BLOG: Wagon Group Report 16th November 2021

 

At Alton our toilet /washroom shed has now been completed, albeit operating with a temporary extension lead currently providing the electrics. A permanent new power supply awaits the railway’s electrician to install… hopefully soon.

 

The above works have taken a fair amount of our resources over the past 15 months or so, not helped with lockdowns. But now this is out of the way we can get back to working on the Dance Hall brake van S 55506. This had been sheeted over, but the effects of the wind partially removed them, and since we are going to replace most of the timbers anyway, we have removed all the sheets. The first stage of the current works will be to create an overall wooden structure attached above the van, which will enable us to work underneath in the dry.

 

BR Meat van B 870067 is making good progress. Those with astute wagon number memories might notice that the number has changed from what was original thought as being B 870074. It is understood that B 870067 is the correct number for what became an ex BR departmental van. Anyway the van is now in it’s second topcoat. This is BR maroon, which these Meat vans carried when first constructed 60 odd years ago at BR Wolverton. This is I believe the only remaining highly insulated Meat van of this design. Whilst the van is looking more or less complete, there remains a fair bit to do below the solebars – ie overhaul the vac cylinder, construct a new vac pipe, and overhaul the brake rigging. A trip to Medstead beckons early next year…

 

Blue Circle Cement presflo PF 29 is having some repairs done to the ply advertising boards on the sides. A bit of rain damage on the Alresford ends of these, and there has been some touching up of the black topcoat on the underframes. Need to get a bit of yellow topcoat to touch up a few areas also.

 

Meantime up at Medstead the Gunpowder van 105761 has been completed internally and externally, a 3 year project, by largely the Saturday gang. This includes a return to Longmoor logo. It looks very smart, and should be operating in a photo charter later this month.

 

Some more wood rot has been found on the model railway PMV S 1995, this time on the ends just above the buffer beams.This is being cut out and replaced. The roof has been cleaned off and repainted, and the sides are in undercoat.

 

Brake van B 951338 has come into the yard, needing a new roof. The existing T&G one is completely rotten, and sags somewhat inside the cabin! The brake gear was also largely seized up, and the linkages have been released, greased and reassembled. At least this works a lot better now. Various fittings have been removed, for cleaning up and painting, but it may be that the brake van goes into the shed at Ropley, where there are better facilities there to do the roof.

 

Finally LMS van  M 520771 is having some timbers replaced on the north side, and the new north side door components should hopefully be coming together soon.

 

Chris Le Corney