NVR Wagon Group

On Friday we hosted our first freight driving course of the year with resident locomotive DL83. Everything went according to plan, the sun was shining, and everyone had a fantastic day. The participants got an opportunity to drive, act as secondman, guard, signal, and have a go with a shunters pole, learning all aspects of operating a small goods train. We are rightly proud of another successful event, with many compliments and positive comments received.

Photos courtesy of Tom Woolley and Steve Parker

On Saturday it was back to our vac fitting project with the focus being the conflat. Alan, Mark, and Tim set about removing the vacuum cylinder for overhaul, but it was hard going! Every pin, bolt, and fitting was ceased, so it took most of the day to get the cylinder out.

Meanwhile, Colin and Chris were fitting ends to new vacuum pipes. We are very grateful to the NVR charity shop who donated to our current project and allowed us to purchase all of the remaining vacuum pipes from the Wheelset and Brake Co to allow us to through pipe the rest of the rake.

To finish the day, Tim and Mark took a walk to the rake and fitted some of the new pipes to the open wagons. There are just the hoppers and MOD opens to tackle in the rake before the whole compliment of vehicles are through piped. In the yard there is just the Conflat to finish and Van B759852 to fit with an overhauled cylinder before the current project is complete….so the end is in sight! We are hoping to launch the express rake for our Tornado Photo Charter.

Don’t forget our next two courses with Thomas and Tornado. To book visit our events page https://nvrwagons.co.uk/courses-and-experiences/

Work continued today on our vacuum fitting project towards the main aim of an Express Freight Rake. The previous sessions had seen Palvan B778810 and Standard Van B761651 complete, but untested. Also, Standard Van B786075 was very close to being ready, with a new cylinder under, but a few bits still to fit prior to testing.

The first job was therefore to get B786075 finished, so Tim set about this task with the help of Phil. In no time at all the overhauled valve, branch pipe, piston rod, gaiter, and release cord were fitted, then new rubber washers added to the vac hoses.

Meanwhile, our next priority was fitting up another van, so B768248 was hand shunted a few yards to a flat bit of ground, then chocked to allow the brakes to be taken apart. Colin and Gareth got on with this task, whilst Stu headed into the workshop to modify an outside cylinder hanger to fit the van.

On the workbench, Paul, Jason, and Mark were again on cylinder overhaul duty to get a cylinder ready for B768248.

Just prior to the lunch break, Tim completed work on B786075 by drilling out old split pins to allow the link bars to be fitted between the cylinder piston and the brake arm.

After lunch it was time for some testing. Tim had arranged for Mark Ekiert to join the group to drive the Sentinel loco DL83 and provide some much needed suck! B778810, B786075, and B761651 were all tested individually with a full application, partial application and then left with the cylinders charged and loco disconnected to test the rate at which the cylinders would leak off. All vehicles passed with flying colours, and after an hour all were still holding full vacuum with the brakes hard on….we consider that a success! Many thanks to Mark for coming in to drive the loco.

Meanwhile, it was all hands on deck to get the cylinder fitted to B768248. This was achieved just before we lost the light, with the brake rigging being refitted and the wagon hand shunted back to the rake. Tim then couldn’t resist a final touch of paint on the swan necks to show the vans as fully fitted. Unfortunately, it was too late to test this van today, but the excellent progress so far only leaves Standard Van B759852 and Conflat B707261 to fully fit as part of this initial round of work.

We still have places available on our driving courses with DL83 and Thomas, and also our photo charter with Tornado. Please come and support us if you can, as money from these events allows us to continue our good work. For more information, visit our events page – https://nvrwagons.co.uk/courses-and-experiences/

Another session on vacuum fitting today saw a small, but dedicated team make further good progress. Tim was feeling under the weather, so took on a supervisory role that allowed some social distancing away from the others. The first job was to remove the cylinder from donor van B785409. Over the years this van has given much needed parts to other projects and on this occasion we needed not only the cylinder, but the outside hanger.

Whilst Paul, Gareth, Chris, and Mark were busy with B785409, Tim was round the corner playing with vacuum pipes. B768248 was hand shunted free from the other wagons and moved up to a flat piece of ground to have a new cylinder fitted. Tim then took the opportunity to get at both ends of the wagon to fit new rubber washers to the vacuum hoses and smarten up the swan necks with some paint.

The next job was to fit the freshly overhauled cylinder to B768248. However, it was then discovered that the outside hanger we had robbed from B785409 didn’t fit! No problem….also in the queue for a new cylinder was B786075, and of course the hanger fitted because it was built under the same lot by Pressed Steel Co. Ltd. as B785409.

An hour later a cylinder was firmly in place under B786075, with final fitting of the valve, branch pipe, and release cord to be completed in the coming week. As with all the vehicles being worked on the brakes were released to get the cylinder in, so plenty of chocks were used for maximum safety.

Also, during the last week, Paul did a bit of homework and overhauled three valves, then passed them to Tim for a bit of paint. This means we have valves ‘on the shelf’ ready to be fitted and three cylinders in the process of being overhauled. The issue we have now is that we have run out of donor vehicles with outside hangers for cylinders, so we are going to have to make some. We are also missing some links between the cylinder piston and the brake arm, so these will also need to be made up. The final job of the day was to push B768248 back to couple to the other vans in the yard. It will receive a cylinder as soon as a hanger has been made.

Tickets are selling fast for our first driving course, so if you’d like to join us then visit our events page to book.

As a bit of an impromptu session, Tim, Paul, and Steve, headed to Wansford determined to achieve some more vac fitting.

The first job was to get another vacuum cylinder overhauled, so whilst Steve and Paul collected the necessary bits that had already been cleaned up, Tim went off to wire brush the top hat section. After only about half an hour the cylinder was assembled and sitting on the trolley for transportation to the wagon. Later in the day when Tim nipped off to pull some levers in the Signalbox briefly, Paul and Steve assembled another overhauled cylinder….the cheeky rascals! This means we have another one ready for the next van in the queue.

Today’s victim was Palvan B778810. The first job was to get the existing cylinder out, which will then be overhauled and fitted to another van. The method of dropping the middle seemed to work well last time, so we did that again. Once the middle was out then the side hanger was unbolted and the casing dropped, with the help of Steve’s jack.

By early afternoon all parts were attached, with the brakes reassembled, and the Palvan considered to be ‘fully fitted’ again (pending a full test).

In other news, we are pleased to announce our first photographic charter of the year with A1 Class No 60163 ‘Tornado’.

For more details and to book visit –

https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/497/east-coast-freight-storm-charte

Another great turnout saw more progress at Wansford with the vac fitting. The ‘A-Team’ were kept busy overhauling cylinders in the shed, whilst the ‘B-Team’ were outside dropping cylinders off the remaining vans that still have cylinders under. There were several comments made about Tim’s distinction of teams, to which he made some derogatory remarks about ‘pitying the fool, who complaints’!

The main focus was van B761651, which is lettered ‘Fruit’. This van will be a great addition to a small passenger set. The B-Team first had to remove both brake handles and some of the brake rigging to access the brake cylinder. The tie-bar also had to come off, so Chris, Stu, Josh, Colin, and Gareth had plenty of split pins to knock out and bolts to undo. Once this was achieved the inside of the cylinder was removed to reduce the weight and make things easier to lift. By lunchtime the cylinder was out and time for a tea-break!

Meanwhile, the A-Team were overhauling cylinders and by lunchtime had a fresh vacuum cylinder ready to fit under B761651. Paul gave some guidance to Jason, Al, Mark, and Jon in the importance of a clean casing, before a new rubber ring and sealing ring were fitted and the cylinder wheeled outside.

As an extra little job, Tim put his teachers hat on and taught Mark how to make some 3/8inch studs by turning a thread. These were required for fitting the top hat to the cylinder as some were missing.

Back outside the fun continued with a very useful piece of equipment made by Steve as some homework. It was a shame he wasn’t around for the christening, but the modified trolley jack worked a treat and made lifting the new cylinder into place much easier. By close of play and in failing light, the cylinder was under the van, all fittings tight with split pins and the brake rigging back together. Tim was then very keen to finish the job, so laying on his back in the dark and being passed bits by the team, he fitted the piston rod and gaiter, overhauled valve, and branch pipe.

Inside the workshop, van B768248 had been worked on by the engineering department to build up weld on the horn guides. The work is now complete, but the tie bars needed refitting between the horns. Stu drilled out some bolts for split pins and then refitted the tie bars. This work puts the van back into traffic, but it will remain at Wansford for vac-fitting.

At close of play, B761651 was ready for testing, with Palvan B778810 next to be done with some bolts loosened in preparation, and B768248 back in traffic.

In other news….we are pleased to announce our first driving course of the year. For more details and to book visit –https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/491/dl83-freight-course-new-for-2024/5eaa7b2e18d925e22cdb8b9f0e7930d6

A slightly late update covering the work carried out on Saturday 30th December by the group….

There was a good turnout at Wansford to continue with the vac fitting of the vehicles that are currently in Wansford Yard. We formed into two teams and whilst one team completed the fitting of valves and branch pipes to the two vans that had overhauled cylinders fitted, the other team carried on with overhauling more cylinders. New gaiters and release cords were also fitted to complete the job.

Meanwhile, Tim was busy in the workshop makings some missing parts for the brake gear. One of the vans was missing three flat split pins and had normal split pins fitted as a temporary measure, which was considered unsatisfactory. After a bit of heat and some bending, Tim made a set of four new pins (keeping the original as a pattern).

Also in the workshop was Stu and Josh, making retaining bolts for the cylinder hangers. These needed holes drilled in exactly the right place for a split pin.

Paul led the overhaul team and with the help of Mark and Jason managed to split two cylinders and clean up the insides. These will be assembled during the next session and hopefully fitted.

Then came the moment of truth! We had arranged for a diesel loco to be available to test each van in turn. As these are the first vehicles the group have vac fitted there were a few nerves to see if they would actually work. However, there was success on both counts with both vans passing all tests and furthermore holding full vacuum for at least 45minutes before they had to be moved again.

Whilst we had access to a locomotive and were on a roll, Tim thought it would be good to shunt the two finished vans back into the rake and get the other vehicles that needed work into the yard for the next session.

At the end of a very successful session the next few vehicles were sitting in Wansford Yard ready for attention, with, for the first time, two fully fitted vans back in the rake.

(Apologies that this update is out of sequence!)

Work started on the three vans shunted in to Wansford yard for attention to the vacuum braking systems.

By the end of the session, two cylinders had been removed and moved to the workbench for refurbishment, with two overhauled cylinders ready to fit.

It was more involved than expected, with brake rigging and handles having to be removed to gain sufficient access to the cylinders.

Later, having had the chance to get cleaned up, those who were able met up for the Wagon Group Christmas Meal.

Tim & Steve put in an extra weekday session swapping cylinders on the wagons which had been shunted in to the yard at Wansford as part of the XP Freight project to vac fit the rake, but not before some fortification at the Stibby diner!

Suitably refreshed, they swapped out two of the van vacuum cylinders for refurbished units, although the unavailability of the trolley jack meant removal was a slightly tedious process where they had to split the cylinders, removing the middles and casings separately. Fortunately they were able to call on assistance from Ian Cliff with the telehandler to help lift the refurbished cylinders in to place.

That leaves one more cylinder to be replaced on the wagons already in the yard, and hopefully we can finish that and have a shunt to swap these for some more before the NVR winter track work commences in January.

Steve loves an excuse to fire up Barabel one of the yard shunters…

A touch of mid week work this week as Tim and Phil applied paint, first to the chassis of our future fruit van;

Then to the overhauled vacuum cylinders.

Tim also manufactures hose seals in the week.

Unfortunately, insufficient numbers meant it was not possible to carry out the planned cylinder replacements, those on site were able to blow the train pipe with compressed air and fitted the new hose seals to bags and dummies.

B768248 has also moved into the heavy overhaul building and is ready for repairs to its W irons.

Finally, the overhauled cylinders were brought to Wansford

As indicated last weekend Matt took the removed Release Valves home. As their name suggests they are required to release the vacuum within the cylinder to allow a vehicles automatic brakes to be released for shunting or maintenance purposes.

In the evenings he split the valves, most of which put up a struggle as they have not been split for many years.

Once apart, internal components were cleaned up with particular focus on the seal and diaphragm seatings.

Replacement diaphragms and seals were then fitted.

The valves were reassembled and given a protective coat of Hammerite.

Only four of the five valves have received overhaul as the remaining one is the earlier C type with the piston’s ball valve within the release valve rather than the the common E type that has it in the piston it’s self, this will be held separate as will it’s corresponding cylinder as we wish to standardise the components fitted to the fleet.

Paul and Matt on site at Peterborough today. With an aim to overhaul three vacuum cylinders, the first was in exceptional condition inside, having last been split in Feb 1985, it was very quickly overhauled. New piston gland, rolling ring and, dome seals fitted and the cylinder reassembled.

The second one however was in a rather poor condition, needing additional work, having last been split in May 1982.

Although it was eventually reassembled with new seals and is ready to go.
The third selected was in even worse condition, all is possible but unfortunately time was against us and splitting the cylinder was all that was achieved.

The overhauled pair is now ready for transport to Wansford and fitting to two vans, see which next week.

As the weather begins to deteriorate the chances of progressing wood work and painting get less and less, so we look at our winter project. This being the reinstatement of the automatic braking system on what will become the nucleus of the Foxwell Freighter, our fully fitted express freight train.

So with that our attention turns the the Vans and Conflat within the serviceable rake.
First the release valves were removed from those vehicles with vacuum cylinders (5 out of the 8). These will be taken away by Matt’s as homework.

Next, serviceable vacuum hoses were made up and fitted to all 8 vehicles, That’s 16 hoses, 16 hose couplings and 32 clamps.

Two dummy couplings were also fitted as these were missing and any open pipes and cylinder ports were sealed in preparation for the next session.

A short and sweet update but a fair amount done, in preparation for the next step, see what we achieve next time.

Only a small update this week following the success of our Boston Bucket Bash Photo-charter.

Starting at Peterborough the area around our vehicles in Railworld was tidied up.

Some of the tided wood was used to build a frame, This was transported to Wansford and built up within B494726.

But why? This vehicle is suffering from the usual rotten floor syndrome, unfortunately we do not have the time or the materials to replace the floor at the moment so as a temporary measure, and as a deterrent for people wishing to climb on the vehicle, the frame has been erected to act as a dummy load.

This has then been sheeted with Matt’s BR wagon sheet.

With the final task being to removed the Trade Labels applied to the vans for the charter, before they bleach and damage the wagon paintwork.