LNER GRAIN WAGON

[Boris]

Top tip for you to check your Oleo buffers, take hold of the head firmly and try and rotate it, if the head is solid, the buffer is sound, if the head rotates the buffer requires repair/replacement.

[DOCJACOB]

Thanks for the tip. I really hope they are solid but shouldn't really be surprised if otherwise.

 

One corner of welding (not shown) has split and I'll make a guess that water has got in at some point, then froze with the inevitable expansion consequences.  

[Dagworth]

Great work on both wagons, the grain wagon looks superb and I can see the brake progressing the same way. Nice to see that it's one of the ones stencilled up for MGR use and right up my line of interest

 

Question though being as I have a model of a brake for this purpose sat on my desk right now, does anyone have photos of any of the MGR brakes in service? I want to weather this one and would like to see if they developed particular dirt patterns.

 

Andi

[DOCJACOB]

I dont actually own this wagon but have the pleasure(???) of rebuilding/working on  it Currently the final colour scheme is undecided but I dont believe a narrow footstep version is currently to be seen in preservation so may may well end up grey with stencils again.

 

The longerterm is to use it for brake van rides so I regret a few modifications (brakes and sealing entrances immediately spring to mind) will ultimately be needed.

 

As regards weathering liberal quantities of coal dust, even under floorboards in the interior!

 

Thanks for kind words.

[Boris]

Have you chaps considered making your brake van ride modifications in keeping with the character of the van?  I have seen one preserved railway split one of the end windows into 2 parts,making the top half of one removable so the Guard can access the setter, as well as having the ride gates clip in, so they can be lifted out.  Seeing as you do such a great job of restoring these vehicles it would be a shame to do something that made a mess were is ever to be removed in the future.

 

One thing I would suggest is using the side brackets of the van to mount a removable rail to raise the end of the verandah about 6 inches.  As you know passengers today don't appreciate how rough brake van trips can but when stopping and starting and I have seen a van ride stop sharply and 3 passengers go head first over the end of the van.

Edited September 24, 2014 by Boris

[DOCJACOB]

Finally managed a few hours work.

 

The chassis, including some tricky areas is slowly turning a shade of red. 

 

The footstep brackets met the pipe bender. Not entirely sure that its proper intended use though. A commendable A+ for effort in reshaping but a B- on overall result. If I'd applied my grey cells it may have been useful to tie a string between the end brackets to work as nominal edge thus number 2 bracket wouldn't need a fine 1/2 inch tweak! Ah well must have been all that lead I inhaled grinding paint off???? 

 

Thanks to Boris for the comments/advice, all the buffers appear OK 

[DOCJACOB]

Firstly continued the red theme, made a slightly better effort at the bending and in-between had to keep an eye on my helper who seemed engrossed with trying to find a rodent! 

 

Getting nearer to when nothing more to paint and woodwork inevitable. 

[DOCJACOB]

No pictures today as minor upload issue from my phone. 

 

Unless I've been careless there are no more bits to paint red on the under frame! 

 

You can't imagine how good that feels. 

[DOCJACOB]

Appears the minor hiccup with image uploading has been resolved. Firtly proof the last corner has finally disappeared under a coat of red primer. Sure I've missed one difficult to spot bit though.

 

Next one of the handrails had a fight with the pipe bender and obviously lost. Image shows it in position temporarily for painting in white primer.

 

Lastly it was inside and the metal sheets that protect the sides from the stove. Anyone got one for sale and I'll probably be interested? Before anyone asks I did them in-situ as I guess due to the age of the van there would be asbestos close by. Yes indeed there is and its sandwiched between the wood and metal cladding. Hence its staying put!

 

Next job is the steps as short of volunteers to help me with the major carpentry needed

Edited November 10, 2014 by DOCJACOB

[Ian Smeeton]

Looking great, but isn't it time you changed the title of the thread?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[DOCJACOB]

Fair comment re thread name and its one of the many jobs to do. Currently a GP, local Cancer Care lead, CQC GP Advisor and occasional wagon restorer.

 

Firstly the risers for the footsteps were cut out and by good judgement (luck actually) only a tiny bit of waste. There was an image (now removed) on another thread that clearly showed the risers fitted between the brakets. And yes they are all individually slightly different in length; that makes 18 different sizes. As I was on my own again I had to use a "heath robinson like contraption" to hold everything steady

 

BR wagon will be on backburner for next few weekends as was asked to look at the steps on the SR "Pillbox" van and they are pretty ropey and on balance probably down right dangerous.

 

Lunchtime meant some exotic visitors to see and then the task of writing a long Xmas list of wood needed.

[DOCJACOB]

Various issues (Primarily staff Xmas party meant I was a bit fragile on Saturday) so it was a Sunday visit.

 

2 primed steps ready for either the Trout or the Catfish. Really must do something about my workspace as it looks dreadfully untidy

 

Made a start on the footsteps for the SR Brakevan.

 

Then during my wanderings had found 2 Acro props so these were positioned at the veranda end and the steel cladding sheet removed. One of the images shows 2 heads of the coach bolts are now just clear of the concrete floor. Not a job for the faint hearted as some bolts easy and some very very tricky.  

 

RS+H Birkenhead was on Santa duties. The 08 was positioning stock earlier and was parked in a siding. The somersault signal in the earlier posting has now grown an arm and out of sight a start has been made on relaying/slewing track so clearance ceases to be an problem.

[DOCJACOB]

Not much to report this W/E. Spent most of Saturday in Leeds collecting my daughter from University and being forced to endure Xmas shopping. Did go on Sunday and progress was slow. Removed the ironmongery on the corner post in anticipation of complete removal. The veranda rail was removed and its a jolly nice piece of hard wood with rather good quality mortice and tenon joints.

 

Cleaned up the channels in the concrete and will need to probably burn out the two bolts in the middle.

 

Cut some scaffolding board up for footsteps and then headed home     

[DOCJACOB]

Firstly Happy New Year to all on the Forum

 

I had a rather prolonged break over the Festive Season and the first job of the New Year as replace the worst of the bunch of planks on the Pipe wagon. This was the usual unpleasant job as a) very cold b) miles away from any power, hence long walk back and forth c) had to work off a small embankment with thick brambles for access

 

After a bit of scrounging a spare broken scaffolding plank was utilised. Yes all the cuts were by hand including the joy of narrowing it from 9 inches to 6 3/4 inches. A 56 inch long cut! Didnt dare use the circular saw bench incase of unexpected nails. Finally sized and pre-drilled. Then a quick visit to the paint shop. Also visible are the upper footsteps for all 4 corners of the SR Brakevan .  

[DOCJACOB]

Bit of a change in tack now. Wood still awaited though as the N2 is coming for the Easter Gala and she will be swapping places with the Brake van I feel a project week coming on soon. Obviously she isn't suitable in her current state to be outside vulnerable to weather again.

 

As additional consequence of the N2 coming there is a big push on with ballasting and the Trout, Dogfish and 2 Catfish have all been pressed into service. One of the Catfish is however poorly and has received attention from both myself and one of the others who has done some major welding.

 

SR Brakevan appears to have gone AWOL so the footsteps are now waiting in the shed.

 

Pipe wagon plank replaced, and a bit more presentable for the time being.

[DOCJACOB]

Slightly different day today as helped the guys with the first load of ballast being taken doen the track. Consist was Trout, and 2 Catfish. The locomotive was an old friend and I was very fortunate in the 80's to get round the old Tioxide woks in Grimsby so saw her working in earnest. (usually visits here were closley scrutised due to some Greenpeace Activist types getting in once and scaling the chimney, so my request to see and photograph only did rather surprise them)

 

Then back to the other job and the door was removed, all the screws came out with hefty persuasion. Started to split the door up into re-usable and pattern parts. The glazing is some sort of perspex material so reduced safety risk. Currently at home receiving a liberal dose of T Cut to remove masses of over paint and years of grime (yes I really am that stingy)

[DOCJACOB]

I was more than delighted to be hiding in the shed on Saturday. The PW fellows had my sympathy as I arrived 09:00 and by -9:30 its was almost a white-out. Things did pich up later but it was still pretty miserable conditions. One image shows all the ballast wagons in use pending the arrival of the N2. This is an absolutely massive undertaking, and is due in part to BR removing all the ballast on closure in an attempt to discourage any preservation attempts.  

 

I also decided (rightly or wrongly) that I was fed up chopping bits off so decided to make a start and put the footsteps back in place. The steps are in 10ft lengths and the first job was cutting a 45 degree angle to splice then together, additionally a substantial metal reinforcing plate was added underneath and the riser section alaso serves to reinfore the join.  

 

Obviously she has lived a hard life and some of the brackets had to be encouraged back into position, the corners not surprisingly are the worst offenders.

 

Next job is ordering all the wood for the end and somehow we will have to replace the massive longitudinal beam running from veranda to veranda. A final push will need to be made in March as the N2 is swaping places with the brake van and I want her protected as much as possible from the elements

[DOCJACOB]

Been a bit lax on the website updates but here goes.

 

Basically bit of bodged woodwork to repair the door. Used some T+G as this was donated from a garden shed and was just too good to turn down. Done both sides of the door, cleaned the glazing and the cut outs for it. Replaced the bottom rail of the door. Started sanding the wood prior to painting. In between this  began the enormous job converting the red primer to grey undercoat .

 

Wood still awaited but was given two options a) seasoned engineered hard wood £1000 or b) green oak for £350 The £350 option won and have already had a stern warning that a messed up cut won't be tolerated.

 

The starter on the platform has now grown a temporary arm and I enclose some images (I will state it was worked on during full engineering possesion)

 

The sharp eyed will spot my helper in the vicinity.

[Ian Smeeton]

Mind the shrinkage on the green oak.

 

Can be quite alarming how much it will shrink as it dries out.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[chaz]

Thanks for posting this topic. Great stuff, really interesting to see.

 

The work you are doing is most impressive and the Grain Wagon is a really worthwhile project of which you should be very proud.

 

I have built a lot of O gauge wagon models and it is salutary to see details that at 1:43.5 are really very small revealed in their dismantled state as big, heavy lumps. I am very interested in wagons and I think it's really good that you are working away at restoring a few for posterity.

 

Good luck with the brake van!

 

Chaz

[DOCJACOB]

Thanks for the +ve comments.

 

On the basis that good things come to he who waits I arrived to a load of wood and 3 door latches suitable for the Grain wagon. Maybe they're trying to tell me my next job?

 

Anyway a hefty dose of trepidation and off we go. Aside from the issue of shrinkage I can confirm the green oak is also bl***y heavy. I was on my own and the first piece was in and out a few times. A few more bits were sawn to shape/fit and by the end of the session the "man cave" looked like a bomb had hit it. Not helped by clouds of additional wood dust from the carriage chaps who were using the bench saw with great gusto.  

 

The lower footboard has been temporarily removed as the wagon currently rides higher and I was worried they could be damaged if the wagon was shunted out pending the possible arrival of the N2. 

 

The timber beam on the workmate is the replacement for the top rail on the veranda and is awaiting cutting for a selection of tenon's, 8 drill holes and one mortice.

 

Otherwise an image of the tamper awaiting gainful employment.

 

Next week probably more of the same  

[Mike J]

Thanks to your excellent photographs Doc, The North of England Line will have 4 scratch built N gauge grain wagons running on the layout at Keighley show this weekend.

Keep up the good work restoring these worthy vehicles and thanks again for a fascinating thread.

Mike

[DOCJACOB]

Apologies for no input to this thread but I've been some what distracted. 

 

Firstly we had a different Easter Gala visitor to Ludborough. Not only did I get to help warming up one day but loads of pictures as I've got a DJH 7mm model to build someday. The brake van was moved out so all the locomotives could be stored undercover. 

 

Also it was my 25th wedding anniversary recently and we went cruising. A thoroughly enjoyable experience and even managed a train ride at one of the stop off points too. The second image is from this ride and if anyone wants to hazard a guess where feel free, though no prize. 

 

The answer will be given next week. 

[66C]

The second picture looks like a shot through the framework of the avalanche shelter on the Flam Railway in Norway.  In case others are wondering Flam is pronounced "Flom".

 

Website here:

 

www.flaamsbana.no

 

Regards.

[DOCJACOB]

Absolutely right. Amazing line 20 years to build, average gradient 1:18 and for 12 miles. Initially steam hauled, electrified 1944. You do get a photographic stop and the restart was undoubtably very skilful.

 

Plenty of other grab shots and they are equally spectacular.

 

Apparently in top 50 railway lines of the world and can't disagree. Well worth a journey to see and the museum has one of the unique E9 electric locomotives