8th September 2011

08443 The exhauster has been overhauled and is now awaiting some parts for it to be put back into service.

26024 Power related problems are currently being investigated.

37025 Further gloss painting has taken place on the parts stripped off the bogie with a final coat being applied to them.

37403 Painting of the engine room has continued with most of it painted with primer(see gallery).

37175 A leaking air pipe for the bogie brakes in No1 cab has been repaired returning the loco to service.

126 DMU The DMU made a surprise appearance and performed well on the last train (3/9/11) with many people from the last steam train taking the opportunity for a run.

47643 The loco will be given a routine exam this month.

30th August 2011

08443 The exhauster has been overhauled and is now awating some parts for it to be put back into service.

37025 The water tank for the steam boiler is being descaled and painted.

37403 More of the external gutters and rain strips have been removed(see gallery).

126 DMU After alot of work the DMU was ready for its run on Saturday 27th Aug. at the SRPS Gala with the trips proving popular over the two days. It is now being stabled in the new shelter with the 303.

22nd August 2011

08443 Is getting the exhauster overhauled.

37025 Work continues on the Bogie Overhaul and with the Steam Boiler.

37175 Work has now moved to the brake cylinders, with them being removed from the loco de-scaled internally and refurbished before being fitted back to the loco.

37403 The power unit is progressing well with undercoat taking place. The engine room of the loco is progressing at pace with almost all internal surfaces ready for primer. The external roof gutters have been removed with a lot of work revealed underneath them(see gallery).

126 DMU Final Battery connections will be made this week with an exam also being carried out on the DMU ready for its first public run in 2011 on Saturday 27th Aug. at the SRPS Gala.

9th August 2011

20 020 Is now in service after getting a B exam.

37 025's East End truck Painting is progressing well now it has been turned. New horn guides have arrived and the first set has been welded in place for one side of the centre axle.

37 403 The power unit is now getting rubbed down and painted, with the engine room getting painted, ready to receive the power unit.

126 DMU has had new batteries fitted in each of its power cars - final connections awaited.

30th June 2011

20 020 has returned from its period at the Wensleydale Railway and is in the course of receiving a 'B' Exam.

37 025's East End truck has been turned upside down to make certain work easier. 'Certain work' includes the removal (and subsequent replacement) of horn guide liners as well as general cleaning, scaling and painting.

37 403 is having its engine room prepared for painting (scaling et c.). The power unit rebuild progresses apace with all piston and con-rod assemblies fitted as well as 11 cylinder heads. Image above shows one of the pistons being machined to take an 'over-size' piston ring.

3rd May 2011

37 175 & 08 443 have received routine maintenance work over the past few days

37 025 No. 2 end truck has been completely stripped and components assessed - also being descaled and painted. It's proposed to turn it on its side to facilitate access to the 'nether regions'

MMPD The mezzanine store requires some tidying, relocation of components, labelling of shelves, etc. It's not heavy work, but would require some knowledge of what the bits are!! Please contact Andrew Harper if you feel you could help. It is also intended that the various storage cupboards be located more rationally - we also need at least two more of the metal 'wardrobe' type stores...

th April 2011

37 906 now departed...

37 403 has had temporary floor installed as preparation for engine room re-paint.

37 025 now lifted off trucks in preparation for complete wheelset replacement.

22nd March 2011

37 906 is going back down south next week - there's a Last Running Day this Sunday with departures from Bo'ness at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. Tickets £10.00. Limited refreshments!

37 403 & 37 025 are being prepared for main line running (on SRPS Railtours for example) in 2012. Most significant work on 37 025 is the replacement of its wheelsets - this will start in the next couple of weeks. 37 403's power unit is being rebuilt - the engine compartment is being repaired and prepared for internal painting before the p.u. is replaced. Lots of work to do...all welcome!

8th January 2011

D2767 is in traffic. Has been quite reliable for once with no outstanding issues.

08443 is also in traffic. No problems have been experienced with the loco since its return to traffic.

20020 is still at the Wensleydale railway. We have heard of no problems with it

25235 Still in use as yard shunter due to defective wheelsets

26024 The loco will be coming in the shed soon for a bit of tlc with new gutters being fitted in the engine room. The bogie overhaul is progressing slowly but has taken a back seat lately due to pressure from other work.

27001 Still soldiers on. A new set of batteries has been fitted to the loco due to problems of flat batts when trying to start the loco. The batteries fitted were well over 10 years old so well overdue a change anyway. It is hoped to get the loco in for overhaul shortly as it is getting very tired body work wise. The power unit is also passing a bit of oil.

37025 The loco is in traffic and has been used for several driver experience turns in the past year. The boiler for the locos has had most parts overhauled and it is hoped a start on re-assembling will commence soon.

37175 The loco is finally back in traffic after its prolonged engine overhaul. The loco had a test run 2 days before the 2nd of January class 37 day. Much work had gone into the loco in the weeks before hand. Both turbo chargers have been overhauled with new bearings fitted to one. The intercoolers from 37403 have been used as the original ones were suspect as 1 had failed a pressure test. All heads had been overhauled with some new valve guides being used. 3 pistons and 3 connecting rods required to be changed due to damage or ovality in the big end of the con rods. A full set of overhauled injectors have been fitted as well. A full set of new big end and main bearings have been fitted to the loco due to wear in the original ones. Oil pressure is now excellent in the loco with 40 psi on the gauge running off the priming pump only. The loco performed very well on the 2nd of January with no problems.

37403 No work has been done on 403 for a while due to trying to get 175 finished. We now plan to get back on with the engine overhaul of 403 and try to complete the engine rebuild over the next few months.

47643 The loco is in traffic and has been used several times on the rear of the santa special trains.

DMU The DMU has been winterised for the time being. All cooolant has been drained from the engines.

5th October 2010

D2767 is back in traffic after repairs again to the water pump drive.

08443 The loco has now been completely repainted back into original green colour and is now D3558. It is in use as the yard shunter at Bo'ness again.

20020 The 20 was also repainted but into BR Blue rather than green. Quite major bodywork repairs were also carried out on it before the repaint. The loco is also now on hire to the Wensleydale railway for a year.

25235 is still in use only as a yard shunter.

26024 Work has recommenced on the bogie overhaul. The top of one of the bogie frames was grit blasted last weekend and only leaves the underside to do before the whole bogie can be glossed. There are also some minor welding repairs to be carried out on it as some of the wear plates have been found to have cracked mountings. The hornguides will all have their liners replaced and all axle boxes will have new liners fitted and shimmed.

27001 The loco has been out of traffic to have the air tanks inspected, these have now been refitted and require a running test to complete the job.

37025 The loco is in traffic and proving to be a reliable performer. The overhauled wheelsets await fitting to the locomotive. Work is also being carried out on the steam generator, the overhaul of all parts is nearly complete. The steam accumulator was passed by the inspector with only a couple of minor points to attend to so re-assembly can begin very soon. The loco has been very popular with diesel driver experiences this year again.

37175 The engine overhaul continues on the loco. It was found that the main bearings were worn so a new set has been purchased and half have been fitted so far. All cylinder heads have been crack tested to see if there was any cracking between any of the valve seats or injector hole, fortunately all were found to be defect free. They have all been degreased and primed and await fitting of valves. THe valevs have been taken to be faced at a local engineering company, JEM engines. Both turbo chargers have been found to be worn so will be overhauled before being fitted back into the loco. One of the intercoolers was also found to be damaged so this has been sent for specialist repair, both will be sent for ultrasonic cleaning. All pistons have been sized and are in the process of being machined, new pistons rings will be pruchased in due course. All the small end bushes have been replaced on the conrods and the conrods deep cleaned ready for fitment. The big end bolts still require stretching to size and then can be fitted after the pistons have been fitted to the rods. The gudgeon pins have also been sized and 4 found to be scrap. These will be replaced form the spares pool we have.

37403 Main bearings have also been purchased for loco as these were also found to be in a similar condition to the ones in 37175. The cylinder liners have all be re-fitted to the engine block. The turbocharger mounting bracket has been blasted and painted and the turbochargers refitted. It has been decided to remove the compressor side of the turbos for cleaning as there is a fair amount of contamination within the casing and housing that cannot be cleaned without a strip. The inside of the engine room has been just about completely stripped so grit blasting can be carried out of all the sides and ends. The floor has been lifted and steam cleaned. The conduits were then scraped to try adn remove all the rest of the residual muck and will require a bit more steam cleaning before the sides can be done. The no2 nose end is now also fully stripped of components. The secondmans side of the cab has also been removed and the floor lifted. Much corrosion has been found underneath the floor with damaged electrical conduit and rotten pipework

47643 The loco is in traffic

DMU The DMU is now in traffic and was used for several runs at the latest diesel gala. It is planned to use on it some of the diesel turns in next years timetable.

26th April 2010

08443 The loco is now back in traffic awaiting time for a repaint. The side rods have been refitted after much trouble with the securing nuts and taper pins.

D8020 The loco is back out of traffic due to a frost damaged water trap that sits under the cab of the loco. The trap was very inaccessible to get out. We are currently trying to source a replacement for the frost damaged unit.

25235 The loco is still in use as a yard shunter due to the scrap wheelsets.

26004 The batteries have been removed form the loco, topped up and put on charge to see what condition they are in.

26024 A new set of batteries have been fitted to the loco. The triple pump was also known to be leaking so the water side of it was stripped down to replace the Crane seal. It was then found that there was play in the bearing on the water pump end. The pump was then removed from the loco. A refurbished pump has since been completed and fitted to the loco. There are a couple of minor problems to be rectified before a start up can be made.

27001 The loco is still in traffic but will require major bodywork soon to take place on it.

37025 The loco is in traffic currently. The steam heat boiler is still under overhaul. The main heating coil has been successfully pressure tested. The steam collector is next for a pressure test. There are about a dozen various flanges and fittings to blank before this can be done. The collector will then need to be checked by our insurance inspector for sufficient metal thickness.

37175 The top of the engine block has now been glossed. All liners are now ready to fit bar a final light hone before install.

37403 A start has been made on cab repairs to the loco. The number 2 end secondmans side has now been completely removed. All new metal work will be required on the cab side sheets. All cantrail grilles will have to be removed for repair as there is a considerable amount of corrosion present. The top of the engine block has now been glossed so a start will be made on refitting the liners very soon. Both camshafts have now been replaced on the engine. 2 main bearings have been removed to assess their condition. The intercooler elbows have been steam cleaned and are in the process of being grit blasted to remove old paint. The low hours turbos have been taken out of the container and will need a steam clean and painting before they are refitted to the engine.

37413 Some bodyside metal removal has taken place on the loco.

47643 The loco is in traffic.

2nd February 2010

08443 The 2 moveable roof sections are now complete bar painting. The engine was successfully started and moved under its own power for the first time in 2 years. The batteries took quite a charge before the loco would start but seem to have settled down. The leaks in the radiator seem to have been cured as the only leaking was from a joint underneath the radiator that will have to be remade. All of the axlebox keeps have been removed and the underframe of the loco steam cleaned again. The 2 loco brake cylinders have been stripped and new seals fitted. One was found to have a 4 inch tear in it so the brakes are certianly more efficient now! The axle keeps will be emptied of old oil and then steamcleaned before fitting with the new pre soaked oil pads. There is quite a lot of wear in the bushes on the connecting rods so a decision will be made at some point about getting them re-metalled

37403 Much work has been carried out on the loco since th last news report. The whole power unit has been steam cleaned and the ducting for the alternator removed. The alternator has been tested and the readings were more than acceptable. Another trip has been made to CF Booths of Rotherham to get more engine parts. This was due to finding the camshafts in 403 pretty well past their best. We also found 2 scrap pistons from the batch we had got before. We managed to liberate 10 pistons and 2 full camshafts from the power unit on 37698. We also managed to get the windscreens from 37077 which will provide us with good spares for years to come. All of the pistons from 37717 have been cleaned up now and sizes. All 2nd top rings will need machining on these ten. The other ten from 698 should arrive this week and will be sized and cleaned and the excess put into store. All 12 cylinder liners have been grit blasted and painted with the correct spec paint. These are now ready for final honing when the time comes to fit to the loco. The top of the power unit requires descaling and also stripping and painting, a time consuming job. This will be next on the list to do. The free end of the engine will also be stripped of all pipes, pumps and parts, cleaned and then repainted as well.

37175 All pistons from 175 have been cleaned and decarboned. 4 pistons have been found to be scrap and ones will be used from 403s origainal set to replace these. All gudgeon pins were also found to be undersize so a full set of spares from 403 and 717 will be used. A start has been made on grit blasting and painting the liners with 3 done so far.

26024 More progress has been made on the bogie from 26024. An appeal has been made for money towards covering the cost of the new bogie wear plates and nearly £500 has been raised so far. A work party on Sunday 31st January continued to stip the bogie of parts. The frame is nearly fully stripped with one pair of horn guides left to remove. The bottom spring plank has been removed. The 3 corner piece which cover over the holes for removing the equalising beam still need removed. John Howell has been progressing with needle gunning the frame and about half has been done so far. A new set of batteries have been

D2767 The spare dynamo mount has been trial fitted to the loco and has benn found to be a much better fit than the previous one. The water pump has to be removed to enable this to be fitted so this will be done in due course. After this, the loco should be back in traffic after an exam.

D8020 The loco has been stopped and drained due to a water leak. It has been decided to carry out an oil and filter change on the loco as well as a change of fuel filter. All hoses on the power unit will be replaced and an exam carried out on it.

13th January 2010

08443 The 2 moveable roof sections are nearly complete after being reskinned. Final welding of the side vents is all that is required to finish the work. The underframe exam is still to complete on the loco but this should not take up too much time. It will probably be a little while before the loco is painted due to the poor weather at the moment. All paint work has been completed inside the cab so it is only exterior paint that is required to complete the loco. The loco has now been filled with engine oil, a startup will be attempted in the near future to check for leaks.

D2767 The broken studs have been removed from the engine block and the dynamo refitted. The mount plate has very poor alignment so a spare mount will be tried to see if it any better. If not, an undersize dowel will have to be made.

37403 A start has been made on sizing the liners for the loco. The pistons have been split from the rods and a start will be made on cleaning them up ready for sizing of rings. A start was also made on steam cleaning the engine compartment. Half of the engine room was cleaned and the loco looks much better for it. The engine room will be stripped of all components and a full repaint will be done internally on the loco. The power unit still requires steam cleaning before any work can commence on it.

DMU Work continues on the DMU engine. The fuel injectors have now been refitted so the only jobs left are fitting of pipework and also fitting and timing the injection pump on the engine. It is hoped to have all the jobs finished in the next couple of weeks.

The jacks were delivered to the shed in the middle of a snowstorm so were rather interesting to get positioned in the shed. It is hoped that we will have a bit more space after the power units on the 37s have been rebuilt. We have also managed to acquire a set of Class 37 lifting brackets which was the last set of brackets left that wee needed to get a full set for lifting locos at Bo'ness.

8th December 2009

08443 The generator roof section and also the exhaust roof section have now been fitted to the loco. The radiator assembly has also been refitted although there are still some minor water leaks to repair. All of the rubber hoses for the oil and water system are being replaced due to them old and perished. A pattern has been made for the curved, moveable roof sections and this will be used to roll 4 new repair sections. We had tried to do this before but found that the supporting frame was quite badly bent out of shape so this will need some remedial work. The oil pads for the axleboxes have been soaked in oil and the side rods have also been scraped clean of all the old oil and grease. The rods have now been painted in primer and will be undercoated next. The 2 roof sections have now also been fully bolted down to the loco. Once the weather gets a bit better, a start will be made on preparing the locomotive for paint.

37403 The power unit for the locomotive was lifted out on Saturday the 5th. The unit came out relatively easily with nothing broken or damaged thankfully. The bedplate drains can now be unblocked and a start made on steam cleaning the engine room compartment to get rid of all the oil and diesel. The engine block can also now be steam cleaned too and a start made on checking the crankshaft and main bearings. Overhaul work can also start on the cylinder liners and pistons.

DMU engine There are are only a few minor jobs to finish on the engine before it can be moved and stored within the museum building. The spare engine for parts will also be moved over.

D2767 The shunter is now in the shed to have the defective waterpump and dynamo coupling fixed. We have managed to source another half coupling and are looking to copy and improve on the existing setup. With this complete, we can get the loco back in traffic.

We have also managed to obtain a set of Matterson 20 ton jacks which will be delivered on Thursday 17th of December. The first job to do with these will be to lift a Mk1 coach to do a wheelset change on it. The jacks will greatly speed up the time taken to lift an item of rolling stock and will come in very handy in the future.

17th November 2009

08443 Work still continues to remedy water leaks on the radiator. The work on the back is now complete and attention has turned to the front. The assembly is now sitting on its base. The fan and fan interior has now been painted. The front running plate on the loco has also been descaled, primed and glossed. The exhaust silencer has now been fitted into its roof section which is now ready to refit. The rail that the 2 sliding roof sections sit on has now been needle gunned and primed and partially glossed in green. Work has also started cleaning the engine compartment for reapinting the loco. The wooden floor in the cab has also been renewed.

37025 The boiler water jacket has been removed from the boiler to enable the coil to be extracted for cleaning and to also check the condition of it. The overhauled wheelsets for the loco will also return this week from Brush Barclays in Kilmarnock.

11th October 2009

D5394 The loco has now left the railway after completion of its overhaul by the diesel group. The loco performed well at the diesel gala apart from a couple of minor glitches.

D5310 has also now left the railway. It is now located at the Llangollen Railway in Wales.

37403 The overhaul of the loco has been started. The first task was to remove the main and auxiliary roof sections to enable us to access the top end of the engine more easily. The top water rails, inlet manifolds and rocker assemblies were all removed. The head nuts were then removed and then the heads themselves were removed. 6 of the 12 pistons were found to be seized. After freeing the engine, the crankcase doors were removed. This provided access to the big end assemblies and enabled us to get in to split the cap from the rod. The con rod assemblies were then lifted out with the overhead hoist. The free end of the engine has also been stripped of parts. This includes removal of the header tank, oil filter housings, water pipework and oil thermostat housing. The water pumps have still to be taken off and the fan shaft coupling removed. The turbos and intercoolers have also been removed as well as all the fuel pumps, oil and fuel feed pipes and rack linkages. The engine is now pretty much ready to lift from the loco after the mountings have been undone. Pictures of the loco overhaul can be found here.

08443 The radiator assembly is still being worked on to remedy some water leaks. The silencer roof section has had the sides replaced and the auxiliary room section has also had the same work done. This has also been needle gunned and primed on the outside. The inside has been repainted in grey gloss.

DMU The rebuild of the spare engine for the Class 126 DMU has been started. The crankshaft was quite badly worn so has been sent off to have the big end and main bearing journal ground. We now have this back at Bo'ness. The crankcase has now been cleaned and the camshaft and followers fitted to the block. The piston assemblies have been cleaned up and need to be sized. These will be fitted with new rings. We have new main bearings in stock but still require to get hold of set of undersize big end bearings.

D5394 The internal storm gutter drains have now been welded in place on the loco. A start has been made on fitting the wiper motors to the loco, we are still waiting on new motor and idler shafts to arrive from the supplier. We have cleaned and painted the window surrounds and have started to refit the glass into the loco. A start will be made soon on paintwork preparation.

27001 An oil and filter change has been carried out on the loco as it has been a long time since one was carried out and there had been some high readings in the oil sample analysis that is carried out every 3 months.

26024 The AVR has been refitted to the loco and has been succesfully tested. The bogie frame has been moved in from outside the shed so that it can be needle gunned and repainted. There are still some parts to remove from the frame such as the brake rigging and also the horn guides and equalising beams. A start has been made on cleaning and painting the 4 wheelsets, this must be done before they are sent off for the axle journals to be machined and the bearings replaced.

47643 The loco has been found to have fuel dilution of the oil so a full or partial oil change may be required. We will also have to find out the cause of the dilution.

08443 The front of the radiator assembly has been needle gunned and primed. The fill pipes have also been removed for refinishing.

D8020 The errant resistor has now been replaced on the loco. This was tested and found that the loco was still producing 150 volts so the circuit was open circuit. On further examination, it was found that 2 resistors within the AVR itself were damaged so replacements have been ordered.

37025 Work continues on the boiler of the loco. Most of the electrical items are now refurbished. Attention will turn to overhaul of the mechanical parts next.

We have bought 2 20 feet containers recently. One is for storage of parts whilst locos are being worked on and the other will house the grit blasting cabinet.

29th June 2009

08443 The front radiator section of the loco has been removed to enable repairs to be carried out to corroded metal at the bottom of the water tank. Both sides are badly corroded and there is a sizeable amount of patching to do. Metal has been sourced to repair the sides of the roof section that holds the exhaust silencer and also the section above the
generator.

D5394 The old batteries have been removed from the loco. The battery boxes will be steam cleaned and then painted. New wooden supports need to be made to accommodate the new batteries. The radiator surrounds have been painted in top coat. The radiator grilles have also been painted.

26024 The cause of the problems with the locos AVR has been traced to a broken wire in the feed to the moving coil with the unit. The unit is also suffering from old age with the waxed cotton thread holding the insulators becoming very brittle. The unit has been refitted to the loco but still requires to be setup.

37025 Work continues on the rewire of the train heat boiler itself. The 2 main boards have been fully rewired and tested, the wiring to all ancillaries around the boiler is now being replaced. It is hoped work will start soon on the overhaul of the wheelsets at Barclays.

37175 Most of the power unit has now been stripped from the loco. All that remains to be removed are 2 conrods and pistons and 11 liners. All liners look to be in reasonable condition although some of the gudgeon pins have been moving in the pistons which is not very good as they should be a light interference fit! One piston has been separated from its rod and the small end bush was found to be quite worn. The majority of the top piston rings look worn, all of this is expected in an engine with over 10,000 hours on it.

15th June 2009

37025 All work for the preparation of movement for the loco to Keighley was completed on time. The fitness to run was carried by DRS which highlighted no major defects with the loco and only a few small jobs to carry out before the FTR could be signed off. New style warning flashes had to be fitted so we decided to reverse the old style red flashes and stick the new reflective ones to the back of the old ones. We then drilled the 4 bodyside mounting holes and rive nutted the holes. This
allows the signs to be altered from old to new style and vice versa easily. The loco performed perfectly at the gala over the 3 days and returned back north last Thursday. The only problem with the loco was a leak somewhere in the vacuum chamber pipework. This was found to be a leaking pipe fitting, the vacuum chamber drop now falls well within the brake test specifications. The loco will now have the last of its C exam work carried out and then enter into service. Repairs will continue on the boiler room and  boiler whilst we wait for the return of the new wheelsets ex 37221 from overhaul at Brush Barclays in Kilmarnock.

47643 This loco also attended the Keighley diesel gala. The largest jobs required before the loco could be hauled over the national network was the replacement of one traction motor gear case and also welding repairs to the drag box cover panel under each cab. Corrosion had got in between the solebar of the loco and the cover. This had split to a length of about 4 feet. To facilitate repair, we cut a slot along each end of the split so we could pull the cover down so we could remove the scale. We then jacked the flap back up and seam welded it to the loco frame again. A pain of a job to do but at least now it is done. A couple of minor brake faults came to light but were easily solved. The fitness to run was carried out by DRS and this was passed with no major problems. The repaint was also completed just in time and the loco looked extremely smart in the Scotrail red stripe livery. The loco performed well at Keighley with no major problems apart from suffering from a bit of fuel starvation on the Saturday afternoon. This was traced to the strainer being full of debris, after cleaning, the engine ran perfectly again. The loco will now have a C exam completed on it before re-entering service. One of the compressors is also using quite a lot of oil so this will probably be stripped in situ and reconditioned.

37175 The leaking A4 liner has been removed from the loco. The cause of the leak was easily identifiable as the top one of the two liner seals had about a 6 inch gap in it when removed. The seal had obviously been caught when being installed many moons ago by BR. The big end bearing had been moving slightly in the big end eye so it has been decided that the full power unit will be stripped and reconditioned. The loco is still fitted with Series 1 and 2 heads so these may be changed for series 3 ones.

08443 A decision has been made to remove the radiator assembly from the loco as there is quite a lot of wastage in the sides of the bottom tank. A start has been made on removing the bolts and pipe fittings.

D5394 All of the holes for mounting the radiator grilles have been cleaned out and re tapped. The wiper spindles for the loco are scrap so we are looking to see if new replacements are available.

25235 As part of its exam for returning the loco to traffic, the tyre sizes have been measured on the loco. It has been found that the number 1 wheelset flanges are below the minimum size so the loco has been stopped. The tyre thickness is also below the last cutting size so new tyres will be required for it. The loco will be kept in use but restricted to yard movements to keep it active. Once we have cleared our feet and raised the necessary funds, the loco will be brought in for a full bogie rebuild, bodywork and for the settling tanks to be repaired or replaced.

30th May 2009

37025 Work is just about complete on the loco for its return to traffic. Most of the brake hanger steady pins and links were found to be scrap on the loco. We tried to see if we could find the correct drawings from the archive to see if we could get some made but the drawings proved to be rather elusive. It was then decided to get 37403 over the pit and rob the parts from it. We managed to get all the parts required and these have been cleaned and fitted to the loco. DRS are coming this week to examine 37025 and 47643 before they will be allowed to move by rail to Keighley for the gala next weekend.

47643 Work continues on the repaint of the loco back into Scotrail livery. The loco has been also put over the pit for the underframe to be examined.

25235 The loco hauled its first passenger train in nearly 2 years on Saturday. The loco performed very well on the return trip and was then used on a driver experience turn. It is hoped to make some progress on the bodywork over the summer in time for the diesel gala.

16th May 2009

47643 Work continues for the locos repaint back into Intercity livery. The new decals are being made for it at the moment. Both bodysides have now been rubbed down and a start made on filling all the small marks. The loco required a thorough air tank inspection before being allowed back in traffic. This was carried out on Friday with no problems found. One of the oil style auto drain valves was found to be full of water so this was stripped and cleaned out before refitting to the loco.

37025 Most of the work to refit the components to the bogies is now complete. The couplings are still to be fitted. The adjusters between the brake blocks and the rigging on the loco were all found to be quite worn so will need to be replaced before the loco can have the fitness to run exam carried out on it. We are still trying to find the correct drawing for the parts so as to get a new set made.

25235 Work continues on finishing off the C exam on the loco. The air tank insurance certificate had also expired so another thorough air tank inspection was required with thankfully no faults found.

3rd May 2009

25235 The overhauled turbo and intercooler have been refitted to the loco. The loco was successfully started last Friday and left running for a couple of hours to start to bed the new turbo bearings in. One drivers brake valve had been robbed to use in D5310 so another one had to be sourced. This required some repair and exchange of parts and a good clean internally before fitment. The valve was refitted into the number 2 end and the loco brakes tested. An air leak was found from a drip valve in one of the compressor supply pipes under the brake frame. A replacement valve was found, stripped, cleaned and fitted which cured the problem. The number 1 drivers brake valve was found to be passing so this too was stripped and required a few parts to be replaced. A full vacuum and air brake test was carried out on the loco on Sunday, a couple of minor issues were found but . The loco will have a C exam carried out on it prior to it re-entering traffic. The wheelsets will require attention in the not too distant future as well as the loco requiring a lot of bodywork as there is quite bad corrosion around the cab lowers and bodysides. We hope to have some of this done prior to the diesel gala in August.

26024 A fractured fuel spill pipe was found on the loco, this is believed to have caused the fuel dilution problems of late. Minor jobs to finish parts of the loco will also be completed over the next few months prior to the diesel gala.

37025 The loco will be visiting Keighley in June for the railway diesel gala there along with 47643. The loco is being put back together as the wheelsets have still not been removed from 37221 at Booths. All parts that are being refitted are being cleaned up for ease of assembly, this will save valuable time when we strip the loco again when the wheelsets come back from being overhauled.

47643 Good progress is being made on the repaint of the loco. The roof has been rubbed down, primed and undercoated. This should be top coated this week and a start made on filling and preparing the bodysides and ends.

D5394 Work continues on the refitting of the cabs. The batteries for the loco are now on site and await fitting. The nose end handrails have been grit blasted, primed and refitted. The cab side hand rails should also be cleaned up and refitted this week.

14 April 2009

26024 The oil and filter change on the loco has been completed. Rubber washers from old filters were found on the spigots that the fine filters sit on, these must have been there since BR days! The oil strainer was also removed, flushed and cleaned. The fuel filter was also changed on the loco. An A exam will take place before the loco will go back into traffic.

D5310 The fuel problems with the loco have been solved. It was found that the plastic gear on the triple pump had sheared its mounting lugs and was spinning on the shaft when hot. This has been replaced with a spare and the fuel filter on the loco changed as well. It is now running much better.

D5394 Repairs to the roof are now complete and the roof has been refitted to the loco.

47643 The final section of exhaust hatch has been fitted to the loco. More fibreglass repair has been carried out on the main roof section. This is now complete so can now be primed and painted. The loco will be going to get painted later this month.

37403 The A bank set of parts still at Booths in Rotherham has been removed form 37717. This consisted of 6 pistons and conrods, 6 Mark 3 cylinder heads and 6 liners. We also got 6 fuel pumps and 6 injectors. The turbos were also removed from the loco as they are very low hours units. These have been cleaned up and the rotors un seized. They were seized due to carbon build up from the loco idling excessively. After an oil change, they can be fitted straight to the loco. All the parts will be refurbished for fitment to 37403.

4th April 2009

26024 The new oil filters have arrived for the loco and will be fitted this weekend after the housing is steam cleaned. The fuel filter has been changed and the filter bowl flushed out as it was full of debris.

D5310 The loco has not been running very well of late with misfiring on several cylinders. A leak in the fuel system seams to be the cause as this is drawing air into the system. The fuel filter has also been changed on the loco as it was contaminated. The air system seams to have eventually dried out after the fitment of the Spirax valves.

25235 The intercooler and turbo were removed from the loco last Sunday. The core wasstripped out fo the intercooler and steam cleaned for 2 hours but is still quite clogged. We have decided to leave it soaking in degreaser for a week or so to loosen up the deposits. The turbo casing has been cleaned and a start made on rebuilding the unit.

47643 There is not much left to do on the loco apart from finish off thelast of the roof hatch repairs before they are all painted and refitted.

18 March 2009

D5394 Bodywork repairs are nearly compete on the loco. The rot on the cantrail sides has been attended and the internal guttering is now ready to be welded back in. All roof hatch holes have now been re-tapped. A start has been made on refurbishing the main roof section as the hatches and mechanisms are well past their best. New hatch latches are being
fabricated to replace ones that have rotted away within the framework. It is hoped to have the loco wind and water tight within the next month or so. The loco roof will be painted before the loco leaves to try and prevent water ingress. New batteries will hopefully be fitted to it soon as well.

47643 All 4 bodyside vertical metal strips adjacent to the engine side handrail have been removed and replaced with new metal as the originals were very wasted and corroded. The silencer is now sitting in the roof section. All new joints have been made for the various exhaust sections and these have been fitted. One of the 2 covers that sits over the silencer is still to be repaired, it is hoped to do this this weekend so a startup of the loco can take place. Repairs to the removable roof hatches over the turbo and oil filters are just about complete. All airfilter grilles have now been repainted and are ready for fitting. A small amount of bodywork will be required before a full repaint is completed on the loco.

08443 All roof sections have been removed for repair. The loco silencer has been needlegunned underneath and painted with high temperature paint. The 2 roof hatches are being repaired by Kenny and Alex of the steam department.

37403 Members of the diesel group have visited Booths in Rotherham twice to recover parts from scrap class 37s for 403. We have managed to get all missing parts that we need as well as a full set of glass for the loco. We have also managed to get 6 mark 3 cylinder heads, 6 piston and rod assemblies and 6 cylinder liners. The pistons are of the superior class 58 variety and are in excellent condition. All pistons have standard size rings fitted. We will be returning to Booths to remove the other 6 piston assemblies with heads and liners. This will give a full set of 12 pistons, liners and heads which we can overhaul. This will enable us to perform a quick overhaul of 37403s powerunit. We have also reserved a couple of very low hours turbos as well which will fit straight on to 37403 as the current ones are seized.

D5310 Spirax auto drain valves have been fitted to the loc as we have been having problems with mositure getting into the brake system. One drivers brake valve has had to be changed due to a split diaphragm. The governor has also had oil leaks repaired on it. No5 fuel pump and injector have also been replaced on the loco due to being defective. A B exam and full brake test have also been carried out as well as an underframe exam.

26024 has been stopped due to fuel dilution. This will require an oil change to take place and also the source of the fuel leak to be traced.

37175 is out of traffic due to water in the oil. On investigation, A4 liner was found to be leaking water, an oil sample was taken and found to be high in trace metals. A full investigation will be required as well as repair to the leaky liner.

37025 All bogie parts have been disconnected to allow the loco to be lifted so the wheelsets can be replaced. A full set of wheelsets have been purchased from Booths, ex 37221. It will be a month or so before the loco is cut up and the wheelsets salvaged.

02 February 2009

The main engine room roof was refitted to 47643 after 10 months of repair work. The silencer housing has been almost completely renewed and sections of the outside edge have also been replaced. The underside has also been extensively cleaned and repainted. The silencer has also been refitted back into the roof.

Work has also started on 37413 with the dismantling of No.1 cab.

18 January 2009

47643 Work continues on repairing the roof for the loco. The front and rear double skin portions have now been fitted after being packed with glass fibre wool for insulation. The bottom double skin section has been formed and trimmed to size, this had to be cut in half to assist with fitting. The last repair is the curved section that sits under the silencer. This will have to be made form scratch as there was nothing left of the original. Repairs to the exhaust silencer are now complete after refitting the access hatches. These are fitted so the silencer can be repacked with glass fibre which has also been done. A start has been made on cleaning up the roof access hatches, there is a lot of damage to the roof around where the top opening doors are. Wasted metal has been cut from around the skirt, this has been caused by moisture build up in the former boiler compartment due to the leaking roof. The right angle exhaust bellow from the turbo to silencer has also had weldingrepairs carried out due to a couple of big cracks in the casing. This and the bellows have now been painted and await fitting once the roof. It is hoped to have the roof back on in a month or so.

08443 The battery lid hinges have been fabricated and the lids fitted to the top of the battery box. Wooden battery trays have been made and the batteries have been fitted. The next job is to remove the generator roof section for repairs to the edge of it. The exhaust silencer and associated roof section will also be removed for repair due to corrosion.

The Class 37 diesel day was very successful. Plenty of people turned up and it was good to have a visiting engine to draw more people in. The event will take place on the 2nd january 2010 again next year.

01 January 2009

47643 has had repairs to the silencer housing section of the engine room roof progressed, most of the new metal has been welded into place. The silencer has also been extensively repaired and is also ready to fit. 37175 has had a large amount of body repairs carried out and a repaint is scheduled for early in 2009

16 November 2008

47643. Good progress is being made on the loco. The main roof section has had more work done on the silencer well with all outer seams being welded. Work can now commence on fabricating the inner skin, when this is completed, the roof can be refiited to the loco. The mating surface of the roof where it sits on the bodysides is also receiving attention. Fabrication work on the silencer is now complete and the bottom has been wire brushed and painted. The main generator is also being rebrushed after cleaning.

37175 The new headcode box (ex 37251) is now fitted. More welding repairs continue on the bodysides.

08443 The side rods have been cleaned up and the bearings in them are being sized to see if replacement is required.

37403 and 37413 arrived at the railway on Friday morning. 37413 has had the driver and centre window surrounds scraped and painted with a view to getting the glass in to make the loco watertight. The locos are pretty complete mechanically although the engine on 37403 is seized with standing. 37413 also has something broken in the fan drive assembly gearbox

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Autumn 2008

D5394 was successfully started today after a couple of minor electrical problems were resolved. The batteries on the loco are well past their best and a half set of batteries from the 08 had to be used to get the loco finally started. The roof section above the water tank has been put back in after welding repairs and also the boiler room roof has been refitted after a complete reskin. The apertures for the air inlet and the boiler exhaust have been blanked off to stop water ingress. No 2 end
cab is nearing completion. The pedestal under the drivers desk has been refitted which allows the DSD pedal to be refitted. The associated panels surrounding it can now be fitted. Not much bodywork is left to do on the loco, some minor patching at No 1 end and a strip along the cantrail above the radiators. The tail light reflector boxes have also been repaired and welded back in so the panels on the second mans side can be refitted.

47643. Work continues on the repairs to the silencer. The exhaust baffle section has been fitted inside the silencer and a new top sealing plate has been made. The silencer can now be turned over and the sealing strips fabricated. After this, the whole assembly is plated in and the silencer can be refitted to the roof section after that is repaired.

37175. Body side repairs continue on the loco with patches of rot being cutout throughout the last week. The remaining cab side sheet has also been cutout and replaced. The rotten headcode box has also been cutout and the new one is being prepared for fitment.

08443 Work is continuing on the cab repaint.

July & August 2008

Much work has now been done on the Class 126 Swindon DMU which has made several successful runs from Bo'ness to Birkhill. This set will feature in the forthcoming Diesel Gala on 27th & 28th September

Work continues on D5394and with nearly all of the corroded bodywork metal replaced a start has been made to re-fit the No2 Driving Cab

In addition to work on the overhaul of 0-6-0 Diesel Electric Shunter 08 443, the department is also engaged in the time consuming annual safety examinations of all locomotives

June 2008

During the past few weeks progress has been made on the following projects;

37 025 - The Steam Heat Boiler has now been removed from the loco for overhaul

47 643 - Work continues on the repairs to the roof and exhaust silencer

08 443 - The cab interior metalwork has now been repainted, the overhauled Battery Isolating Switches replaced.

Class 126 DMU - The second power car has had both engines re-fitted, bogie ride heights adjusted.

The Diesel Group have also undertaken a wheel set swop on a MkII coach for SRPS Railtours.

May 2008

The roof repairs on 47 643 continue to make good progress, however the extent of the corrosion is greater that first expected and is therefore taking longer to erradicate. Other current projects include ongoing work on D5394, 08 443 and general fleet maintenance.

April 2008

Work continues on 47 643's roof and exhaust silencer as are body repairs to 37 175 and D5394.

Interior fiiting out of the Swindon Class 126 DMU is making good progress

The Blower Motor previously replaced on D8020 was found to have end float bearing problems and has been swopped for another.