat, and first coat of sign writing. She had her pads exam today, and should be in traffic by next week, with a bit of luck.
We have two Mink A's in at the moment, in varying states of disrepair. 93045 has finally had her floor repaired, and is nearly ready to leave the works. Her sister 93016, has just had a patch let into the roof where the timber had started to rot. A canvass has been offered up for size, and is hanging over the roof to allow the weight to pull some creases out. Work to fit it should beging next week. This is a long, laborious job, and it will be as late as September before it is finished, as the canvass will absorb the paint like there is no tomorrow.
The paint it's self, for a roof is a mixture of paint and linseed oil, to allow it to flex, the first coat of which is 60% linseed oil and 40% paint, the paint goes up in concentration untill the sixth and usually final coat which is 60% paint, and 40% oil. Each coat taking a week to dry in warm weather.
I am guarding again next week, with a couple of footplate turns comming up too, so it may be a few weeks till the next update.

 

Out of interest, would the original (GWR) bar have been solid or hollow?

 

Not 100% sure, but in all probability, would have been made of old boiler tubem therefore hollow. On the old one on 13154, it was only the last foot of each end and upright that was solid, but it added a hell of a lot of weight! All the sizes aree what we have deduced from photos as we don't actually have a set of drawings

 

Thanks

 

That is purely based on the fact that the GWR never through anything away. You ever had the floor up in a toad brake van? you would be amazed what scrap went into there to add weight!!!!!!!!!