It has been such a long time since the previous report that this one has turned out to be a 'catch up' bumper edition. To paraphrase a well-known phrase by the late Eric Morecambe, this edition should contain all of the right things but not necessarily in the right order.
As usual, there is the 'Out-and-About' section showing the uses of our railcars on the Llangollen Railway, the 'Unit-specific work' section that provides a taste of the maintenance, repair and restoration work that has been carried out at Llangollen and Butterley, and the following waffle that doesn't quite belong in either of those.
On the restoration front, work has largely been focussed on our latest acquisition - the class 110 'Calder Valley' unit - as will be seen in the 'Unit-specific work' section below.
On the maintenance front, the mileage accumulation (e.g. 82 miles per day for the railcars operating the 'C' timetable service) resulted in a requirement for one flavour or another of mileage-based exam on at least one of the railcars during most of our fortnightly weekend meetings at the Pentrefelin depot. In addition, there were some (mostly minor) repairs to carry out.
A busy shed scene with George, Mike, Andy2, Tom and Declan. I'm not sure if a hammer in one hand and a cup in the other was going to end badly for the cup?
George shows Declan the art of coupling two units together: class 108 (left) and Wickham (right), ready for the following week's midweek services.
The electrical cabinet that supplies the pump in the fuel point has been relocated: electrician Dewi is evidently standing a safe distance away as it's re-energised!
It's not just trains that have to be fixed sometimes...
Lesson to learn: Do not sit on your best glasses!
Saturday 22/08/26 saw Owen Hayward of Heritage Railway Magazine visit to learn more about what we do, how the fleet came to be what it is, and our plans for the future. Here he is getting the lowdown on the Cravens restoration project.
Owen got to see the work in progress in the class 110 as well and General Manager Dave Hennigan came to check that we were all hard at it and behaving properly.
Shaun tackles uncoupling the 110 from the 127: as somebody pointed out, taken together they have 40 cylinders' worth of Rolls-Royce power in one train. 40 quite thirsty cylinders at that.
A relatively rare chance to see the 110 in daylight. Some jobs are just easier in daylight. Hopefully it will see a lot more daylight next year!
Since the previous report, our railcars and crews have been especially busy. The 'C' timetable, which was used on thirteen weekdays during the schools' summer holiday period, provided passengers with a choice of four return trips from Llangollen to Corwen each day. In addition, we provided the 'B' timetable service (Railcar and Steam playing out nicely together) on three occasions, played a part in the 1960s special event on 1-2 August, and there was also a special charter service thrown into the mix.
It was mostly the case that the Wickham class 109 and the class 108 worked together whenever the Railway requested a 4-car unit and the hybrid class 127/108 was used when a 2-car was requested but there were some occasional departures from that theme when railcars became due for mileage-based exams.
Class 127 car 51618 leads the 11:05 service from Llangollen on Sunday 26/07/26
On Wednesday 22nd July, the first day of the intensive 'C' timetable (four return trips from Llangollen to Corwen) the 4-car Wickham class 109 + class 108 is seen arriving at Carrog from Llangollen...
...and later arriving at Carrog from Corwen
"Lovely staff, beautiful scenery and lovely sounds from the DMU". The only question is: was it the sound of Leyland or Rolls Royce engines?
With some time to spare before the first departure on 24th July, 51618 got a wash, at least on one side. Alas the "big hand from the sky" wasn't available to turn it round and let us do the other side too.
The washing job needed to be finished the next day in Pentrefelin instead. John 2 on the hosepipe.
A selection of 'Derby' fronts in Pentrefelin on 09/08/2026. 51899 awaits it fate, 54504 on A exam ready for the next week's midweek services, and 56223 about to head off to handle the railcar diagram for the day.
Later that day, whilst waiting for the token at Glyn. Through the rectangular window (with rounded corners) we see 3802 with the lunchtime steam service.
Jeremy the signalman awaits the token from the '26' on the fire train. 51618 and 56223 await departure to Corwen. The fire train followed the steam service so that any fires that were inadvertently started by it could be nipped in the cinders as soon as possible.
Having had its 'A' exam completed on the Saturday, the hybrid 127/108 combo headed off on the 11:10 ex Llangollen on Sunday 23/08/26.
On Wednesday 19th August we inadvertently recreated 51618's commuter days on the Bedford-St Pancras line, with loadings over 100 on seven of the eight trips - something that was rather 'cosy'. At least the suburban nature of 51618 came into its own by facilitating the rapid ingress and egress of passengers...
We don't aim to recreate that particular aspect of rail travel, so four cars were requested for subsequent days.
Cravens class 105 trailer car no. 56456 (undergoing restoration at Llangollen)
More of the original Formica in the toilet has been cleaned up where it's too difficult to replace the panelling entirely.
The welder was finally bribed to finish the floor in the toilet. Woodwork to support the new wall panelling is also coming together.
More beading around the new ceiling panels.
The luggage rack project is finally finished! "Lost" in the mid 1980s when a bar (of sorts) was installed, it has been a bit of a job to recreate, but we finally got there.
Allen riveting the last bits of the luggage rack together.
Mike wiring up the cab light.
Class 109 50416/56171
Shaun topping up batteries on power car 50416 as part of an FP (Fuel Point) exam.
Craig explaining the brake tests to Shaun and Declan. Clean overalls only on the driver's chair please!
Rob marking out lino for the cab of 51813.
51813's cab lino being laid.
Finishing off in one of the vestibules.
Declan refitting the last of the freshly-painted light fittings in 51813.
Andy 2 and Tom cleaning up heater duct coverings ready for a coat of paint. Many years' worth of grime in some places.
Craig manufacturing new seat mounting brackets for 51813's first class, as the originals were missing. Graham and Adam tackling axlebox covers.
New mounting bracket for the first class seats. It's a slightly odd shape to match the curve of the partition; no we didn't miss the original holes, there are just several sets to choose from!
Roy's first day and he's helping build up 2nd class seats for 51813. The back panels are a bit of a game as they're new, and so they are flat, but the seats aren't. After a bit of a fight, some cursing, and numerous brass screws the back panels give in and curve to match the seat.
51813 first class looking very smart with its new lino, painted ceiling and light fittings, heater ducting cleaned up and painted, and the reupholstered seats going in.
The centre saloon of 51813 with its new lino and painted light fittings. The heater duct covers need fitting before the seats can go in.
51842 first class seats being installed. The floor has been painted temporarily, as we haven't got time to do the lino in both cars right now.
Driver's desk in 51813 awaits a bit of tidying up and investigating a couple of faults. The speedo sometimes works, and some of the indicators and switches don't work at all.
Under the desk is a bit of a spider's web to sort out. That will have to wait for another time!
After all the lino was fitted, the sliding doors for the cab and saloons needed reinstating. Luckily the cab one went back without any difficulties. The sliding mechanism has a handy hinged cover for access to service it. I wonder how long since that was opened?
Also going back together are the cab fittings. This is part of the AWS system (now ornamental only) which would have provided some very basic in-cab signalling. Also visible on the right is the fire bell.
Seats coming together in the 2nd class saloon of 51813. A few more bolts to fit to hold them down, before the cushions go in.
1st class in 51813 also coming together: the driver's door has been refitted too.
Hidden beneath one of the 2nd class seats is this item, which is the air intake for the heater. One of many smaller items that came out for cleaning up and painting whilst all the seats were out.
Also removed, cleaned and painted was this mysterious item. It covers the header tank for one of the engine cooling systems, and also the switch that shuts down the engine if it runs low on coolant.
A critical part of the cab: the driver's cab heater. It uses heat from one engine's cooling system to keep the driver's feet warm. Receiving a repaint while it's removed for the lino works.
More mystery items, engine air intake filters. These appear to be peculiar to 51842.
Homework ... figuring out what size glass we need to replace some that's broken in the 110. Draw up the best guess on paper and then check against an original.
Shaun cutting trim for the partition windows in the Calder Valley set.
Andy and Shaun working on the trim sections - quite a lot of them.
First coat of varnish for the new window trims.
Daniel (on his annual loan from Aln Valley, where he looks after more modern machinery) becoming acquainted with the predecessors of the 'Pacer'.
Adam 2 on the grease gun, dealing with freewheels and prop shaft lubrication on 51813.
Quite how this prop shaft was greased last time is a mystery - one of the grease nipples had been sheared off. Fortunately the remains could be unscrewed and a spare one fitted fairly easily.
Hiding under fibreglass covers in the 2nd class saloon are the coolant header tanks, each with a water level switch. They will shut an engine down if it runs low on coolant. Shaun removing one of the switches from 51842 so that it can be cleaned and tested.
Martin cleaning header tank float switches.
Martin cutting a gasket for a float switch out of rubber sheet. The existing gaskets were well past their best!
John 2 cleaning up the electrical jumpers, some of which clearly hadn't been out in a very long time, and needed quite some 'persuasion'.
Peter and Declan inspecting the freewheel and prop shaft bolts on 51842.
"Just bolt the last couple of seats down in 51842 first class" was the brief. Well yes but they were the two awkward ones that are supposed to hang on the partition, as well as bolt through the floor, and nothing is quite the shape it was made 65 years ago any more. Roy and Declan wrestle with the seat we'd all been avoiding tackling. The wall brackets were also missing, so new ones of those were manufactured and fitted a few weeks ago.
51842 first class all fitted - for now. Plans are afoot to re-lino this car as well before too long.
What on earth is this? Looking up through the top of a battery box that has been 'modified'. 51813 also had one seat that really didn't want to go back. They bolt through the floor into tapping plates that are riveted to the bottom of floor - or were. This one had long since disappeared, and a replacement had to be produced. Although a simple component, fitting it was quite a challenge with a battery box right underneath it, and no way to get a hand in.
The other end of the job. Wrestling it amongst a battery box, coolant pipes, air pipes, the floor, and the chassis whilst relying on somebody upstairs to figure out when it was lined up was another of "those" jobs. A couple of hours to get two bolts in! But that's often the reality of preservation.
51813 second class saloon with the seats all refitted at least; just the air vents to refit next time.
Another view of 51813's second class awaiting its first passengers.
Some jobs end up as 'homework' simply because they're too fiddly to tackle onsite. Here the driver's vacuum gauge is in bits because it was sticking and not very accurate. Chance also to clean it all out properly and paint up the visible bits. The Bourdon tubes that make it work are visible here.
The air pressure gauge also got refurbished with a new face and some adjustment. Here it is on test against a 'master' gauge.
Hybrid Class 127/108 51618/56223
127 'A' exam; Graham checking doors - and there are plenty of them on a suburban vehicle.
Gloucester class 100 51118/56097 (undergoing restoration at the Midland Railway, Butterley)
Restoration works at Butterley: more wooden window frames fitted to 'Gloucester' trailer 56097.
Over at Butterley, wooden surrounds were fitted to the last-but-one passenger window in the Gloucester trailer
Thanks to Allen Chatwood, Dewi Davies, John Joyce, Andy Lowe, Mike Martin, Martin Plumb and Craig Robertson for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.
Martin Plumb