Class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second vehicle no. 50447 left Llangollen on 16 April to support the overhaul and operation of class 104 vehicles at the North Norfolk Railway. It was rather fitting that it was taken to its appointment with road transport by its class 104 siblings 50528/50454.
50447 had been at Llangollen since 1994 and was used as the Railcar Group's mess coach until 2010. During its time at Glyndyfrdwy (the group's former home) it was painted in BR green on one side.
A brief summary of the maintenance, restoration and repair work that has taken place at Llangollen and Butterley can be found in the 'Unit-specific work' section below.
Since the previous report the Wickham class 109 has been used to provide some 'A' timetable services as well as a private charter. The following pictures show it on Wednesday 29 April, firstly at Llangollen, where it was required to stop in a different place to usual due to trackwork taking place near the signalbox, and then at Corwen...
After the normal passenger services finished on Saturday 18/04/26 the class 110 (minus trailer car) was taken for a test run on the main line as far as the Glyndyfrdwy outer home signal and back. Apart from a few minor problems it went very well and the acceleration provided by the four engines was described as 'brisk'.
Getting ready to head out for the test run. Four classes in one shot: 108, Wickham class 109, 104, 110.
"Can't park that there mate"! Token handed over by the steam crew at the end of the day's regular service. The displayed destination of Knaresborough may have been a little ambitious!
First stop Berwyn, and a quick check that all appears well underneath.
The occupants of the holiday let in the station view proceedings.
The test train made an impromptu photo stop at the site of Deeside Halt, some eight years since the pair visited for our gala in 2018.
Seats are a bit sparse at the moment, many having been stripped down ready for reupholstery.
Newly-cast luggage rack brackets produced to replace those 'lost' around 40 years ago. They are now polished to within an inch of their lives and ready to fit.
First luggage rack bracket in position on the wall. Fitting the bracket wasn't the hard part - the holes were even still there - it was getting to this point that took all the time. The wall panels (and the steelwork behind) have been prepared for the other brackets.
Class 110 51813/59701/51842
Once again a lot of effort has been devoted to various aspects of the Major (M) exam on the newest member of our fleet...
The Railway's Events Coordinator decided to try half a day 'hands on' with the machinery. The white overalls didn't stay white very long! First lesson was how to fit the missing cardan (prop) shaft from gearbox to bogie. In at the deep end!
Checking bolts on the existing cardan shafts on the other car.
Hard at work supervising someone who was fitting compressor air intake filters.
Heater ducting that wasn't going to duct much heat any more, fit only for the metal skip. (the rust skip, more like)
Draft heater ducting? New galvanized sheet folded to make new ducting, loosely fitted in position whilst we figure out insulation arrangements.
Another pair of bright overalls - this time bright orange that didn't stay bright orange for very long. Using a grease gun to grease tranmission components.
Checking and oiling brakegear.
Checking gearbox oil levels and changing gearbox oil filters on 51842; those things had been done on the other car on a previous occasion.
New "modern" Donaldson engine air intake filters, presumably fitted during 51813's later days at Neville Hill in the 1980s?
Hybrid Class 127/108 51618/56223
"Can you just put the last couple of hoses back on the radiator please?" - Getting familiar with the underneath of class 127, 51618. With the radiators refitted, access is quite difficult under there.
Alternators refitted to 51618, thanks to Nick Gilbert of 3802 fame for some assistance with machining their suspension gear. Some electrical covers to refit once the electrical testing is complete.
Thanks to Allen Chatwood, John Joyce, Oliver Lang, Mick Martin, Graham Parkin and Martin Plumb for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.
"Birmingham" front ends contrast in Pentrefelin; the newly arrived (and slightly later built) class 110 on the left, and long-term resident class 104 on the right. Turns out they fixed some of the dumb design features by the time they built the 110 - time will tell what new ones they came up with!
During our most recent work meetings at Llangollen, most of the effort was devoted to the 'M' exam on the class 110 although there were other things to do including a Fuel Point (FP) exam on the Wickham class 109. Further information about the work that has been carried out at Llangollen and Butterley can be found in the 'Unit-specific work' section below.
Class 108 trailer 56223 with its smartened-up bufferbeam and solebar.
"What's this pile of junk?" Spares from the soon-to-be-scrapped class 127 at Butterley. Some of this lot will help keep ours in traffic for years to come; if only we knew which bits we will need.
Newly-arrived "Rolls" C6 engine and sundries for the class 110. Another engine behind, believed to have died many years ago, but we'll find out (sometime).
"Miscellaneous" stores on the newly created patio in Pentrefelin. Radiators, fluid coupling, fan drives and compressors. Vital supplies for the long term, secured while we can.
Not quite worthy of a mention in 'Out and About' but worthy of note nevertheless because it isn't often that the wheels of our 'Mess coach' have chance to rotate. The coach recently made a brief foray from its normal home to enable other vehicles behind it to escape.
The blue class 08 08202 was used to do the shunting.
Since the previous report the Wickham class 109 has been used to provide some 'A' timetable services as well as a private photo charter.
Restoration progress, with more woodwork in the toilet of the 'Cravens' car 56456 in Pentrefelin. Quite a lot of work will never be seen again (we hope) once the job is complete.
And some more woodwork. Sometimes the hardest part of the job is working out what it should be; no drawings available, and the originals were taken away by the asbestos people over 15 years ago.
Adjustments being made to accommodate a luggage rack. The original rack was 'lost' many years ago, in a crude 1980s bar conversion. Now it is being reinstated with newly-cast brackets.
Wickham Class 109 50416/56171
The Wickham became due for a Fuel Point (FP) exam that included the usual oil level checks and top ups including the following...
Exercising oil muscles and joints to attend to fan drive oils on an old railcar. If only we could have a pit jobs such as this would be considerably easier!
Topping up the oil in the no. 2 gearbox.
Class 110 51813/59701/51842
A lot of effort has gone into various aspects of the Major (M) exam on the newest member of our fleet...
Changing fuel filters. Well, changing most of them, and fitting those that were entirely missing.
This filter was certainly filtering, though what it has collected I really don't want to know!
The cardan shafts "left the chat" some time ago for overhaul. Fuel tank on the left, gearbox in the middle and air tanks on the right. Behind are the no. 2 engine and alternator.
Getting to grips with a final drive inspection. Another job that is much easier with a pit!
First time we've looked inside on this set, and it's actually pretty good so far. The main reversing mechanism that lets the train run in either direction. The bit in the middle of the picture (the "sliding dog") moves on splines and engages with one of the gears left or right to select a direction.
More filters: this time a control air filter in the unloader valve. The valve controls the air pressure in the system.
It's a wonder any air got through the filter at all: the felt is choked with oily carbon and miscellaneous 'gunge'.
Testing the air system's safety valve against a master test gauge. It opens when the pressure gets too high - but this one wouldn't shut again.
Sometimes a simple clean will cure things, but no such luck this time. Time for a new one.
Vacuum hose seals that have definitely seen better days. Fortunately just a moment's job to replace.
Inside, the 'de-lino' team cracked on. 1st class was stuck down much better than 2nd class for some reason.
Lino all gone from 2nd class.
1st class also stripped - who missed the bit on the inspection hatch! One for next time.
Greasing screw couplings and corridor connections on the class 110.
Contemplating an overhauled cardan shaft delivered for the 51813 no. 1 transmission.
Looking pleased with the newly-fitted cardan shaft: the gearbox is behind. The other one (for the other engine on this car) is for another day when it returns from overhaul.
Changing gearbox oil filters. The 'SE4' type gearbox is larger than the others on our fleet, and much rarer - only a handful of preserved units have them.
Two of our volunteers engaged in detailed discussions about the finer points of engine oil changes.
Greasing a freewheel with the 'new toy' battery grease gun.
Minor usability improvement: modern drain taps being fitted to the radiators.
"So what do we do with these?": Contemplating engine air intake filters.
The engine air intake filters are a type we've not had to deal with before. For now, all the bigger 'crud' was blown off it until we can source new replacement items.
Compressor air intake filter probably somewhat beyond its "use by" date: the new one in the bag is white!
Greasing radiator fan bearings.
The "EP" valves (and the relays that control them) for the engines, gearboxes and final drives open for inspection.
Brake tests on depot to see if it is likely to stop once it's going. All appears well, so there's only one thing for it ...
First adventure out of Pentre yard and down the 'back road'. At the controls was our Traction Inspector who worked on the class 110 units several decades ago as part of his 'day job' at Neville Hill Depot near Leeds. Performance was described as "lively", not bad for a 65-year-old train with only three of its four engines operational so far.
An interloper in the guard's van: "Llangollen Railway 2017"
First class seats in 51842 being stripped ready for reupholstery. The frames will be shotblasted and powder coated too.
First class saloon in DMCL 51842 starting to look a bit empty. The lino will have to wait a little while however.
Gloucester class 100 51118/56097 (undergoing restoration at the Midland Railway, Butterley)
Over at Butterley, it's the back end of ... the Gloucester trailer. It's actually the first signs of panelling along the back wall: some of the supporting wood framework cut and installed. The driver's side wall is nearly all installed and beaded too.
Also in the Gloucester trailer, the 'passcomm' over one of the doors was reinstated. The aluminium surround had been gritblasted and powder coated to smarten it up.
Thanks to Allen Chatwood, John Joyce, Andy Lowe and Mike Martin for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.