The Heritage Railcar Weekend will this year take place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October. Further information can be found on the Railway's website at https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/news/heritage-railcar-weekend-returns-for-two-days-of-journeys-through-the-dee-valley/
This edition is almost exclusively about the work that took place at our Pentrefelin Depot, Llangollen during the weekend of 19-20 September when the Birmingham class 110 'Calder Valley' unit once again received the lion's share of the attention.
"What's that at the end of the rainbow?" enquired Martin ... the Wickham set, on a damp Saturday morning.
Rain until 9 said the weather app, until about 0930. Rain until 10 it said, until about 1030. (etc) It eventually dried up after lunch.
Three wheels on my wagon...
Sometimes the depot equipment needs repair too. Our trusty steed for hauling stuff around the depot needed a puncture repair.
Small rubber tyres are somewhat easier and cheaper to deal with than the steel ones on trains. Fortunately, all Martin's years of commuting by bicycle were put to good use.
Did anyone order a hot air balloon?
Tom's first time to assist a 'prep' (check around) a set to start it up ready for shunting around.
How to prime the brake system before moving off.
Since the previous report all of the services have been provided by the Wickham class 109 and the class 108 working singly except on 23rd September when they worked together as a 4-car unit.
The class 108 basking in the Corwen sunshine prior to working the 13.45 service to Llangollen on 24/09/26
On Friday 18 September there was a variation to the 'A' timetable theme: with a steam locomotive rostered to work some services in the evening, it was decided that it would also work the 15.15 Llangollen-Corwen and 16.20 return. The Wickham class 109 therefore had an easier day than usual with just two return trips to Corwen...
Wickham class 109 at Corwen on 18/09/26 prior to working the 11.05 service to Llangollen.
While the Wickham was still being put to bed at Pentrefelin, steam locomotive no. 3802 passed by with the 15.15 service to Corwen.
Class 110 51813/59701/51842
John 2 on the polisher, bringing some gloss back to 51813's bodywork.
Declan carried on polishing, and here's the result so far. Looking much better for it.
Elsewhere in the 110 ... Graham and Declan fitting seats to 51842 for the time being. Although 51813 has been extensively refurbished internally, 51842 will have to wait a while, so some ex class 104 seats are going in temporarily
The 'passcomm' (passenger communication) valve in 51842 wouldn't reset when tested as part of the ongoing major exam. When the chain is pulled, it lets air into the train's brake pipe and applies the brakes. Peter starts investigating.
In this type of vehicle, the valve (the red item) is hidden behind a panel in the cab. The panel to hide it is all very well until the valve won't reset when required. It just needed some oil in a few places, and then the panel could go back again.
Vacuum gauge calibration again. This time the guard's gauge turned out to be quite a way adrift. Fortunately a spare in stock was correct, so this one will go away for adjustment.
51813 cab electrics ... finally chance to start figuring out what all the mystery taped-up wires are, and fit identifiers to them all.
New switch / gauge panel to connect all those wires to. "Some assembly required"
Thanks to John Joyce, Andy Lowe and Martin Plumb for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.
Martin Plumb
This edition is almost exclusively about the work that took place at our Pentrefelin Depot, Llangollen during the weekend of 5-6 September when the Wickham class 109 was given an 'A' exam, the restoration of the Cravens class 105 trailer car progressed, and the Birmingham class 110 'Calder Valley' unit once again had people crawling all over (and under?) it. A flavour of what actually happened on all three of those fronts can be found in the 'Unit-specific work' section below.
Since the previous report all of the services have been provided by 2-car units with the exception of the one on Thursday 27 August for which a 4-car was requested with classes 108+109 doing the honours.
The lion's share of the 2-car services were worked by the hybrid class 127/108 unit which also served as the 'heritage railcar' representative on both days of a hastily-arranged '50th Anniversary Finale Gala' that took place during the weekend of 12-13 September.
Cravens class 105 trailer car no. 56456 (undergoing restoration at Llangollen)
Dionne is seen at work on 56456's front bufferbeam.
Front bufferbeam and most of the detailing completed. Looking much more presentable now.
Needle gun action on the back of 56456 as well.
56456's rear bufferbeam - who pinched the buffers?
The less glamorous bit of the job; Allen sealing around the heater outlet in the toilet. Next job will be getting the flooring down at long last.
Class 109 50416/56171
Wickham 'A' exam in progress. Shaun and Declan apply grease to the buffers as they were getting a bit dry.
Checking doors and attending to oils as part of the 'A' exam.
Shaun topping up batteries on power car 50416 as part of the 'A' exam.
George teaching Shaun how to do brake checks.
Checking over the brake gear as part of the 'A' exam
Class 110 51813/59701/51842
Graham is attending to a door on 51813. Welder out as the striking plate needed securing properly.
One radiator had no drain tap, just a bolt with the head cut off where the drain tap should be. Out with a drill and BSP tap to fit one. Also some of the elderly rubber coolant hoses were changed for new silicone ones - a job to continue another day, as there are a lot of them.
Saloon lighting controls on 51842: vintage 1950s electricals. Sometimes they would come on and stay on, sometimes come on and go off straight away, sometimes not come on at all. Dirty contacts and a bad solder joint dealt with and now they behave. The two small relays are controlled by the train crew, and operate the large contactor on the left. All this for perhaps 25 amps!
The lighting control in the cab of 51842. The tufnol board looks like it's been a bit hot.
Cab lighting control 'guts' replaced with an overhauled item. The old one can be a homework project for another day.
Shaun polishing up the bodywork on 51813. Although very dull after many years, the paint on the driver's side is (mostly) still sound, and has come back to a decent shine.
Graham dealing with the destination blind mechanism in 51842, which doesn't seem to have wound any destinations in a long time.
Open wide! Marker light fittings treated to a coat of white paint inside.
One of the saloon lights fell apart when opened up to change a bulb, as the hinge pin had sheared off. A bit of gentle persuasion to remove the remains here. Very luck that the glass cover survived the experience, as these are very rare to find now.
Andy 2 refitting air vents inside 51813.
A bit of bodywork tidyup on 51842. No time for a repaint right now, but some local repairs are being done to tidy it up.
The axlebox covers getting a coat of yellow gloss.
Thanks to Allen Chatwood, John Joyce and Mike Martin for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.
Martin Plumb