7828 – Sept 2014

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The exterior beading has been painted black ready for lining, and the end and gangways have finally received Midland Maroon gloss. The fixed light windows have been fitted with the reproduced bolections and sealed in. The best of the old bolections have been put aside as spares for 7828- when refitting windows we needed the best seal we could, to help extend the interval until the next overhaul.

Whilst the exterior looks very different after a few pieces of glass and some paint have been thrown at it, it’s inside that the real work has been taking place.

The whole original floor was mechanically sanded and has been covered with a layer of 3mm ply, ready for the new marmoleum (‘marbled- linoleum’, if the term is alien), which will either be fitted now or about to be, depending on when I remember to send this update to Mike. Working upwards, the rest of the partition covers and panels are in and varnished, sliding doors glazed and working, and the sliding mechanism covers are on and painted in. The rebuilt lower panels, which incorporate around 25% original framing components have been stained to match the other woodwork, varnished and fitted with the old garnish rails. Middle panels are on and varnished with the window framing, and the brass blind hooks that Dave spent days finding, cleaning and sorting are on. The upper panels have eventually made their way back from Sheffield where the old varnish was being stripped, and are now hung, varnished, and most satisfyingly, have had new pictures fitted and glazed to replace the old, water damaged set. These include some elegant replica labels produced by a firm call Soabar in Whetstone, Leics. The LMS seemed to have embossed some images with a black panels and stamped letters into them and others have a little black fabric label with foil blocked letters in gold, and it’s this version we have had produced. After months of head scratching and some truly massive quotes for dissimilar products, following a chance email this firm rapidly came up with just what we wanted, at just the right price, so I’m plugging them for anyone having the same problem. Thanks Jon! Some of the pictures off the partitions survived, so have been skilfully refurbished with a duster and refitted.

There are acres of cornice rail, which has now been collected, stripped, varnished and refitted. The saloon door architraves are back in place, and work has started on the fiddly bits of moulding over the doorway tops.

In the vestibules the luggage rack area, toilets and partitions have been stripped and varnished. The removable ceiling panels which act as inspection covers for the water tank have been glossed and fitted. The luggage rack window bars need repainting before fitting. The lavatory cabinets can’t be rebuilt until the floor is down, but we’re getting ahead by stripping them ready to reassemble when that is done. Bit of plumbing to do as well.

The seat trimming is going well, having reached the last few bases which were so damaged after years of storage before they came here that the spring mesh has to be replaced. The final batch of materials has arrived to allow the piping to be prepared, along with the vinyl for the armrests. Looking at improving the accommodation for seat trimming, Ian is finding the open bench doesn’t give the best environment and protection from dust, and we have been given an industrial sewing machine, which needs to be set up somewhere.

So what next? Seat ends to repair and varnish, and need to make a set of tables to the original pattern, though we have had all the necessary brass castings done already. We’re stuck with the lights until some components have arrived for the existing 12, and then until we have some more cash available for the other 6 sidelights, and the 5 ceiling electroliers. We’re reaching the point where the cavernous interior is about to get filled with stuff. Luggage racks could go up now, but we feel that fitting them after the seat backs go in will help reduce head injuries when fiddling with seats. The stones vent internal covers are made and glazed, but there hasn’t been a time when we’ve gotten around to refitting them yet. Need to get it shunted out to start the underframe tidying.

7828 – Feb 2014

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Cold and wet couple of months at Rowsley. The regulars keep pushing on with the restoration of 7828’s interior. The vestibule and luggage area ceilings have been treated to further paint, and further panel scraping has almost completed the removal of the old varnish. The old saloon lower panels had become a source of concern- the seat rails and table brackets are screwed to them, and water damage from the windows and regular repositioning of fittings had caused many of them to split in crucial places. Some of the plywood panels had warped within the mahogany frames, others had disappeared, whilst a number of tenons had broken off in their mortises leaving corners flapping. The surviving panels have been stripped of beading and any usable sections of frame, and a complete set machined up and assembled- a whole two weeks work! These now await staining and varnishing to match the original sections of interior to be found on the partitions and upper areas of sidewall. Once these are fitted, the seat supports can go in.

Some interior transfers have been sourced, and the new artwork for the exterior insignia and numbers has been started in earnest (a contract job). The new castings for the passenger communication gear are just a few coats of paint away from being fitted, which would be nice to do as we could then put away the white paint.

We don’t have any appropriate tables for it yet, but we do now have all the brass wall mounted fixing brackets, adjustable table leg bases and clips for when we do. The timber draught excluders for the tops of the droplights are now repaired and covered in new felt, ready to be fitted with a set of new springs.

There has been a trip to York to delve into the archives, and several other ‘runs’ are planned to such far flung places as Birmingham, Devon, Peterborough, Telford, Sheffield and Matlock to collect other materials and components. The new moquette is now in the shed, and very excited I am about it too.

 

Restoration of 27162 (6)

Since the last post in September the new steel panelling for the sides and roof at the south end has been completed. This includes the fixing of the panels to the wooden framework using stainless steel screws sealed in with an adhesive  The whole of the west side has been painted with primer and a first undercoat.

Internally the steel panelling has also been finished in primer and new wooden partition frames have been manufactured and installed.

Two external doors have been replaced having been refurbished and most of the sliding windows are now installed.

Much time and effort has been spent on refitting the guttering in order to be perfectly certain they do not leak and that there is no gap between the gutter and the body.  This was a problem following the first restoration.

The carriage will remain in the shed until the gangway is fitted, the roof vents fitted and the outside is completely painted.

It has not been possible to obtain a full side view recently due to another vehicle alongside 27162.

 

New body side and roof almost complete
Side panels fitted and the roof panels almost complete
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Internal view showing new wooden framework and steel panelling

 

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New roof paneling and preparation for fitting gutters
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Guttering fitted showing stainless steel screws

 

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East side in undercoat showing replacement door
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West side painted in undercoat

 

Restoration of 27162 (5)

The wooden framework is now substantially complete and the steel roof hoops have been fitted. We now await the arrival of the steel side panels which will then be welded to the existing panels. They will be fixed to the wooden frame using stainless steel screws.

The existing side panels have now been completely returned to bare metal and filled as required. Painting is now underway and the primer is being followed by the first maroon undercoat.

The sliding windows have been completely reglazed as almost all of the were original plate glass which did not withstand the heat of the fire. They have now been painted on the outer side and await fitting.

John Leather

 

27162 in partial primer               Existing bodywork in primer

P1010001                The wooden framework almost complete

 

27162 in partial primer and undercoat               Steel paneling in first undercoat

 

Sliding windows receiving a primer coat

 

Primer coat on the sliding windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sliding window in primer coat

Spot the Difference – the Wordy Bit

Somehow the text to accompany the photo of 7828 went into the ether – so here it is!

A milestone was reached in the restoration of the NRM’s LMS Third Open 7828 at Rowsley on the evening of Thursday 1st November when the final panel accepted its fate and bent to the typical LMS ‘tumblehome’ profile.  It seems to have been a long slog, but in fact it is just over a year since we turned 7828 on Rowsley turntable and started taking off the old panels and beading, the latter having been left on as a guide. As anticipated the frame on this side did not need as much repairing as the other side, but there was still plenty to do on the bottom rail and other horizontal sections. The new panels, which are 9mm WBP ply, were primed, undercoated and glossed on the interior side before fitting, the latter involving hundreds of Sheradised panel pins. Since then the new panels have received a coat of brushing filler, and two-pack filler in the panel joins and pin holes, and the long process of rubbing down has begun. You may wonder why we haven’t applied wood primer first, but a visit to the Carriage Convention at the Bluebell Railway (see a previous blog) revealed a very good finish on ply by using the filler first, after all, if you prime first you tend to sand most of it off!

Since putting the panels on several folk have commented ‘it’s starting to look like a coach now’ –  the restorers’ reaction is probably best left under a tarpaulin…

‘Taylor-Made’ Panels for 7828

Now that the final frame repairs have been completed on Third Open 7828 at Rowsley, thoughts turn to re-panelling. Originally panelled in mahogany, we are using 9mm WBP ply, and Alan Taylor sprang into action by cutting out virtually all the panels for the upper bodyside, while James White and I made sure any bare wood on the framing had at least a coat of primer applied. The ply will need pva wood glue applying to the edges then priming and painting on both sides with the exterior side getting the paint, sand, fill, paint treatment many times over. Alan looks very happy with his efforts don’t you think?

7828 Frame Repairs Complete

At Rowsley  the frame repairs on the NRM’s Third Open 7828 are at last complete aside from a few little tweaks. Ben Riley slogged away for hours trying to get a stubborn bolt out of the bottom rail at the toilet end, had a rest, Harvey Coppock came along and gave it a couple of taps and out it came! Such are the joys of carriage restoration. It’s been a long slog of repetitive work on the framing but the prospect of applying the new panels is now mouth-wateringly close.  The props we put in to support the frame and cantrail are now out, and that will make access inside the coach much easier.

Completed frame repairs on 7828

27162 Frame Repairs set to commence

As work continues to prepare Third Open 27162 for repairs to the framing , panelling and roof, following last October’s fire, plans are being drawn up to move the vehicle into the Maintenance Facility at Wirksworth on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

If these plans go ahead on schedule, work should begin sometime in October 2012.

Whilst we are waiting for this to begin, the surviving wooden framework and metal skin have been painted with emulsion paint. Arrangements are also progressing with the set up of internal lighting facilities, to allow members to see the work that they are doing through the winter months.

During the course of the last year, all of the surviving internal fittings have been removed for cleaning and refurbishment where possible.

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