Author: Michael Fearn

7828 Heater Covers

Now that the heater pipes have been refitted to 7828, I have moved on to the cleaning and polishing of the heater covers.

Cleaned and polished heater cover in 7828

After many years of service and storage, the heater covers were of a blackened appearance, reminiscent of the condition they may have been in during the latter days of the carriage being in service. Gently rubbing the covers with fine steel wool and t-cut has revealed the copper coating on these steel covers, as well as reducing the level of rust found where the coating has worn off. A further coating of waxy furniture polish has also been used, to help reduce further tarnishing of this attractive finish to the decorative metalwork.

Heater covers showing before and after cleaning and polishing.

Carriage Preservation Roundup: Q2 2013

A roundup of online restoration news from the world of carriage preservation.

Welcome to the (slightly late) 2nd edition of this quarterly summary of carriage and wagon restoration news. Thank you to those who contacted me from the first edition. If I have missed any groups out please do let me know, either by leaving a comment below or email website [at] lmsca.org.uk

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Bluebell Railway — Carriage & wagon works news — GWR 87782 open wagon (May 2013).

Isle of Wight Steam Railway — Carriage & Wagon News – April 2013 — LBSCR 8-Compartment Third 2403, SECR 4-compartment Brake Third 4149, LBSCR 3-compartment brake third 4115, LBSCR Car truck 60579, LBSCR 10 ton goods van 3713, other news including the Changing Trains building.

LMSCA — LMS 7828 Vestibule Third — Ceiling, Ceiling Beading, Ceiling and Torpedo Ventilators, 7828 Gets Heavier.

LMSCA — LMS 27162 — 6th May, 20th May, 10th June.

LNERCA — 1623 — 7th April, 11th April, 27th May, 12th June, 25th June.

NSR Rolling Stock Restoration Trust — NSR 127 — News update May 2013

RVP — News — Shed project.

Scottish Railway Preservation Society — Rebuilding Gresley TK 10021 – Chapter 6

Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust — Restoration news — BR 4509, LMS Stove R 2886.

West Somerset Railway — Autocoach 169 news.

And finally, something from the world of records preservation, a few (LMS themed) gems from the NRM —

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Carriage Preservation Roundup: Q1 2013

A roundup of online restoration news from the world of carriage preservation.

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Bluebell Railway — Carriage & wagon works news — GWR 87782 open wagon.

Gwili Vintage Carriage Group — 26 Mar — Taff Vale No 28 Project.

Isle of Wight Steam Railway — Carriage & Wagon News January 2013 — LBSCR 8-Compartment Third 2403, LBSCR 3-compartment brake third 4115, LBSCR Car Truck 60579.

LMSCA — LMS 7828 Vestibule Third — Ceiling week 1, Ceiling week midweek report, Carriage restorers resort to magic mushrooms, Ceiling week end of week, Above and below.

LMSCA — An atmospheric shot at Rowsley carriage shed.

LNERCA — 1623 — Flooring, First seat, 22Feb, For comparison, Treadplate and Treadmaster, More seats fitted.

Mid Hants Railway — Bulleid 4211 — 15 Jan, 31 Jan.

RVP — News — TPO updates, TTO 23981, Carriage shed news & appeal

Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust — Restoration news — LMS 2300, LMS 2886, BR 4509, LNER 7960, LNER 43600.

Vintage Carriages Trust — News — Metropolitan Railway Nine Compartment Third No. 465.

West Somerset Railway — Autocoach 169 news.

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If I have missed any off please leave a comment below including any relevant links, or contact the webmaster. I will endeavour to include updates from these groups and railways in any future updates, which I intend do do on a quarterly basis during 2013.

The Droplight No. 26

The Winter 2012/13 (no. 26) edition of The Droplight, Newsletter of the LMSCA, has recently been posted to members.

Contents:

  • The Chairman’s Ventilator
  • Membership
  • Important Gift Aid Changes
  • Seeking Volunteers for Promotional Activity
  • Digital Donations
  • Website News
  • 27001: The Fundraising Challenge
  • AGM Report
  • 27001 Update
  • BG Parts Recovery
  • 7828 Update
  • The LMR Overhead Construction Vehicle
  • The Design and Construction of Carriages and Wagons

If you are not yet a member and would like to receive this, why not consider joining us?

An introduction to the NRM online photo collection

The National Railway Museum have recently launched a railway photos section on their website, which of course includes some photos of interest in relation to LMS carriages.

This first five photos (NRM ref containing DY) illustrate various stages of the construction and assembly of railway carriages at Derby Carriage Works in Midland Railway days, prior to the formation of the LMS. The remaining photos (NRM ref containing W or WOL) show various stages of the construction and assembly of railway carriages at the ex-LNWR Wolverton Carriage Works in LMS days.

Carriage building at Derby works, 1921. NRM Ref: 1997-7397_DY_11795 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Carriage building at Derby works, 1921. NRM Ref: 1997-7397_DY_11793 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Carriage building at Derby works, 1921. NRM Ref: 1997-7397_DY_11791 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
NRM Ref: 1997-7397_DY_12841 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Derby carriage and wagon works, 1910 NRM Ref: 1997-7397_DY_9315 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Sewing room at Wolverton railway works, 1930 NRM Ref: 1996-7312_W_81 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Wolverton railway works, 1930. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_W_84 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Railway carriage components under construction, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2018 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Wagon shop, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2023 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Railway carriages being constructed at Wolverton works, 1930 NRM Ref: 1996-7312_W_83 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Wolverton railway works carriage shop, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2026 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Railway carriages under construction, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2017 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Railway carriages under construction, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2015 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Workers building a railway carriage, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2013 © National Railway Museum and SSPL
Workers constructing a railway carriage, about 1928. NRM Ref: 1996-7312_WOL_2012 © National Railway Museum and SSPL

I hope this serves as a useful introduction to this valuable resource, and await with anticipation for the NRM to publish further photos from their archives.

13th Carriage Restorers’ Convention

October 2012 saw the return of the Bluebell Railway Carriage & Wagon department as host to the 13th Carriage Restorers’ Convention. This has become an annual event where rolling stock groups and owners from Heritage Railways across the country congregate to share skills and ideas, and to partake in the ever important networking and catching up with one another.

Delegates arrive at the Bluebell’s impressive Carriage Workshop at Horsted Keynes

Demonstrations this year included resin casting of reproduction carriage and wagon plates, construction of replacement droplight frames, and testing the dynamos that generate electricity for power such as carriage lighting.

Detail of mortice and tenon used in droplight window frame construction
Adhesive, sealant and battery powered sealant gun used in droplight window frame construction
Dynamo test rig
Dynamo test rig and regulator

Opportunities were also taken to tour the carriage & wagon restoration and storage facilities, and the Bluebell line.

A view of the new 3-road (A, B & C) carriage shed at Sheffield Park
SECR 16358 receives a welcome coat of paint (Bluebell page)
A train about to depart from Horsted Keynes
Southern Railway Maunsell Carriage 6686 about to depart from Horsted Keynes (Bluebell link)
And finally, to bring a bit of an LMS theme, London & North Western Railway Observation Car 1503 inside the carriage shed at Sheffield Park (Bluebell link)

 

7828 Catchup 2009

The first in a series of updates, to bring you up do date with progress made on 7828 in the past couple of years.

Before panelling (photo by Alan Taylor)

After upper panelling (photo by Alan Taylor)

Stones ventilator surrounding mouldings (photo by Alan Taylor)

Sanding of the moulding that surrounds the Stones window ventilators. (photo by Alan Taylor)

Measuring moulding on the 2nd side, in prepartion for fabrication of new moulding components (photo by Alan Taylor). These measurements were also used to estimate the quantity of wood required for the task, some 26,000 square inches.

Using router on lower side panels to create a rebate so a lap joint can be made when fitting  (photo by Michael Fearn)

Panel fitted, with rebate ready for glueing and fitting of the next panel (photo by Alan Taylor)

Fitting the next panel along (photo by Alan Taylor)

Door after removal of internal wood panelling and its droplight (photo by Alan Taylor)

Detail showing this door once belonged to 16213. 7828’s original number was 16211. (photo by Alan Taylor)

Evidence that blinds were once fitted to the doors, believed to be for blackout conditions during WWII (photo by Alan Taylor)

Work being undertake to strip a door of its fittings (photo by Alan Taylor)

 

Markings on one of the doors, VIIII and 19129 (photo by Alan Taylor)

Markings on one of the doors, 7828 and 3 (photo by Alan Taylor)

Rotten door timber to be removed and renewed. This shows the area where much of the water gets in around the droplight. (photo by Alan Taylor)

That concludes the catchup for that last part of 2009. Next to come, 2010.

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