SVR Wagons 2015

Well it has been a while but I am back, sorry it has been so long but it is silly season, and I have been on guards and firing turns, but the lads have been busy at Bewdley. The project to tidy up our stores van number 143, and move some of the less used equipment to another van.
102691 is at the south end of our area, in a semi dismantled state. One of the great things about working on these GWR opens is while they can look very rough, they can progress very quickly, as the work is normally quite simple. This wagon has thrown up some interesting little problems and will require a lift to investigate a displaced axle box and a couple of loose rivets will require some tightening up or replacing, while dismantling the sheet supporter rail has lead us to discover that the long coach bolts that hold the sheet support hoop onto the body hadn't lasted terribly well. As we haven't got any more, and owing to the length of these, they are quire expensive, we have elected to make our own out of a bit of stainless steel that we have got hold of. Needless to say, the last few days have been spent in the machine shop doing some serious listening to Radio 4, with some occasional machining, and owing to the length of these, the radio 4 listening has out weighted the actual working of the machine!
I have a few more busy weeks ahead so I will update you as soon as I can.
Wish us luck
Olly

 

Haven't forgotten about you folks, I'm having a very busy spell at the moment with guarding and footplate work, I shall be back in a few weeks.

 

Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, I haven't left, lost interest or popped off. I am sorry the reports have dried up, but as you can imagine with guards turns, some footplate turns and a brief trip to Wales I have had a lot on.
The lads haven't let the grass grow under their feet. Having been told to only remove the rotten planks from 102691 the lads have done exactly that, meaning that she has been reduced to a set of bare frames without a single piece of wood on it. We have some issues with the alignment of an axle box to resolve, a couple of loose rivets to rectify, and some tree to put on it. I was supposed to be spending today making some long coach bolts for the sheet support rail, but as it turned out, I ended up spending the day helping one of the 1501 group fixing the lathe I was supposed to be working on...... never mind, there is always next week.

 

I'm back. Sorry about going AWOL, but it is silly season, and I have been here, there, and everywhere in guards vans, on footplates, etc. Our lads have been busy, the Gunpowder van and the Van fit are now basking in the Worcestershire sunshine once more, in their place is the "Southern" brake van 55577. Those of you that know the railway well will know that this is not actually a Southern Brake van, nor is it the real 55577. The real 55577 no longer exists but was a Southern 25 ton pill box brake van, the one in the works is a WD copy, restored using parts from the real 55577, hence adopting her late cousin's identity. Meanwhile we had a day on Saturday assisting the 4150 lads riveting their bunker together, as if we don't have enough on our hands already, we now seem to have another project, I am sure you will enjoy reading about our efforts!

 

Well, Gala weekend is nearly upon us, so the lads have been doing the exams on the wagons that are to go out in the goods train. Although one needed a new pad, nothing serious was found, all things being equal there should be a shunt to form the train up on Monday. This job on its own can be quite long winded and labour intensive.
Hopefully I'll get another update in before the big day, but if not, I hope to see some of you over the gala.
Olly

 

Sorry it has been so long, I hadn't realised that my last update was six weeks ago. I hope you all had a good gala and spotted our handy work in the goods train.... yes the vanfit and GPV are running again! In their place is "Southern" brake van number 55577. The reason that they have only been replaced by one wagon is one of limitations of size, the goods shed will just about hold 2 SLU, the southern brake is slightly longer than 1 SLU, sufficiently long that you can't get another one in.
Those in the know will know that she is not the real 55577, built at Ashford in 1942 to a 1923 design, she rolled out of the works as WD49010, and went straight into WD service, never serving the Southern or BR at any point in her life, instead heading first to Longmoor, then to RNAD at Gosport until leaving there to join the SVR fleet in July 1990.
Meanwhile, the real 55577, an 1930 Lancing product, to a similar design, there been no visible difference between the SR and MOD vans, 55577 ended up at the end of her life, as a burned out wreck at Stewarts lane. Brought to break up to provide parts for her younger sister, 55577's remains now reside in storage at Bewdley, with donor parts, and her number and builders plates on WD49010.
Meanwhile, a problem noticed on 102691, of an Axle box and spring sitting out of place, has been solved with a gas torch, a hammer and a grinder. She is to receive replacement spring retaining pins, to replace the 3/4" BSW bolts placed on her by the Port Of Bristol Authority. She is currently without either a body or a floor and is little more than a set of frames, however, although this sounds a lot of work, a few of us can still recall the Easter Weekend way back in 2002 when we put a complete body back on her sister 108085 in three days, lets hope its a feat we can repeat soon,
Wish us luck
Olly

 

Good to have you and your reports back Olly!


Keith

 

Well this week 102691 started getting her floor back, although as one of the lads put it, the planks are not only a mixture of sizes, but also and interesting selection of shapes! The lads have made a gauge to give them a clue what depth the planks should be and are cutting steps into the ends to get them all to sit at the same height, as well as cutting notches to clear the rivets and bolt heads in the kerb rail. The timber for the sides has arrived too and the wagon is slowly but surely going back together.
13154's brake gear has stalled somewhat for the time being, owing to not being able to find the spare hanger brackets to replace her worn out ones.
55577 has received a coat of primer on the sole bar, but she is in need of a lot more work. She may get turfed back outside for a short while to give 102691 chance to have a slot inside the shed in order for her bodywork to get a coat of paint. Watch this space!
Olly

 

Work on 102691's floor continues. This requires the planks to be planed to thickness then rebated to accommodate the chassis members and bolt heads that protrude from the kerb rail. Meanwhile components for the bodywork, to repair the sheet supporter rail are slowly but surely being produced in the machine shop.
Wish us luck!
Olly

 

Thanks Ian - good to meet you the other week too.

 

Yes likewise, nice to put a face to the name!

 

The keen eyed of you will have noticed that 102691 is starting to grow walls, or at least the first few planks have gone into the ends. The floor is not quite complete yet, although the gap in it is shrinking fast now. This does mean that I will have to get my skates on in the machine shop with the replacement parts for the sheet supporter rail!
In the shed progress on the SR brake is slow, this will be a big project so may spend some while being chipped away at on a back burner while some more rapid repairs overtake it, but hopefully we will see her back on the rear of trains in the not too distant future.
Olly

 

I really can't answer you, I simply don't know

 

Christmas is fast approaching but the lads in the down yard at Bewdley are as busy as ever. 102691 now has 8 new long coach bolts to re-attach the sheet support rail when we get that far. The reason these took so long is because at that length there is a lot of turning to do. Once again the work of the 1501 group in keeping the machine shop in working order was very much appreciated. As a department, it seems that we are no longer just restoring and preserving wagons but also the rapidly dyeing skills needed to make new parts, happily for me, a couple of the younger lads have shown an interest in learning some machining.
Outside, the floor is now complete, and the walls are taking shape, while in the goods shed, there are a lot of nicely undercoated body parts in the form both of planks and the steel fittings.
Hopefully I will have one more update before Christmas but I am sure you will all understand, it is a hugely busy period for everyone at the Valley.
Take care
Olly

 

Well, after 12 months and 6600 views, its time to bring the curtain down on this thread, I will of course be starting a new one in 2016, which I am sure you will recognise instantly when it is posted.
So to business,
Outside in the yard, 102691 (Which I see from my ramblings came in around the 21st January) is now looking more like a wagon again, as the corner plates and diagonal bracing are back on again. The corner plates are not the originals off the wagon but are ex-British Sugar open ones that have been recycled, these themselves had to be heavily repaired last time round, although all but one of the patches have their welds well hidden, anyone wanting to see the extent of this work should come see the wagon now before the sides finish going back on.
Work on the Southern brake van is at a stand still at the moment, as if the weather takes a turn for the worse, this may have to go outside in order to allow 102691 room in the shed for finishing off, hopefully we shall see work get going on this next year.
So to work on 13154 (Remember her?) and her brakes. The replacement parts have all been manufactured for a second time, after the first set got raided to repair the brakes on 102691 earlier in the year. Like the Southern Brake, this job had stalled in order to free up both manpower and machine time for parts for 102691, now attention needs to turn to the hanger brackets on this wagon, but this project is hopefully going to be completed without taking the wagon out of traffic.
So all that remains is for me to say (And I'm sure I speak for the rest of the department too) is to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2016.
Olly

 

Many thanks Olly for all the updates, and work, throughout the year. It's much appreciated

Patrick

 

May I echo that comment.
Olly many thanks for keeping us informed of what is going on.

 

Merry Christmas Olly and thanks for all your updates through the year - they are appreciated and make good reading


Keith

 

Thanks Ian and the same to you and yours