Restoration news - April 2009 update
Our carriage restoration projects currently ongoing include LMSR Open First No 7511, GWR-style Hawkesworth Sleeper First No 9084, and LMSR 6-wheel Parcels Brake Van No 32919. Progress reports on these are as follows.
7511
7511 was moved from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster carriage storage shed on Saturday 21 March. The class 20 diesel loco was used to convey the Trust's BR Mk 1 Open Second No 4399, and Thomas the Tank Engine, alias Hunslet 686 'The Lady Armaghdale' from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, and 7511 was taken south as a backload. 7511 will be going into the carriage works to be lifted mid-April, after GNR 2701 which is on the jacks at the time of writing for some minor adjustments to brake gear.
7511 will be reunited with its original bogies, which are already overhauled, and have its vacuum cylinders removed for assessment. Final preparation of the sides will be possible, too, with a view to finishing its livery in the 1934 gold-leaf lined style. During March, further lamp shades have been made at Bridgnorth; to date only five remain to be completed and installed.
Also at Kidderminster:
9084 has been receiving attention from two Paint Shop volunteers, David Mead and new recruit Steven Davies, who have been making new ceilings for both the lavatory and attendant's compartments. Also the newspaper/linen rack has been stripped down to kit-form and varnished in the Paint Shop by Andy Hipkiss. This had to be removed to gain access to the ceiling, anyway. Other decoration to pipe covers and walls is also being attended to, so that this compartment, which will be open to public scrutiny, will look its best. The emergency lighting system required by the Fire Dept advisers, Mel Cooke and Nigel Binnersley, is being installed by volunteer Malcolm Hanson, and Company 'train repairer' Gary Parsons.
Lamp units salvaged from identical Sleeper First No 9082 are being used in the corridor, vestibules and berths. These will be powered by battery if the mains supply fails, just like a conventional hotel system. The materials for wiring all of these up are being sponsored by the SVR Association, as it is not a restoration item but directly linked to volunteer accommodation matters. The whole lot will cost them around £900. Further work in the lavatory compartment to secure a bouncy floor will be needed, once the electricians are finished, and internal cleaning and ceiling decoration will be required last of all, some time in May.
At Bridgnorth:
LMSR 6-wheel Brake No 32919 at Bridgnorth has been subject to a grant application to the PRISM Fund. We expect an answer at the end of April. If we are successful, we will have to complete the work that the funding is requested for in one year. If not, we can take our time and fundraise as we go. A rebuilt frame, roof and doors, steel-clad and ready to glaze, will be about £7,500. When we get an answer, we can begin restoration work; meanwhile we aren't allowed to start, other than protective conservation measures, until they have made up their mind.
32919 will be restored to original 1932 livery to match 7511, and accordingly will not be having a stove put back. So please delete any reference to '32919 the Stove R', and from now on refer to it as '2886', which the LMS originally referred to as a 'CR' in their telegraphic codes.
At Swindon:
Our loco, 7819 Hinton Manor, took a first step towards a return to working order, following the open meeting on 1st March. A small group of activists has been put together with the aim of visiting the loco on 4th April to assess its condition (as well as can be done without the aid of a boiler lift). Contacts with the SVR Association Wolverhampton Branch are being strengthened with a view to their providing sales and fundraising activity. Once we have a list of parts required, we can raise money and go shopping for bits, find friends in the Valley to machine them, and talk to Management about an overhaul and our part in it. A 'report back' meeting on 26 April at The Engine House has been diaried in.
Coming up soon:
Kidderminster Turntable Fund
Discussions on the proposed transfer of ownership of the turntable from the Fund to the Trust have seen approval of the concept from the Railway's Joint Board. All that is left to do now is the documentation. Meanwhile, the Trust Chairman has been liasing with Trevor Davies, who has led the development of facilities for overhauling diesel shunters, plus a booking-on point cabin, adjacent to the turntable. Some interesting ideas for further improvements to the turntable have been suggested, and some faulty winding gear has received attention by volunteer Brian Bessey, as a result of the Trust's interest in the facility. Once the paperwork is completed, we hope to do a nice volunteer-led project, on and around the turntable, which will be of benefit to the Trust's member organizations, and the future upkeep of the turntable itself.
Meanwhile:
The Trust's BR Mk1 Tourist Second Open No 4399 is now at Bridgnorth for a good sort through of loose components. Items simply stored there will be transferred to Kidderminster Stores over the Easter running period by train. 4399 bits will be boxed up or bundled for safekeeping and 4399 will be used, temporarily, as our sales stand, to assist with fundraising for 2886, next door. 4399 will be restored on completion of 2886.
Hugh McQuade, 3 April 2009