Restoration Updates
PWM654
Work done up to April 2010
PWM654 is now fully operational and resplendent in BR blue with Ruston and Hornsby crests fitted. It was used on passenger trains at the September 2009 diesel gala.
Previous work
The PWM is in the process of being repainted into BR Blue from the Civil Engineer's yellow that it currently carries. The loco has to be rubbed down, painted with primer, and finally painted in BR Blue with small BR arrows. A set of Ruston and Hornsby badges has been acquired from another PWM and these will be fitted when the paintwork has been completed.
12061
Work done up to June 2010
Several hundred studs have been dyed down for refitting the crankshaft doors.
Work done up to April 2010
The Class 11, 12061, has had several hundred studs dyed down for re-fitting the crankshaft doors.
Work done up to November 2008
The Class 11 had been taking it easy in the far end of the running shed for longer than anyone cared to remember. Its slumber was disturbed as it was pulled out from the staging that has surrounded it for some three years. Although there had been some sterling work done on the top end by the "Legion of the Damned" (Ian, Mark, John, Hugh, Tony H, Dave Hardy, Van and John Wade), not much attention had been given to the frames, wheels, brakes and running gear. Dave Hardy set to needle gunning the frames with Tony laboriously scraping paint off the middle of the axle ends.
Now for those not in the know, there has always been a bearing missing out of the right hand coupling rod. After Tony had removed the paint from this axle centre, disaster struck. The bad news is that the loco is suffering from at least one shifted crank, and although some others don't agree maybe two. It seems to be the Achilles heel of Class 08 - Class 11 types and probably the most common reason why they find their way to the scrapyard.
There are a series of dots stamped into the axle centre. The reason for this is simple; it's a tell tale warning if the wheel has moved on its axle. This means that the axle moves on its wheel so damaging the key that holds it in the right position. With 12061 the dots, or as is technically known the 'chain dot line', are not now all in line. Theoretically the solution to this is to remove the damaged wheelset(s) and send them away where the wheel is pressed off the axle, the keyway repaired, a new key inserted and the wheel replaced in exactly the position that it should be. One slight problem with this is that no commercial railway company will now tackle these as a 'one off job'. Consequently the alternative is to find a replacement wheel set. Another slight problem is that the wheel diameter and profile have to match or it is no good. The reason for this is that if the wheels are different diameters you end up getting one that tries to go faster than the others! As a result you are then left looking for a full set of three wheel sets.
Yet another problem (can there be any more?) is that the traction motor fits around the leading and trailing axle so if you are only going to get the wheelsets you have to split the traction motors, take them off the damaged axles and replace them on the good one. Now this is all hunky-dory until you realise that the traction motors weigh a ton and a half each and they are not east to swap. We have therefore gone for the easy option and acquired three wheelsets with the two traction motors on. Much preparatory work is being done before the wheels can be swapped. All the brake linkage has been removed, coupling rods and associated bits, horn stays (which are the plates that hold the wheels on under the frames), and much grunting, sweating, cursing, wire brushing and cleaning is now being undertaken in readiness for the swap.
One of the other obstacles is that the whole loco will have to be lifted some considerable height to release the wheelsets and replace them with the new ones. Fortunately we have gained permission to do the swap in Peak Rail's shed using our lifting jacks however we must wait until three phase electric is installed in the building. Finally, there has been some controversy as to whether the wheels will fit as Class 11 wheels are officially 6 inch smaller than Class 08 wheels, which are what have been obtained. Interestingly the current wheelsets on the loco actually belonged to D3183, which was a Class 08. In addition all the checks that we have made have revealed that measurements on both sets of frames (the Class 11 and 08016) are identical to each other and barring the gremlins creeping in we should be OK.
As a side note, the main cause of shifting cranks is usually caused by the driver of the loco. In this case the damage was undoubtedly caused whilst in NCB ownership. The driver was probably racing down the track (if you can race at 15MPH!), then slamming the brakes hard on to stop. The result is that the weight and momentum of the loco is transmitted through the wheel, which would lock on with the rods, whilst the traction motors and the gear mounted axles are still trying to turn.
Of course, this is very simple to prevent: SLOW DOWN! This is far from an easy repair to make. It is debatable whether the owners or the Gwili Railway even got to the point of knowing about this fault as we only found out when the above work began, but this was almost certainly why the loco was withdrawn by the NCB.
Work done up to June 2008
Many hours have been spent freeing up components in the control desk which had to be completely removed before work could be carried out on them. John and his legion of volunteers have spent many a happy hour wrestling with the deadman's treadles trying to free them to get the interlocking system to operate (they are not like 03's John!). A start has been made on undercoating the generator room and shortly the engine will be getting a coat of paint.
Work done up to April 30th 2008
Attention has now turned to the cab interior which is in a very poor condition. Three quarters of the cab have already been needle gunned many thanks to John and Hugh for all their efforts in this somewhat boring job. The desk has been stripped of all side panels so that work can commence on freeing up all the movable parts in the desk linkage and electrical components.
Work done up to December 31st 2007
A start has been made on refitting the overhauled brush boxes to the generator which has been electrically tested and found to be fine. Work continues on needle gunning the rest of the upper bodywork with only a small area now to finish. The cab interior is the next area for needle gunning before the loco is moved to enable the frame and wheels to be done.
Previous work
The generator compartment dividing screen has been stripped out along with the main generator cooling fan and bridge section. This is to gain access to the generator front windings for the purpose of inspection and cleaning. Six brush boxes also have been removed from around the generator for overhaul. The commutator has been cleaned up by means of barring the engine over. Electrical cleaning agent has been sprayed into the windings and yoke area in readiness for painting and testing. Elsewhere on the loco the back of the cab exterior has been needle gunned and painted in red oxide metal primer and the engine has had a much needed clean and been painted in primer.
D2139
Work done up to April 2010
Work continued at a frenetic pace to get the loco ready for the diesel gala of September 2009 as it was booked to be the star attraction. D2139 was given a coat of green paint, temporarily renumbered to D2000 to commemorate 50 years of Class 03's and given Lion and Wheel emblems. The loco successfully took part on brake van rides at the gala and is now regarded as fully operational.
Work done up to July 2009
Steady progress has been made on refitting the cab out. The air system seems to be airtight now although the compressor is showing its age and could do with an overhaul. The cab heater pipes have been refitted and the radiator and blower fan motors are being overhauled. The cab treadle valves and treadles have been fitted and tested. The upper and lower guage panel and desk tags have all been made and just require drilling and fitting.
Work done up to November 2008
Work continues a pace on this loco but not fast enough to have it ready for the September Diesel Gala unfortunately. However work has continued. Due to the cab being distorted, having run into something during its industrial life, the door pillars required a little adjustment to enable the doors to be closed properly. The cab floor has also received three coats of dark varnish for protection and finally the cab windows have been refitted along with the water temperature gauge. The front left buffer had to come off for some adjustment which required the insertion of a number of packing plates prior to being refitted. Thanks must go to Dennis Taylor who is a recently retired upholsterer and he very kindly reupholstered the seats and arm rests for the loco.
Work done up to June 2008
On the 12th April the loco moved under her own power for the first time since it arrived at Meadowhall back in 1991. Many thanks to everyone involved in getting the locomotive to this stage. Unfortunately starting her up brought with it numerous problems with the air system including leaking pipework and seized up valves. Rectifying these faults have taken up the best part of five working weekends.
Other work carried out in between sorting out the air system has been dropping the oil which Dave volunteered for, now wishes that he hadn't, when he had to find a change of clothes after getting more oil on him than in the drain off oil drum. The sump rocking filter was removed and each crank case door unbolted and cleaned out removing coal dust and debris from the bottom of the sump. All the engine filters were cleaned and new oil put in.
The electrical system was checked and all wires marked up and non-standard wiring removed. Just a few components are required then the upper and lower panel can be refitted. Many thanks to Tony Naylor for his help with the electrical work. Attention has now turned to the cab to get all the relevant components fitted to the interior.
Fingers crossed that this loco should hopefully be finished in time for the September gala.
Work done up to April 30th 2008
The overhauled injectors and recalibrated fuel pump were refitted in late December. The water gallery main casting was removed for cleaning and the thermostats taken out for cleaning and testing. These have all now been fitted back onto the engine. With all the engine parts fitted and the newly fabricated exhaust silencer and exhaust stack, the engine was nearing completion and not far away from pressing the start button. Whilst most people were relaxing after tucking into Turkey and enjoying the festive cheer it was a chance during the Christmas holidays for the shunter gang to press on. With the colder weather upon us it was a chance to make a start on the cab. All the windows, front and back, were removed so that the frames and the steelwork underneath could be cleaned, painted and new glass fitted. The whole of the original cab floor was very rotten so it was decided to lift the complete lot for renewal. Once the floor was lifted it was time to get the needle gun working by cleaning all the steelwork underneath ready to accept the new floor. The old wiring in the main cab panel, which had had non-standard extras wired in whilst it was in industrial use, had to be stripped out. This left some tracing of wires and some rewiring to do.
On the 19th January the loco was filled with water and pulled outside by one of our shunters. With the batteries connected and a little encouragement the engine turned over then fired up. This was the first time that the engine had started in seventeen years but it was still a little way off of moving under her own power. By operating the fuel rack we managed to keep the engine running, the engine was run for half an hour before being shut down.
During this period it was found that the governor was having a bit of difficulty in keeping the engine going. The fuel pump linkage was stripped and cleaned along with the bob weights then the throttle was adjusted. The engine was restarted again and ran for an hour ticking over unaided without any problems. In early February the radiator fan and compressor belts were fitted in readiness for testing out the air system. The loco was then jacked up so that the wheels were off the rails then the wheels could be turned into the correct position for the fitting of the side rods.
By late March only the fly crank rods were left to fit. On a bright sunny morning with all the side rods connected it was decided to see if the old girl would move under her own power. With a bit of coaxing the engine started and the air compressor started working. Nothing was registering on the air gauge however. The engine was revved up to see if it would make any difference but unfortunately it did not. The engine was then shut down and an air compressor connected to the air system. There appeared to be a number of leaks at which point the weather began to turn so it was decided to put the loco back in he shed and save the first movement of D2139 under her own power for another day.
Work done up to December 31st 2007
Work is continuing at a pace with many overhauled parts now being fitted. All the connecting rods, which were removed in 2003, have had all the brushes removed for re-white metalling. They have all now been re-machined and the crank pins trued up. Many thanks to Shaun for all the hours burning the midnight oil to finish them off. The rods themselves have been cleaned and also the oilways, which were solid with coal dust, have been blown and rodded out.
The reconditioned brake cylinder and the new pipework has been reinstated along the underside of the running board and tested. All the water gallery flexible and solid pipes have been refitted. The water gallery itself has been removed, cleaned and the thermostat tested.
The cab upper panel has been carefully replated and welded in the areas where non-standard fittings were installed. The hand brake assembly has been stripped, cleaned, refitted and checked for correct operation. The fly crank has been rotated by hand and all oilways have been checked. The knuckle pin (which holds the rods together) had new brass brushes fitted on the 10th November 2007. The radiator and fan assembly were also fitted.
The following jobs were also undertaken:
Water pump greased and connected.
Exhaust manifold and air intake manifold fitted.
Front moulding interior painted cream gloss.
Sunday 18th November 2007 was a historic day; the new fabricated front with moulded top and radiator grille was fitted to the loco. It was the first time that the loco had had a front since 5th October 2001 when the old rotten front was removed in a small one road shed at Meadowhall.
03113
Work done up to June 2010
A huge amount of work has been carried on 113 since the last update. The water gallery has been totally removed and the missing pipework and valve have been replaced and fitted. All studs have been dyed down and holes tapped out. All pipes and thermostat housing have been cleaned, wirebrushed, primed, undercoated, glossed and completed with new gaskets and rubber pipe prior to refitting from the water pump up to the radiator. A new ball valve has been to the water drain pipe. The two seized water outlet pipes on the power unit have been freed off and refitted.
Many oil and fuel lines have had previously severed pipes replaced and/or reconnected with new olive style fittings and resoldered as required, including reconnection to the oil pressure gauge on the power unit. Several litres of diesel were drained off through the fuel line until the diesel ran clean. The oil pressure gauge pipe inside the gauge panel had been cut off right back to the rear of the fuel tank. To allow access to the severed pipe a hole saw was used to enlarge the hole so an olive fitting could be attached and the pipe extended back into the gauge panel.
New split pins have been connected to the fluid flywheel connecting ring. The whole unit has been wirebrushed, primed, undercoated and glossed in red and white aluminium paint. The exhaust manifold was split to allow access to drill out four broken bolts and then reconnected. The blanking plate was removed from one end and refitted with a new gasket to the correct end. The whole unit has been cleaned, wirebrushed, primed, undercoated and glossed. Brand new exhaust manifold gaskets have been sourced prior to refitting the power unit.
A sump drain valve has been fitted instead of the sump drain plug to make future oil drops an easier and cleaner operation.
The purolater and primary fuel filter have been removed and cleaned in the oil bath prior to refitting with new filters. Two new plugs have been fitted to the primary fuel filter.
Just prior to Christmas fellow 03, D2139, was used to pull 03113 out of the shed to enable the overhauled radiator to be lifted up and bolted down onto the mounting brackets. Holes were drilled through the front moulding and outer edge of the radiator crankcase and the radiator fan housing was then lifted up and bolted on. The whole area has received a fresh coat of black gloss. The front moulding has now been bolted into position.
The overhauled fuel injectors have been refitted into the power unit and the fuel lines reconnected. The fuel pump base has been thoroughly cleaned and the overhauled pump refitted. The multi fuel lines from the top of the injectors to the top of the fuel pump have been cleaned, wirebrushed, primed, undercoated, glossed and refitted. A replacement blanking plate has been fitted to the underside of the fuel pump.
The exhaust silencer has been lifted up and temporarily housed on two wooden cradles whilst new replacement steel cradles are fabricated. The rear exhaust u-bend was offered up and it soon became apparent that it would require some alteration. It was touching the fuel tank - not a good idea! So just over two inches was cut the bottom and nine inches from the top. The offcuts were ground out of the top and bottom flanges before they were welded back on and the bend refitted. On top of the front moulding/engine compartment roof a template was laid down and a hole drilled through for the exhaust stock. The front exhaust bend was then offered up. It was over five inches short to the exhaust silencer and three inches short at the stack (after referring to 03037 and D2118). Extensions were welded onto both ends and the bend refitted.
The two cab doors have been totally stripped down, removing all the small components. The droplights have long since disappeared, so two replacements have been sourced and cleaned.
The two cab heaters have been needle gunned. The two rear axle oiling boxes in the cab had long since been removed from the loco. These have been sourced, machined, primed, undercoated, glossed and bolted onto their fixings.
The two missing bolts out of the four that secure the brake cylinder to the loco frame were bolted on and the brake cylinder reconnected to the air system. Seized and rusty screws were heated up and released from the compressor and exhauster base plates. The holes were tapped out and the studs dyed down before refitting.
The newly fabricated axle box drawers were offered into position and all the locating holes required boring out. This was done with the mag-drill. The Armstrong oiling pads were then soaked in oil for a week before being placed into the axle box drawers. The securing studs were dyed down and the drawers were bolted into position.
Nearly all of the brake block carriers were seized and did not swing on the brake arm. Split pins were knocked out or grinded off and the carrier pins knocked out. The two leading carriers required a lot of heat to knock out the pins. All the brake blocks have been removed. Each carrier has had new brushes fitted and all have been needle gunned, wire brushed, primed, undercoated and glossed. New brake blocks have been sourced and fitted allowing the brake block carriers to be reattached to the brake arms.
The gearbox has now been barred into its correct position. Newly sourced layrub couplings have been offered up and all the withdrawal/fitting holes tapped out ready for refitting once a replacement carden shaft is fabricated.
New fittings have been attached to the top of the radiator and new sections of pipe cut to length, dyed down and fittings attached through the front moulding. The original rapid filler pipes had rotted at the bottom so new sections have been welded on and two replacement rapid fillers fitted. All have been wirebrushed, primed, undercoated and glossed. Work continues but there is still a long way to go.
April 2010
Much work has concentrated on 03113 since the completion of D2139. Much of the cooling water gallery has been removed for overhaul with the missing pipework and a valve having being replaced before refitting. Many oil and fuel lines had previously been severed and therefore replaced with new olive style fittings and re-soldered as required. The exhaust manifold was split to allow access to drill out four broken bolts and then re-connected. Brand new exhaust manifold gaskets were sourced prior to refitting to the power unit. In addition a sump drain valve has been fitted instead of the sump drain plug to make future oil drops an easier and cleaner operation. Just prior to Christmas 2009 fellow Class 03, D2139 was used to pull 03113 out of the shed to enable the overhauled radiator to be lifted up and bolted down onto the two mounting brackets. This required the help of all the HST volunteers present to lift it into place. A good bit of team work swiftly installed the radiator allowing it to be fixed into position. Holes were drilled through the front molding and outer edge of the radiator carcase and the radiator fan housing was then lifted up and bolted on. The whole area has received a coat of black gloss. The front moulding has now been bolted into position.
The exhaust silencer has been lifted up and temporarily housed on two wooden cradles while two new replacement steel cradles are fabricated. The rear exhaust U-bend was offered up and it was soon apparent that it would require alteration. It was touching the fuel tank - not a good idea! Just over two inches was cut off the bottom and nine inches from the top. The offcuts were ground out of the top and bottom flanges before they were welded back on and the U-bend refitted.
The two cab doors have been totally stripped down removing all the small components. The droplights have long since disappeared so two replacements have been sourced and cleaned. In addition the two cab heaters have been needle gunned. The two rear axle oiling boxes had long since been removed from the loco, replacements have been sourced, machined, primed, undercoated, glossed and bolted onto their fixings.
Other areas dealt with on the loco include brake cylinders, axle boxes, oiler pads, brake block carriers and gearbox. New fittings have been installed on top of the radiator and new sections of pipe cut to length. The original rapid filler pipes had rotted at the bottom so new sections have been welded on and two replacement rapid fillers fitted. All have been wirebrushed, primed, undercoated and glossed. There is still a way to go but she is progressing well.
June 2008
The overhauled gearbox has arrived back at Rowsley and has been craned back into the locomotive, many thanks to Peak Rail and particularly Rob Sanders for the use of the crane. Work on this loco will commence again when D2139 is completed.
D2866
Previous work
The ex-Coed Ely loco is now in the front of the shed mainly so that work can be carried out safely on the hard standing to the front of the loco. A completely new nose end has been fabricated and repairs have been made to the top moulding, all are now in BR Green and ready to fit. The engine injectors have been removed for overhaul (8 off) and it was also discovered that the fuel pump had seized up. This has been removed for overhaul along with the cam box which the fuel pump sits on. All the engine water gallery flexible pipes have been removed because all of the rubber had perished. The engine intake manifold has been removed for cleaning and painting so access has been gained to paint the power unit. The brake cylinder has been removed, overhauled and refitted. The missing steel pipework from the brake cylinder along the underneath of the running board has also been reinstated. The loco has had a good wash down along with the buffer beams and frames have been repainted.
The interior of the frames have been completely needle gunned and painted in readiness for the replacement power unit. Elsewhere on the loco various valves have been removed for overhaul and the cab and surrounding areas are in green metal primer. The only area requiring needle gunning is the rear of the cab after which, it too, can get the green primer treatment.
D9525
Work done up to July 2009
The exhauster which was smoking from the brush area has been removed for inspection and overhaul. The lower brush had worn down and was seized in its holder. Not a good sign was small amounts of solder under the commutator. This will need checking out.
Previous work
Work carried out on this loco recently has been:
Radiator elements removed and new gaskets fitted.
Vacuum proportional valve stripped, cleaned and refitted.
Troublesome batteries finally sorted.
Engine low level water fault attended to.
Engine high gearbox fault attended to.
A couple of minor problems need attention but the loco is serviceable.