Locomotive exam lists

[Paul W]

Having searched various sources to find a difinitive list of work carried out as listed per each exam programme from "A" to "G", I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this.

 

I am aware that an "A" exam was virtualy a walk round daily check and that a "G" exam was a complete overhaul of all components and body work, but was wondering if there was a directive as to what MUST be checked on each different exam.

 

I am more interested in the period of the late 70's to early 80's, but would hazard a guess that the exam requirements haven't changed a great deal with time.

 

I thank you in anticipation of your responses.

 

Paul

[The Stationmaster]

I don't think I've got a list but beware that there were Regional differences certainly at the lower level exams. Some Regions used the term 'Fuel Point Inspection' but it was not universal while in at least one case an A Exam frequency was roughly every 2 days and often stretched to 3/4 days notwithstanding the fact that it was based on hours in traffic/mileage while in another case (on the same Region) A Exams on one particular mainline diesel Class were carried out weekly although in some cases they were fuelled between such exams.

 

I think your best hope is to concentrate your initial researches on a particular Region and see what you can dig out for that Region. The National Archive at Kew might be a useful starting point.

[Guest Phil]

This is a timely thread to which I don't have any answers, but the subject cropped up at work after a mate sent me some piccies of loco cards dating from around 1974 / 75, used by controllers. One in particular was of a class 20 and which comprised a plain card with a coloured tab at the top. In this case the tab was yellow, apparently denoting a class 20, possibly also a Toton class 20. Everything on the card was handwritten apart from the BR505 stationary number. The controller wrote very brief notes on the card for the duration the loco was "his", such as headcodes and destinations etc. When the loco disappeared out of the control's jurisdiction the card went into a box, to be retrieved when the loco returned.

 

Anyway, this particular card had digits down the right hand side which we assumed to be TOPS hours, but we were bemused by the fact the went up to 315 or 320. Most BR diesels at that time ran 55 hours between A exams and 275 hours between B exams. Speaking to a retired controller, he believes class 20s had a higher hours periodicity which would explain hours up to 320.

 

For those who don't know the arrangements, a locomotive or traction unit was examined for visible faults and defects - in the case of an A or base exam, every 55 TOPS hours. This might involve a driver on an 8 hours shift working a triangular diagram of three trains - A to B, B to C and C back to A. Although the driver was at work for 8 hours, and the engine might have been running on the diesel for the greater part of that shift, the loco may only have worked a total of 3 hours on the three trains mentioned. This means the loco has accrued 3 TOPS hours.

As mentioned, with TOPS hour A exams at 55 hours, the loco has barely worked in that first shift.

 

After every five A exams (275 TOPS hours) the loco is scheduled for B exam which is a little more comprehensive than an A exam. Perhaps there is more greasing of components and detailed checks etc. In a pyramid fashion so many Bs demand a C, so many Cs demand a D etc. Traditional BR planned maintenance saw exams up to E performed by the owning TMDs, before the locos was sent away for main works overhaul. Modernisation saw that eliminated and F and G exams introduced. In addition, periodicity was increased with the BR type 5s going up to 80 hours between exams, later still the EMD system of exam days was introduced by EWS and locos received 90 day exams as well as the fuel point inspection mentioned b Mike earlier.

 

 

HTH

[Not Captain Kernow]

I think you should be prepared for the list of things to be checked to be very large! For example the Class 319 fleet the maintenance document (DM319) which detailed everything to be checked at every stage ran to in excess of 1000 pages and an electric unit is relatively simple compared to a diesel loco.

[Paul W]

Thanks for the info guys, some interesting information to get stuck into to start with, especially the engine hours aspect.

 

I know this is going to be a complicated area to focus on, but I am hopefull that someone somewhere may have "the knowledge".

 

I was unaware of the regional variations, as it would be the Scottish region that I would be most interested in for starters.

 

Also I would be interested in Diesel loco's only from the humble 03 through to the mighty class 56.

 

Paul

Edited August 6, 2012 by Paul W

[Dave47549]

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Edited October 1, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[Paul W]

Hi Dave

 

Thanks for that, very funny, unless it IS true, in which case it would also be very worrying.

 

Must be somthing about the 47's and brake blocks, as I remember during 1986 being fortunate enough in being offered a cab ride from Woking into Waterloo with 47 536 ( I think ), and the driver did exclaim that the brake blocks on his steed were virtualy non existant, but he had worked 3 hours overtime already and wanted to get back to Waterloo and not declare it a failure. This disclosure was unsettling at the time but nothing bad happened, thankfully.

[Dave47549]

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Edited October 1, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[The Stationmaster]

Locomotives with automatic slack adjusters or where one set of brake rigging applied to more than one wheel did seem prone to this happening and most depot fitters will probably have been familiar with it. There did seem to be a poor understanding of the class 47 brake rigging at the best of times (not just at shop floor level either) and I recall attending failures on the main line where the blocks had been obliterated and the shoes were in contact with the wheels either through poor adjustment or an overactive automatic slack adjuster. This could also cause excessive heating of wheels and tyre movement/looseness and the risk of de-railment as a result and was quite a different situation to maintenance staff trying to squeeze the last thou out of a set of brake blocks.

Brush Type 4s when first delivered were plagued by problems with the automatic slack adjusters and I understand that it was not unknown for one to run into Paddington on a Birmingham train with the blocks totally destroyed; there were also problems with wheels becoming red hot and, sometimes, shifted tyres as a result. Looks like not much improved over the years.

 

And yes, the train did provide most of the braking (hence quite severe speed limits on locos which were running light and speed reductions on trains running with short formations. But the real problem could come if the train also had worn blocks and then you had to be really careful although remarkably when i was in the London Division of the Western I can't recall us ever having a SPAD as a result of a commuter set with worn blocks (one or two minor station over-runs but never anything serious).

[slilley]

Paul

 

If you PM me your email address I should be able to give you the info you need as it apertained to Class 47s.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[Paul W]

Hi Simon

 

Consider yourself PM'ed

 

Paul

[Guest Phil]

And yes, the train did provide most of the braking (hence quite severe speed limits on locos which were running light and speed reductions on trains running with short formations. But the real problem could come if the train also had worn blocks and then you had to be really careful although remarkably when i was in the London Division of the Western I can't recall us ever having a SPAD as a result of a commuter set with worn blocks (one or two minor station over-runs but never anything serious).

 

I'm willing to bet that your lack of spads Mike was more to do with the fact that the majority of footplatemen were used to mixed traffic work back then, with a wider variance of train braking characteristics, and drove each and every train accordingly.

[The Stationmaster]

I'm willing to bet that your lack of spads Mike was more to do with the fact that the majority of footplatemen were used to mixed traffic work back then, with a wider variance of train braking characteristics, and drove each and every train accordingly.

Oddly Phil many of the men working loco-hauled London commuter trains into Paddington had very little freight work in their links. But they were all steam-era footplatemen who had come up through the links so had a wide variety of experience from their backgrounds and the loco-hauled sets varied quite a lot in their braking power notwithstanding common formations/loads and occasional moans to the C&W (which sometimes led to complete sets being re-blocked which, of course, presented another stopping challenge).

[Paul W]

To lesten the burden of my initial request at the top of the page I feel it might be useful to narrow the search down.

 

I will start off with a request for information concerning what was involved for "A" & "B" exams in the Scottish region covering diesel locomotives of class 08, 24, 25, 26, 27, 37, 40, 47, 55.

 

Also looking at "A" & "B" exams for class 45, 46,

 

All of the above info with regards to brakes etc, is useful and have noted down all relative information, but now needing to broaden the search.

 

Paul

[Bob Reid]

Paul,

 

These days your enquiry would be best addressed to one of the many diesel preservation groups - in your case more specifically the Diesel Group at the SRPS in Bo'ness who are more likely to have a historical copy of the BR Diesel Examination and Maintenance Schedule and the examination block cards relevant to the Scottish Region. Bear in mind however what "not Captain Kernow" said above - be prepared for you to have to go there rather than get copies emailed, as you are talking middleweight book proportions here - not something anyone can remember off the top of their head......

 

Out of interest - why are you needing it? This topic has turned up from time to time here, whith the same answers and no resolution I'm afraid....

[Paul W]

Hi Bob

 

With my lack of knowledge regarding the processes of maintaining a particular locomotive class and the fact that I am about to embark on putting together a prototypical ( I hope ) running sequence on my exhibition layout Borders Reach before it's first show, which is a Scottish region small depot, I thought it would be a good idea to get some inside info on the whys and werefores of a loco's visit. I have plenty of info regarding unscheduled visits by loco's to a small depot for simple remedial work, but have very little info on what was involved in an "A" & "B" exam, which I am led to beleeive would be carried out at a small depot.

 

While I was asking about "A" & "B" exams I thought I would broaden the brief to cover all exams, but from what is said above, not a good idea, so now concentrating on "A"'s & "B"'s.

 

It is all down to presentation of my layout, I guess, I want a valid & varied reason for each loco's visit to Borders Reach which would include "A"'s & "B"'s. I could just say it is here for an "A" exam, but if asked what that includes I would have to put on a dumb expression (not difficult) and say I didn't know or make it up , and sods law would dictate that someone who knew it all would overhear and start a head shaking exercise.

 

Contacting a preservation group with the relevant classes would be my next step, but was hoping the knowledge could be found from the comfort of my office chair, but I am prepared to put the effort in.

 

To be honest, with a very basic knowledge of how things worked I just wanted to do it right

 

I feel a weeks holiday in Scotland not to far away from Bo'ness is in order later this year, just need to pursuade SHMBO that we need another break

 

Paul

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

The Railway Magazine did an article a couple of years ago on Modern exams and had a list of all exams as well as what they were and when they took place.

 

Unfortunatly, I can't remember the issue number, but I'm sure another member might be able to help!

 

Simon

[Paul W]

Thanks very much David, superb.

 

With this and what I have just recieved by email from Simon, I have plenty to keep me busy for a while.

 

Will download and save them all now.

 

Brilliant.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[D9500-55]

Just browsing this forum - does anyone have any similar documentation for the class 14s?

[Crisis Rail]

On 13/08/2012 at 21:17, Paul W said:

Thanks very much David, superb.

 

With this and what I have just recieved by email from Simon, I have plenty to keep me busy for a while.

 

Will download and save them all now.

 

Brilliant.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

Interesting

 

Any chance of sharing the information?

 

Ian

[slilley]

4 hours ago, Crisis Rail said:

 

Interesting

 

Any chance of sharing the information?

 

Ian

Ian

 

If you drop me a PM I can arrange to get this ifo to you by email

 

Simon