The troublesome trucks


Toad the brake van

Continuing from where I left off last time…..

The maroon BSK (Corridor Brake Second) 35308 is now complete, and ready to take its place back in the maroon rake. This was a very satisfying project to work on, because it is a coach which has been in use on the GWR since 1990 and has given sterling service. The removal of all the old thick dark brown varnish from the interior woodwork has transformed it internally. Also, it now has a rebuilt disabled compartment which we can be justly proud of. The next 3-train event is the gala weekend on 15th / 16th September and it will see its first use then.

The carmine & cream TSO (Tourist Open Second) 4763 remains in the shed being worked on. This is another long project which is now nearing a conclusion. The doors are now largely complete, and with all refurbishment work just about complete internally, it is now time to fit it out. When the newly upholstered seating is fitted, together with the refurbished tables, it will look very good. Toilets are currently being refitted and re-plumbed, with new flooring having been laid.

That coach has about a further four weeks work left in the shed before it goes outside, for lifting and attention to the bogies, buckeyes, springs and brakes. Once done, that will complete the carmine & cream set. It will enable us to withdraw for overhaul the SK 25451 which we last refurbished in 1994 (13 years ago!)

Once the maroon set is back in use, the provisional plan next year is to withdraw the carmine & cream rake from use and refurbish three of them; the BSK 34929, the RMB 1808 and the SO 4790. All are looking tired and are in need of attention, in various respects.

We have spent the last few weeks giving a much needed facelift to the three Thomas 'troublesome trucks' ; two tank wagons and a GWR Toad. They were put to use in this format about five years ago, when they were quickly painted, and pressed into use at short notice. The two tank wagons are actually genuine GWR creosote tank wagons 43914 (built Swindon 1895), and 43930 (built Swindon 1911). The current fictional livery does at least mean that they are being overhauled and maintained, whereas if not being used for this, in reality they would be with all the other 'long term hopefuls' in the distant sidings at Cheltenham. Perhaps one day, they will be repainted black all over with a large white 'G W'. They really are museum pieces.

The Toad Brake van has been refurbished, and defective steps and veranda flooring have been replaced. Propermounting brackets for the large face have been made and fitted, to stop the panic that sets in on every Thomas Saturday morning when the guard inevitably calls for help and says, 'can someone help me try and fix this b…….. thing on'. Have a look at the photos and see what you think.

We are conscious of the fact that our two Thomas weekends are very important to the railway both in terms of bringing in lots of visitors, and plenty of revenue so no excuse is needed to make sure that the vehicles we use are in good shape. I wonder how many other heritage railways have their own dedicated set of troublesome trucks, in the correct livery. Check the pictures in the books, and you will see what I mean.

Another very interesting vehicle which has arrived in the last month is a steam heat boiler van, no. 3188 from Irish Railways. This is an ex-southern region Mk 1 BSK which was converted to a boiler van about 30 years ago, and sold to Ireland. It was withdrawn from use over there last year, and has been bought by a number of the diesel department folk, to run with the non-steam heat fitted diesels. Internally, the van has two large 500 gallon water tanks (one at each end), a diesel engine to generate power and a large vertical steam boiler, about 5ft high. The engine and boiler are only about 10 years old.

The first job we have to do is sort out the bogies. As you may know, the Irish gauge is a little wider at 5'3" than our standard gauge, so the bogies were left in Ireland. It is currently on a pair of spare B4 bogies, but because of the weight needs to sit on B5's (they are basically B4's with stronger springing). We should have those soon, and a body lift will follow.

It will also mean adapting the underbody outriggers, which are like bumpers which are located both on the underside of the body at each corner, and on top of the sides of the bogies. Together, they stop the coach rocking and rolling too much on curves. Obviously, the underbody ones are currently welded in the wrong place.

Just as importantly, a bit of judicious measuring has led us to realise that the buffers are also set differently, and are about 7" wider apart than on all our coaches. They will have to be moved inwards; otherwise the buffers could lock as the coach travels around a curve, with the obvious disastrous consequences. We have not yet worked out quite how that job is going to be done as they are normal coach buffers, not the self contained sprung 'oleo' type. We have never relocated buffers before. Incidentally, the corridor connection is also different; being of a suspended rather than the normal Mk 1 Pullman design, and the coach has screw couplings rather than buckeyes.

We have been asked if it will be ready to be used in the diesel gala in October. The polite answer was, of course 'which October?'

With the completion of the work on our 'Thomas' wagons, our wagon restoration team, are turning their sights to their next project. In all probability, this will be the ex-S R 'Queen Mary' brake van. It will then be able to be used for brake van rides at Gala's (amongst other things). More about that next time.