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D7629 Restoration Information

This page last updated: 10 September 2007

D7629 Restoration Latest

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10 September 2007

D7629 is currently at the Foxfield Railway where it will spend the next four weeks starring in that Railway's Diesel Gala as well as other running days and a photo charter organised by the EMRPS.

D7629 played it's part in the successful GCRN August Bank Holiday Gala. The loco worked the "GatEx" rake of coaches together with 47292, the latter making it's GCRN debut at the event. On Tuesday 4th September D7629 was loaded onto an Allely's low-loader at Ruddington for the trip to Foxfield - taking just half a day to traverse the A60 - A52 - A453 and A50 to Stoke on Trent. With the "Rat" resident at Caverswall Road station, Stoke on Trent has a resident Class 25 for the first time since the class was withdrawn. D7629 is the first main line diesel to visit the Foxfield Railway (but I suspect it won't be the last!).

Immediately after arrival work commenced on the restoration of the loco's sanding gear. My sincere thanks to all the folks at Foxfield who have helped restore the "sands" to working order, and to the resident painter there who has touched-up the paintwork on the loco to pick-out the details. There have been odd bits of paintwork that have remained unfinished due to the loco having been required to support the GCRN services in lieu of non-available steam motive power.

With the "sands" working, D7629 completed a test and gauging run at Foxfield on Saturday September 8th. This run included taking a train up and down the notorious 1:19 bank to the Colliery - a very unique experience. The Foxfield Railway are to be commended on the ongoing restoration of the Colliery area and with it the creation of a fantastic piece of industrial heritage. Pictures of D7629 at the Colliery an on it's proving run are available via the "D7629 Gallery" link at left.

D7629 is working at Foxfield on the following days:

The Foxfield Railway website is at: http://www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk/

24 July 2007

D7629 is still maintained in a serviceable condition. The loco has been used on occasional GCRN services and was also used in early July to support Sperry Rail requirements for testing a track analysis vehicle. This was an historic event for GCRN, with both D7629 and D8154 out on revenue contracts on the same day - evidence indeed that GCRN can support a larger diesel fleet than had hitherto been the case.

24 June 2007

D7629 has continued to be the stalwart of the GCRN's motive power fleet. Continued problems in rectifying a backlog of poor maintenance on steam loco RSH No63 has meant that the 25 has been called-upon to support GCRN's services through April and May. However, respite has come in June with additional locos joining the GCRN diesel collection (see www.gcrn.co.uk for info). The additional locos have enabled the pressure on D7629 to perform has been somewhat (but not completely!), lifted. Additional "hot news" is that D7629 will be going on a short holiday. The loco has been requested to attend the Foxfield Railway's Diesel Gala in September. So - after the GCRN August Bank Holiday Gala, D7629 will move to Foxfield to take-part in a number of services and events, before returning to GCRN for the October Diesel Gala which will be held on 20+21 October.

The Foxfield railway is famous for it's gradients (as steep as 1:19!), so it will be an interesting visit! One of the operational requirements the railway has is operational sanders, so the sanders on D7629 have been taken off for attention. This is also an opportunity to finally address the bent sandbox that was the result of a poor road movement at some point in the past. Dave Hewson will again be doing the honours with his welding and fabrication skills to address the bent sandbox. New pipes will complete the job.

I've been asked to keep the 25 serviceable for the coming weeks at GCRN. However, before the loco visits Foxfield, I have a leaking liner to attend-to, so that will be factored into the work programme.

13 April 2007

It's been a while since the last updates to the site. In that time a lot of attention has been towards the new Safety Management System now implemented at GCRN. Now that the SMS is going into operation, hopefully progress will be picked-up on the locomotives.

In January it was decided to leave D7629 in a serviceable condition. As the cold weather set-in, the coolant was topped-up with antifreeze to protect (primarily) the Heat Exchanger from the worst of the frosts. This was a risk given the weeping topseals on Nos 1&2 liners, but has proved to be a sensible decision. In March and April D7629 was again involved with testing Sperry Rail track inspection vehicles. Yet again our traincrew excelled, not only finding the time to support the work (and therefore earning the railway an exceptionally valuable source of income during the GCRN's usual "closed" time), but also helping Sperry find and eradicate teething issues with the brake systems on the vehicles. Thanks to Steve Chrol, Dave Partner, Alan Watson, Steve Rowston, John Wheatley, Steve Smith and Paul Warden, Sperry are well pleased with the results of the testing.

GCRN's 2007 season kicked-off during the Easter weekend of 9th and 10th April. Steam Loco No63 was still unavailable, so yet again, D7629 stepped-in and has maintained it's impeccable 2006 record. At the time of writing, D7629 is again working this weekend (15 April), which should(!) be the last "stand-in" diagram of the year as No63 is finally back from overhaul.

Finally, we have been approached to take D7629 on a field-trip later in the year. Discussions are at a very early stage, but if it comes to fruition. should be a very unique experience for us and the loco, and something new and interesting for Class 25 followers. Watch this space!

17 January 2007

Thanks to GCRN Diesel Group members, progress has continued during the holiday period. Danny Cahoon, Steve Chrol and Alan Watson have all made good progress with D7629. One job long pending has been the removal, cleanout and replacement of the bedplate drain tanks. Steve and Danny undertook this onerous and filthy task. Steve said "The bedplate drain was totally blocked - until I poked a screwdriver into the muck and about a gallon of oily sludge proceeded to pour down my sleeves". Now that the drain tanks and pipes leading to them are cleaned, the loco won't drop the water onto the track that it had done. There are two leaking cylinder liner top-seals on D7629 which require replacement. These should be addressed before the resumption of GCRN services in April.

Meanwhile, Alan has made great progress on the valances across the front of No2 cab. All are now fitted and the loco looks far more complete than it did. Finally, a big New Year prezzie was that the team have managed to free-off the seized hinges from the last two roof louvres. Dave Hewson will be contracted to weld the hinges back onto the louvres, ready for them to be re-affixed onto the loco.

18 December 2006

D7629 has continued to see use at GCRN in the winter season, with the loco diagrammed for a number of "Santa Special" services. It was during the last timetabled train on Sunday 10th December that a landslip was discovered at the south end of East Leake Tunnel. It would appear that a burst water main had caused the clay in the vicinity of the tunnel mouth to become saturated, causing a large amount of material to slip down the embankment and on to the line, blocking it. The 25 was proceeding at only 5MPH towards the tunnel, so the train was brought safely to a stand well clear of the blockage. As timetabled, the service then returned to Ruddington. After the final passengers had detrained, the coaches were filled with equipment, tools and some volunteers and became an "engineering train" returning to East Leake Tunnel to aid in the clearance of the landslip. Unfortunately the volume (and composition), of the material proved too much for the volunteers and after trying our best, a work-weary train of willing helpers was returned to Ruddington at 20:30 (with D7629 running round it's train at Ruddington Sth Jct in the process).

The final weekend's services at GCRN will be worked by 31190, giving D7629 a well-earned rest.

During winter the two liners that have weeping top seals will be attended-to, and then the loco will be filled with antifreeze.

17 November 2006

D7629's life in preservation continues to go from strength to strength. On 24th October D7629 worked a series of tests with the Network Rail CWR train that has been at GCRN for type approval and operator training. The usefulness of having air braked diesels available for this type of work has been well proven at GCRN this year, and the railway has benefited from this facility a number of times. Alan Watson and I crewed the loco for the tests and as is normal, shared the driving. The tests were extremely successful and have paved the way for further work of a similar nature. The NR CWR train is 16 and some 0.25/mile long, so represents a significant train length and weight. It has been particularly useful for our crews to further develop their air brake train handling skills on both this and the air braked coaching stock we have at GCRN.

As noted below, the loco was booked to work the GCRN section of the "Edwalton Equinoxe" railtour for Pathfinder Tours on Saturday November 11th.

The loco required very little preparation. Steve Chrol and Alan Watson were diagrammed as traincrew for the day, and they decided to flip a coin to decide who was to be lucky enough to drive the tour itself. While Steve won the toss, Alan took D7629 out to Rushcliffe Halt where the NR CWR train had to be propelled into the Up Loop then the loco locked and stabled out of the way to await the arrival of the railtour. Dave Partner was on-hand to conduct the EWS Toton driver on 67016 on the GCRN branch, Dave joining the 67 at Loughborough South Jct. The tour itself arrived approx 40 mins late due to operating problems in the London area. On arrival at Rushcliffe Halt the 67 and 25 posed side-by-side for a brief moment before the 25 was moved to the front of the railtour.

I had arranged with Mr Bennet for the appearance of the original "Rat Roadshow On Tour" headboard that graced "Rat" workings in the 1980's. Pathfinder stewards requested that the loco be adorned with this headboard for the section to 50-Steps Jct, and so it was that D7629 set-off after the photo stop with the headboard displayed proudly on the front. This hasn't escaped some commentators who have remarked very favourably that we included this detail.

With load 13, plus 67016 and 60013 on the rear, D7629 cautiously departed Rushcliffe halt and gained the main. After Bunny Road Bridge the loco was opened up until Gotham Sidings, then again from the "dip" at Bridge 302 on Gotham Moor until the approach to 50-Steps Jct. We had arranged for the tour to traverse rare track at 50-Steps and took the route that will ultimately become the loco run-round siding. The 25 stopped on the north point at 50-Steps Jct (Ruddington), just over a loco length from the buffer stops.

With it's brief spell in the limelight over, the 25 then remained on the train as it reversed (hauled by 60013), back to Rushcliffe Halt where the 25 dropped off the train.

The railtour had gone-off precisely as planned, and Riviera, Pathfinder and ourselves have all been well pleased with the proceedings. Judging by the comments on the internet, the participants of the tour also appreciated this relatively short but bonus additional haulage.

D7629's role on this main line tour represented the first such duty for a Class 25 since 1991, so from the perspective of a historical footnote for the class, this was a certain step forward for those partial to a bit of Sulzer 6LDA power.

The loco remains serviceable at GCRN for the time being as it may be required to support the "Santa Specials" at GCRN this season.

Just as soon as the loco is released for maintenence, the weeping liner top seals will be attended-to, as well as a blockage in the bedplate spill tank and it's associated feed pipes.

I'd like to go on-record and offer sincere thanks to Peter Watts (Pathfinder), Charles Paget (Riviera), Steve Chrol, Dave Partner and Alan Watson (all GCRN Diesel Group), in respect of the railtour.

Please check-out the Gallery for pictures kindly sent to me by photographers on-hand to record the day's events, plus check-out the links to other galleries and info on the net that recorded the tour.

21 October 2006

D7629 has only disgraced itself twice this year. Unfortunately the second time was with impeccably bad timing on the final timetabled operating day of the season (08 October), and with the railway busier than usual.

On starting the 25, the engine failed to remain running as soon as the start button was released. It took a couple of hours of fault-finding to locate the problem, which was eventually traced to a coil on the RC relay which is essential to run the engine once started. Te coil has simply gone "open circuit". A temporary repair was effected and the 25 managed to operate two of the days three timetabled services. For any folks that had travelled and turned-up that morning, sincere apologies for the late start.

The failure really brought-home the realities of operating a loco where the equipment on it is all over 40 years old. Component failures are a reality and the most any of us that own, maintain or operate heritage locomotives can do is fault-find as quickly as possible and rectify faults as they occur.

The loco did perform well for the remainder of the day, and work has continued to effect a more permanent repair. The coil has been replaced with one from stock. Meanwhile the defective coil has been sent to Dowding & Mills for a rewind so that a good spare is back in-stock in our store of spares.

My sincere thanks to Richard, Steve, Steve and Steve (!), who all were instrumental in assisting with fault-finding and follow-up rectification of the fault on the loco.

With the November 11th railtour coming ever closer, the team working on 56097 are unfortunately not going to be ready to work the tour, despite best efforts. The owner intends to load-bank the locomotive prior to it being readied for traffic, and it's not quite ready for that test yet. As a result, the Class 25 is now diagrammed for the railtour - the first use of a 25 on a main line tour since the 1980's I believe! The restoration team working on the 25 are therefore working to ensuring the loco is ready and fit for the task.

Reminder to self: Must request the "Roadshow" headboard from Mr Bennet for the occasion!

02 October 2006

D7629 worked as booked on Sunday 1st October. The loco performed faultlessly. Prior to the service trains, the loco was used to test the brake systems on 47765 (See 47765 Restoration Diary). The tests were entirely successful. After the services, D7629 proceeded light engine to Rushcliffe Halt (East Leake), to move a Network Rail rail laying train. The train, some quarter mile long and over 300tons, was only moved a short distance, but was a good opportunity to make use of the power and brake capabilities of the 25 on the 1:176 gradient.

Alan Watson has been painting the radiator louvers, which will be replaced on the loco in the next few weeks.

The 25's next booked turn is Sunday 08 October when it operates three services to Loughborough.

25 September 2006

Unfortunately D7629's booked turn for 10th September was cancelled at GCRN. My sincere apologies at the late notice for the cancellation, but I was only informed of the loco change myself on Friday 08th September and the short notice enabled limited distribution of the "gen". The loco itself is available for traffic and since the steam loco at GCRN now has condemned tubes, the 25 will be picking-up an extra diagram on Sunday 01 October (see "Operating Dates" for info).

On the restoration front, work has continued in a low-key manner (given the need to keep the loco in traffic and capable of service). My sincere thanks to Alan Watson who has done an excellent job having cleaned-up the studs that attach the bodyside louvers to the compressor compartment, re-tapped where studs have sheared and replaced both louvers. Alan is now turning attention to the cooler group mesh panels which will be painted and then replaced on the loco.

D7629 is booked loco on Sunday 08 October and is likely to be used for the visiting Pathfinder Railtour on Saturday 11th November. After the railtour, if GCRN have secured a steam loco for the "Santa" services, then D7629 will be taken out of traffic for attention to two cylinder liner top seals which have begun weeping this summer. However, if no steam loco is available for the "Santa" services, then the loco may be pressed into more work.

03 September 2006

August 31st marked the end of the summer high season and additional operating dates. As D7629 was stabled, it was time to reflect on a month and a half of activity. The loco only dropped one timetabled service (due to a faulty PC relay, later fixed), and has amassed over 600 miles of operation since June 2006 on GCRN, hauling a variety of freight and passenger services. Achievements also include qualification for two new drivers on the Class 25; Alan Watson and Steve Chrol, as well as Steve Rowston passing as Secondman. With the GCRN operating season not set to end until the October Diesel Running Day, and then the Pathfinder Railtour booked for November 11th, this year has certainly seen a massive step forward in the fortunes of the Diesels and Diesel Group at Ruddington. We are already looking forward to 2007, which should see new services, the ability to run-round our trains, and bigger and better events. If you are thinking of becoming involved, then why-not take a look at our "Volunteer" page and contact us to learn more.

The weekend of 02/03 September has been the first weekend since early July that D7629 has not been in in traffic. GCRN are using a "Thomas", so the restoration team got back into tasks required to complete the restoration of the loco. Danny Cahoon helped me to replace the handbrake chain in No2 cab, while Alan Watson carefully drilled and tapped holes in the bufferbeam and mounted the handbrake gear cover. This will be painted in due course. Attention then turned to making and fitting a new plate to the "Deadman's" pedal and tidying up the junction box on the rear cab bulkhead. Danny has also re-fitted all the panels and strips in the cab desk, so the No2 cab is really looking complete now.

Before cessation of activities, Danny and I also made a trial fitting of the base of an FV4 valve in the Class 47 - marking a return to activities on that loco as well. All in all an excellent day's work!

26 August 2006

More history has been made today, with the first use of the loops at Rushcliffe Halt and 50-Steps Jct for running-round a passenger train. Class 25 D7629 worked the services (and is due to work all trains throughout the August Bank Holiday). A faulty audible warning device on the guard's brake coach (which must be used when being propelled), caused the use of the loops to run-round, the very first time these facilities have been used in this manner.

Though this was a one-off due to the horn on the coach developing a fault, it has been a useful trial run and has now paved the way for abolishing the push-pull propelling operation for 2007 and beyond.

Danny Cahoon was on-hand to record the event, and his photos can be found at http://cahoon.fotopic.net/

D7629 is due to work all services on Bank Holiday Sunday (27th August), and Bank Holiday Monday (28th August).

30 July 2006

D7629 was booked for GCRN services on 30th July. A set of six spare injectors and fuel pumps have been overhauled by County Diesel of Syston (Leicester). Late on Friday 21st July, two sets were fitted, with the remaining four sets fitted during the early morning of 30th July. A couple of the injectors that were removed from the loco revealed blocked nozzle holes, so the Class 25 was overdue for it's overhauled equipment. Steve Chrol assisted with the work, and this was completed just before 11:00AM. The loco was then started and checked for leaks. Only one minor leak was found on a high pressure fuel feed, which was nipped-up, so the loco was pronounced fit for traffic. The sound of the loco is transformed, with a far more even "beat" to it's sound. Unfortunately, due to the need to perform an extensive shunt to release the loco and stock for the services, the first train was over 40 minutes late departing Ruddington.

It was quickly apparent that the new pumps and injectors had also solved the fuel dilution problem, with the oil pressure holding-up exactly as it should all-day.

Another, far more light-hearted "first" also occurred during the day: Inspired by Tony Gregory's book "Life On the Leicester Line", I resolved to cook breakfast in the cab of the loco. I'd obtained the required materials: Pan, skillet, eggs, bacon and rolls. The bacon and eggs were prepared on the loco hotplate - and excellent they were too! It has to be something we can offer as part of "Driver Experience" courses! The smell of cooking bacon percolated down the platform and at one point drew quite a crowd of onlookers. Apparently we were talk of the day on the train as we departed. Sincere thanks to Tony for the inspiration. I can highly recommend his book.

With the steam loco still out of commission at Ruddington, services are expected to be Diesel-Hauled for the foreseeable future. Please see "Operating Dates" for further information.

16 July 2006

D7629 has continued to provide the motive power for GCRN Services, especially as the resident steam loco is now out of service for maintenance and repair. In between times, the work to complete the repaint has been ongoing. All the cabside numbers (this batch had numbers on all four cabsides), have been applied, as have the "Blue Star" coupling code emblems. Both of these sets of transfers have been produced by Trackside of Derby.

However, two problems have become apparent. (1) Dilution of the oil by fuel caused by a problem on No6 Cylinder. (2) Failure to obtain power during services on Sunday 23rd July.

The fuel dilution problem has been steadily causing the oil to dilute and the oil pressure to drop. The unseasonably hot weather (weeks at approx 30 degrees C), had initially masked the problem somewhat. However, fuel samples are regularly taken and sent to Scientifics in Doncaster for analysis. These have showed good and bad news. Good news is that the bearings are not showing wear at-all (copper, lead and tin levels are static), confirming the choice of oil used (Morris Ring Free XHD40). However, the volatiles are rising and viscosity dropping, pointing to the dilution by fuel. Further investigation has revealed that No6 cylinder is not firing properly. Investigation is ongoing, but all pumps and injectors will be replaced with overhauled units in any case.

The latter problem is a one-off. On the third service on Sunday 23rd July the loco would not restart from 50 Steps Jct (heading for Ruddington). Initial investigation of the fault proved inconclusive. Assistance was called to pull the loco and train to Ruddington. Subsequently it was found that the PC (Power Control), relay had come apart due to a tiny nut and bolt having come adrift. A replacement nut and bolt were installed, loco restarted and then completed it's diagram. I was extremely glad the problem could be fixed as I'm personally embarrassed when a failure occurs. The silver lining to this particular cloud was that the trainee driver was able to see fault-finding in action - learning that days of explanation can't cover to that degree of practicality.

The GCRN's steam loco is likely to be out of service for some weeks, during which time the Class 25 will remain the main source of motive power.

The "Operating Dates" page will be updated regularly.

09 July 2006

D7629 successfully worked the timetables services through to Loughborough on 9th July 2006. With the addition of Yellow warning panels and a more complete paint-job, the loco is really starting to look the part  Following these services, the loco was required to move freight vehicles from 50Steps Jct to Hotchley Hill (East Leake, Rushcliffe Halt). An impromptu photo charter ensued, and Steve Boulton has kindly offered pictures from his Photopic site to be reproduced here. Check-out Steve's website for more.

02 July 2006

Work continues on completing the final aspects of D7629's overhaul. The section of aluminium roof that covers the exhaust is now in-place, No1 end cab has received it's top coats of paint for the two green tones, as well as three coats for the small yellow warning panel. In the last few days, the loco has also received it's "D7629" numbers at the No1 end, completing the job. Nick Forgham has primed the bufferbeam and this will be undercoated ready for the red gloss.

At No2 end the progress has also been sustained. The undercoats are complete, and the light green has received it's final topcoats. One area ended-up with three topcoats as the hot weather (30 degrees!) made the gloss dry too quickly and one panel had some fairly bad brush marks in it. The top Brunswick green area has yet to receive a topcoat - that awaits the completion of repairs to the cabside window.

On one side both bogies have been cleaned down with a needle-gun, primed and painted with gloss underframe black. In keeping with the "as new" paintjob, the later BR modifications to the battery boxes that were formerly yellow will remain simple black.

The loco is operating GCRN services to Loughborough this coming Sunday July 9th (See "Operating Dates"), and it will be good to see it out in the daylight once again now that the repaint is so close to completion.

12 June 2006

SUCCESS AT LAST!

On Saturday and Sunday 10th and 11th June D7629 finally returned to service. The loco is still due some finishing touches, but it is substantially complete and performed extremely well all weekend. On Saturday the loco operated three services to Rushcliffe Halt and one to Loughborough, while on Sunday the loco headed three services through to Loughborough. Training of additional drivers and secondmen is already well underway and should see additional drivers passed during the summer. Pictures from the weekend are on Steve Boulton's Photopic site: http://www.smoggyrail.co.uk/c988271.html

Immediate tasks will focus on the completion of the paintwork. Both cabs require completion topcoats. As D7629 is completed, tasks will again resume on 47765.

D7629 is now diagrammed for services on 9th July.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has assisted in getting D7629 back on the road. You are a fantastic team to be working with. Now we get to enjoy the fruits of some of those long hard days!

27 May 2006

During the evening of 26th May the loco was started and tests conducted to verify the cylinder liner repair, this including ensuring that all was well with the piston big end. Following these tests, the loco was run on Saturday 27th May and successfully completed a light engine test run to Loughborough and back, with the team on-board that had been working on the liner repairs.

D7629 is expected to operate services on 10th and 11th June in support of the NSMEE Diesel Gala (see "Operating Dates" for details).

With the test run complete, further progress was made with painting and general restoration..

18 May 2006

The head and piston have now been correctly tightened and the water pipework restored. The loco has been filled with water and the repaired liner is dry. In the next few days, the locomotive will be stared and undergo tests to ensure the repair is successful, followed by a proving run.

16 May 2006

In the week following the discovery of the leaking No6 liner, the head, piston and liner were all removed. As well as the problems below, the three rubber liner bottom rings revealed a lot of ripping and damage. This was caused by the liner landing having suffered from fairly significant cavitation on the side opposite the water inlet. Clearly simply replacing the rings would just cause the same damage to the new rings, so was not considered as an option. There are therefore two options: 1. have the landing built-up with new metal, and then machined out. 2. Use an epoxy-based material to fill the holes. As I had already done the latter successfully on some of the other liner landings that I've already addressed successfully, I've adopted the latter course of action. Ultimately the loco may well need the former in time, but not at this point. The filling process took a couple of passes to build-up the material and "flatten" the landing, however the end result has been very pleasing, with sanding to achieve the flatness required. Time was not on my side for the loco being run on 14th May, so I requested that GCRN make alternative motive power arrangements. A chance remained that the loco would make the last run of the day, but unfortunately we failed to achieve that goal, despite a lot of hard work and effort by all involved.

However, much was achieved on 14th. Thanks to Mark Hellebeut and Nick (the latter becoming very much a "Dr. Sulzer"), the liner, piston and head were all replaced during the day. Work will now focus on getting the head nuts and big end nuts tightened to specification before the rocker gear, oil, fuel, exhaust and inlet connections are replaced prior to the testing of the loco.

With the liner being substantially underway, painting has also resumed with the first undercoat being applied to the No2 cab, and No1 cab sanded, prepared and ready for it's yellow warning panel.

07 May 2006

The No6 cylinder head was successfully removed early this morning, using a large air wrench. Interestingly, one of the nuts almost didn't come loose, even the air wrench being unable to move it for a considerable time. This points to the already suspected massive over-tightening of the nuts. The head was then prepared for removal and the piston big end bearing loosened, bottom shell carefully removed and then piston withdrawn through the liner. At that point I've gone as far as I can until I obtain the jacking equipment required to complete the job. It *could* be possible to jack the liner and get everything back in for late next weekend, but I've had to admit defeat and diagram steam for the service. Apologies to folks who were hoping for three Rats in Leicestershire this coming weekend.

If progress is made and the loco likely to work, I'll post the details on this website.

06 May 2006

This update we are back to good news and bad. Good news is that on Friday evening the final topcoat of Brunswick Green was applied to the No1 cab, the bodyside grilles, having been collected from the grit-blasters, were given a first undercoat, and the No2 cab sanded ready for undercoat.

The bad news has been the discovery of No6 liner leaking. The leak is very small, but water is dripping into the sump, so the liner seals need to be attended-to as the fault will only worsen. At this point new volunteer Nick was thrown into the deep end! He came down for a look around with a view to volunteering and wound-up helping to prepare the cylinder head for removal. I'm very, very grateful for his help as progress would have been much slower without his assistance. Thanks Nick! As I write this not all the head stud nuts are off. While they are always tight, the nuts on No6 head have obviously been significantly over-tightened at some point in the past and we wound-up shearing not one but two quarter-inch drives trying to free them. Tomorrow morning the services of an air hammer will be employed to get off the last couple, before the head and piston are removed. Unfortunately the liner itself will have to wait as I need to hire a flat-pak jack to push the liner free.

The bad news is that unless a miracle happens. D7629 will not be taking-up it's booked diagram on 14th May. Apologies to all looking forward to the event, as I was!

03 May 2006

Another milestone occurred today with the successful proving run for D7629 and the rake of Air Braked coaching stock. At 19:05, the train left the Heritage Centre at Ruddington and completed a run to Bunny Road Bridge (Rushcliffe Halt), and back. Both loco and coaches had been tested previously, so the run was used to prove the operation of the complete train. It was also useful to prove the higher controller positions (both electrically and air feed to governor). A DSD test with the complete train was also conducted successfully. This was also the first occasion since delivery that the stock had the Main Reservoir piped-up, and a minor leak at one of the inter-coach connections required rectification. With the locomotive and train operating well, the return to Ruddington was at 18:45. After shunting the yard, the loco was retired into the shed ready for more painting and a running exam this coming weekend. A nice touch was that after the loco was shut-down in the shed, we noticed that one of the headcode blinds had partially rolled-over giving a misaligned display - as could be seen on locos all over the network once heacodes had been dispensed with.

The loco is expected to be working public passenger trains for the first time since 2004 on Sunday May 14th (see "Operating Dates" link for further information), when it will work services through to Loughborough. The date coincides with the Diesel Gala at GCR, so Loughborough will be a centre of "Rat" operation, with no less than three class members working in the town on that date!

Finally, a headboard has been ordered, which will see service later in the year......

20 April 2006

With thanks to Rob Cuss and Dave Partner, much progress was made towards the completion of the loco's repaint. The No1 end cab was sanded, then the second light undercoat applied. The Deep Bronze Green panel across the windows was also sanded and prepared for it's second (and final), topcoat. The second topcoat was applied to the battery boxes and the the No2 end cab roof. Finally, the loco received it's "Fitness to Run" exam. The bodyside grilles have been delivered to a local firm for cleaning, blasting and priming, and will return ready for undercoat in the next few days.

23 April 2006

Progress continues to be made on the "Rat" towards the first public service after overhaul on May 14th. The weekend's activities have seen a plethora of smaller jobs accomplished; The filling strips have been put into all four of the bodyside window rubbers, sealing them from water ingress. The last patch welded into No1 cab has been ground as flat as possible, then the area filled to smooth out the bodyside. Once sanded, this will be ready for undercoat. The small terminal in No2 cab on the Secondman's side has been mounted in a small galvanised steel box, which sits slightly proud of the cab floor to prevent any future water ingress from corroding the box. A start has been made on fitting a completely new floor to No2 cab. New wood has been procured and cut to shape. This must have been "one of those awful jobs" in BR days as undoubtedly each set of wood floor panels are unique not only to a single locomotive, but actually to each cab. The new floor is required because some of the old panels were rotten, and the re-routing of some pipes and cables would mean that there would be holes in the floor where none were now required. Finally, No2 end cab roof has been sanded and the first of two topcoats of "Graphite" gloss applied.

The task now bubbling to the top of the pile is a full exam prior to the loco entering service.

15 April 2006

Today new headcode blinds were fitted, along with the glass on the front of both headcode boxes. Like loco the side windows, the headcode glass is held in-place with the Baines rubber seals. Like the side windows, the headcode panels took a great deal of work and effort to get re-fitted. However, the end result is undoubtedly worth the effort as not only does the loco look good, but it also ensures that these seals are weatherproof (the rubber becomes dry, cracked, brittle and shrinks with age). Dave Partner was on-hand to share the joy that is fitting the glass and seals! A follow-up visit had been arranged with Tim Simons, our Pressure Vessel inspector, who checked the gauges in both cabs, as well as the safety valves. Tim was able to see the compressor governor kicking in and out at the prescribed pressures. The exercise also gave Dave the opportunity to prep and drive the loco - a useful re-familiarisation.

A small shunt gave the opportunity to further test the No2 end cab wiring, more power being required than previous tests due to the greater weight being moved. Finally, the AWS was re-tested and confirmed to be 100% operable from both cabs. After shutdown and disposal, work continued. The connection block under the driver's seat area was mounted in a small steel box, which in-turn was bolted into place on the new cab floor. The AWS bell was refitted, as well as the covers on the Change End Switch and Sander button. Refitting the covers on the driver's control desk and cab front completed the day's work. The proving of the AWS circuits has drawn a line under the work to reconnect the No2 cab electrical and air systems, both now being complete.

The focus is now firmly on the completion of the loco paintwork - both cabs requiring work to bring them up to the level of completion the rest of the body already exhibits. Nevertheless, the loco is now basically serviceable. It will be given an Exam and proving run booked for the Mk2 coaches, before being readied for the May running day.

13 April 2006

The next milestone has been achieved with the examination and passing of the locomotive air receivers. With much assistance from Rob Cuss (as well as the inspector!), the key air receivers on D7629 were disconnected for internal inspection. This revealed that the drain on the bottom of the three main receivers in the compressor compartment had blocked and that the dryer valve was inoperative. The bottom air receiver therefore had water in it. The drain pipework has been cleaned and proved, and the dryer Spirax valve will be replaced. I have to admit to expecting a myriad of leaks. It was clear that some of the unions were had disturbed hadn't been touched since the loco's last visit to Derby Works. However, Rob and I took a couple of hours to carefully clean and then re-connect the unions. The opportunity was taken to further nip-up the No2 cab pipework, and then the loco started to build the air pressure. To my astonishment none of the unions leaked. Hurrah! With the loco running and air system tight as a drum, the opportunity was taken for some test runs up and down the yard at Ruddington. This series of tests proved further controller wiring as well as the Regulating Air pipework which had been disconnected while the cab had been removed. The tests were all completely successful, the loco behaving impeccably. The No2 end brake valve had obviously freed-off the "o" rings that had been sticking as the brakes handled exactly as they should.

With the weather now warmer, the paintwork will be completed. The activities today have certainly gone a long way to ensuring D7629 is fit and ready for the May GCRN running day.

11 April 2006

Much work, time and effort have been expended trying to ready D7629 for Easter. The non-availability of the steam loco provided the opportunity for service for D7629 if it were available. However, having been involved in getting the Diesel Running off the ground, days have been lost to operating trains, and at the time of writing it doesn't look like D7629 will make the Easter Weekend running unfortunately.

On Saturday morning, 15th April another milestone was reached when the loco was moved under it's own power for a short test within the shed at Ruddington. Both cabs were used, proving more wiring in the repaired and replaced No2 cab. The reversers, DSD and power controls both responded exactly as they should. Again the test also exposed some small air leaks in the cab pipework, but these will be "nipped up". A minor fault with sticking "o" rings was also experienced on the No2 end brake valve, but the more the valve was used, the less the problem persisted. That evening, with the help of Danny Cahoon and Steve Boulton the metal strip sealing the cab to the body was installed. I had cleaned, primed, undercoated and top coated this item over the previous few evenings. A minor modification has been made with this strip. Formerly it was sealed to the cab and body with a type of mastic. I've elected to replace this with a rubber gasket (the same material as that which seals the cab to the bulkhead). The revised design looks no different externally. The next few evenings have seen the installation of the bodyside windows. This is one of my least-favourite jobs (as noted below), but as of the time of writing, all four windows are in and the replacement of the old opaque perspex with new toughened glass certainly improves the loco. I'm daunted with having to get the headcode panel glass in, but it has to be done and is pretty-much next on the list of jobs to be done.

This week a visit from the Pressure Vessel Inspector is planned. This will see the re-certification of the main air receivers on D7629 - a key step in getting the loco fit for service.

So - D7629 is so very close to service, I can almost feel it! Key jobs yet to do are;

• Air receiver inspection (due Thurs April 13)
• New holes for the multi-working cabling, and then new terminations to recommission the MW capability at No2 end for the first time since Llangollen (1996).
• New cab floor - using new plywood and linoleum cover
• Install driver and secondman seats
• Re-install headcode glass (both ends), fit new blinds and fit new operating handles.
• Complete paintwork on both cabs (no 2 end cab is currently in primer, No1 end is in undercoat).
• No2 end handbrake to refit
• No2 cab valances to refit
• Bodyside grilles to grit-blast, paint and refit.
• Test run!

06 April 2006

Work has proceeded apace on the locomotive. The cab windowframes are now both in on No2 cab, with the glass also in the driver's side. The window aperture (which is almost entirely new metal), on the secondman's side is slightly oversize and an additional new section of plate may be required. The sealing strip that protects the Cab-body joint across the roofline has been cleaned of all old paint, primed, undercoated and topcoated, ready to go back onto the loco. This will weatherproof the joint. The first of the new bodyside windows was installed recently, a job which I particularly dislike as it is fiddly and never fits quire like the instructions from the rubber sealing strip company (Baines), would have you believe. After much cursing and slow progress, the job was improved considerably by the use of some soap to lubricate the new rubber joint as the new glass was slid into place.

The air pipework that was leaking during the running test (below), has now been tightened. The Main Air Train Pipe connection at the cab bulkhead was only finger tight, so must have simply been something that had been overlooked in the past. The AWS pipework was also tightened, and the loco is ready for another air test.

The focus of the present work is to have the loco watertight and basically usable. The team working on Steam loco No63 at Ruddington are working hammer and tongs to get their charge ready for Easter services, but it's going to be touch and go whether it will be ready. The work on D7629 has been focussed on providing a loco that can step-in and haul the trains if required during Easter. Updates and information will be posted to the "Operating Dates" link on this website as the situation unfolds...

29 March 2006

At 19:30 on Tuesday 28th March, D7629 burst into life and ran for approximately 20 minutes, marking a significant achievement and milestone.

The preceding couple of days were focussed on the re-construction of the water pump. The broken impeller was the first item on the list. This required specialist skills to weld the broken pieces back in place, the whole assembly being cast iron. I'm again indebted to the services of contract welder Dave Hewson who took on the job and had the impeller fixed by 13:00 on Monday. Dave took great care not to crack the impeller, gently warming the complete unit before welding, then letting the whole assembly cool evenly. Most of the rest of the day for me was spent on the successful test-run and crew training on the Gatwick Express stock, ready for GCRN services to begin this Sunday. While Dave was at Ruddington he also welded the very last body panel requiring replacement back into place on No1 cab, which paves the way for the completion of the paint-job.

Tuesday was going to be a long day, concentrating on the water pump. The pump is comprised of two discrete sections; The first holds the "Crane" seal and locates the impeller. The second section is the body of the water pump itself, with it's snail-shell appearance. In both cases, the fit is tight and some adjustments had to be made to get the fit exactly right. The triple pump on D7629 had always made a really nasty noise, so this was the opportunity to re-assemble the pump to remove any rubbing or interference of surfaces within the pump. It was obvious on re-assembly that the pump had been suffering from corrosion for some time and that the impeller had been both faulty and out of adjustment, causing the racket. Each section of the pump was re-assembled carefully, ensuring that the pump was able to spin freely. The pipework was then reconnected, using new nuts and bolts to complete the job. The final niggle was down to a small section of flexible pipe that had to be fitted at the same time as three other pipe unions - the feed pipe to the pump which pulls from both radiator drop tanks, which has a small-bore drain on it. The drain lined-up but the 2-inch section of flexible pipe wouldn't fit properly. I decided to cut-out a further section of the small pipe to fit a slightly longer flexible pipe - the whole assembly therefore being easier to maintain.

The water connections complete, the next job was to test the refurbished pump. With the engine still filled (excellent design of system - thanks Derby!), the drop tanks were gradually filled. There were two small leaks, but the very slow drip from the crane seal "overflow" pipe showed that all was well. There are two orifices on a Sulzer Triple pump that enable water to escape - one for the "Crane" seal (which weeps *very* slightly), and one at the base of the section holding the whole lot to the motor - which prevents water leakage past the seal from reaching and damaging the motor bearing itself. The second of these remained dry, indicating that the "Crane" seal was correctly positioned.

With the water system now full, the triple pump was run. An initial air lock gave only 3PSI of pressure, but after two stops and restarts, the pump became fully primed and good pressure was created and maintained, closing the water pressure switch.

The Crankcase door was removed to reveal the engine crankshaft. As the triple pump ran, the oil pressure built to the 45PSI I normally see, and oil could be seen at each crank journal and big end. As the engine had been barred-round previously, a start was attempted.

With the start button pushed in No2 cab, the engine turned-over and in a matter of moments fired. This enabled further verification of the No2 cab wiring as the Start button, Reversing Lever and desk engine and fault lights were all working correctly. Once the engine starts, the 110v auxiliary supply comes on-line and the compressors start. The build-up of air enables further testing of the unions in the air system pipework, all of which had been disconnected to allow the cab to be removed. Leaks were expected and indeed, a couple were found - the Train Brake Pipe and one AWS pipe both leak air. These will be tightened today.

So, a successful test was made and the engine shut-down. I retired home to a glass of celebratory champagne!

There is still a fair amount to do to get the loco into traffic. The windows and glass have to be replaced, and both cabs completed in-terms of painting. No2 cab is still in primer, while No1 cab needs filling, undercoat and topcoats. However, the startup of the loco after nearly two years is a major milestone to have achieved and paves the way for the completion of the overhaul.

24 March 2006

The seized water pump was dismantled to reveal a catalogue of problems. The "Crane Seal" had failed (and probably had been so for some time), allowing water to leak past to the second pump seal. The failed seal appears to have caused the seizure, but what had made the problem so bad was that the small-bore pipe that should drain off the water pump when the loco is drained was completely blocked. The pump has therefore had water in it for the past 18 months, gradually causing worsening corrosion. The final issue is a cracked and damaged water pump impeller.

The pump has actually been very easy to dismantle in-situ. The old "Crane Seal" shows significant wear - but then it has been in-place for over 25 years!!! Once the water pump was completely removed, the pump turned very easily by hand. The opportunity was then taken to re-try the triple-pump from the No2 end cab, verifying the replaced wiring in the process. The test was extremely successful as the pump ran when the reverser in No2 cab was moved to "EO", and the triplepump itself runs extremely smoothly.

A search on the internet for the "Crane Seal" has resulted in finding John Crane Ltd, the world's leading manufacturer of seals for rotary machines. A quick call to their sales team resulted in a conversation with Mark Hoskins who immediately recognised the part number that I'd managed to read on the old seal. The parts for these pumps is still a current and stock item (Class 25 owners note that you won't find the part number on the John Crane website), and so the pump will be re-assembled with a new set of seals, Crane's having sent the replacement by "next-day" courier. I'm very impressed at the help and assistance I've received from Crane's.

As at time of writing this update, the parts of the pump have been removed to the workbench, cleaned and painted with primer. The blocked water orifices have been unblocked and checked. The pump shows signs of corrosion pitting, but is is remarkably good condition. Some readers may be aware of my request for any other group who may have a spare pump impeller that they would be prepared to sell. I'm still pursuing this option, but in the meantime it looks possible to repair the cast iron impeller as I have the broken parts.

One realisation from this is that the whole water system on the loco is still corroding. I had noticed in the past when working on the liner changes that the water pipework on the loco was suffering from fairly advanced corrosion and was thinning. The rust in the bottom of the water pump really shows that the corrosion is still happening, despite dosing the water system with antifreeze, so I have a growing realisation that most of the engine cooling system will need new pipework in the coming years.

Once the water pump is re-built, a second attempt will be made to start D7629 and wake if from it's "hibernation" of the past 2 years.

18 March 2006

Good News Bad News!

Busy day today. With the No2 Cab now nearing completion and the first tests of the loco systems behind me, the next step was to begin to prepare D7629 to be started for the first time in 18 months. A couple of days on trickle charge has brought the batteries back to health. This is key as testing the loco's systems and preparing it for starting will take a fair amount out of them.

Saturday started semi-bright, damn cold (!) and early. Lots to do. On Friday a new hole was drilled in the cab floor to re-connect the No2 end sanding valve. This left the air connections between the Change End Switch and the AWS units, the damaged Regulating air pipe below the front of the loco (damaged while the cab was off), a water valve to replace and the beginning of preparations for a start. The air connections didn't take long (though all in all, I'm expecting a lot of the unions that have been disturbed with the cab removal and replacement will need a tweak to stop small leaks), and with the batteries were starting to look really good after 48 ours on trickle charge a new valve was fitted that will be used for water samples and antifreeze dosing. The loco itself needed a thorough internal clean as months of constant bodywork creates a horrendous volume of dust. No matter how hard you try, it gets everywhere! So, using rags soaked in diesel, the power unit was carefully cleaned. Next came the normal checks that need to be done after a significant time out of service; All contactors and relays in the electrical cubicle were carefully checked and cleaned to make sure they move freely and the contacts are clean. As D7629 suffered from rusted and seized switches when I acquired it, care was taken to ensure each one was free and working correctly - which they were. A couple of relays were a bit "sticky" initially, so the attention ensured these were free and operated properly. Next came the task of filling the loco with water. The crankcase door was removed to reveal the cylinder liners. As the loco had been empty and dry for so long, there was a good chance that a liner seal had failed. With the water filling the block, checks were made frequently to ensure no liners were "weeping" water into the sump. Been there before! As the engine and radiators filled, other checks were made - compressor and exhauster oil levels, sump oil level, etc. Finally the water came up to the "full" level on the radiator drop-tank sight glasses and all was ready to test more electrical systems from No2 cab. Unfortunately this is where the "one step back" comes. The triple pump failed to turn. The "WP" contactor works fine, but no pump. Investigation revealed that the likely cause is a seized water pump. Having run out of time, this will have to wait a few days before it is removed and stripped to rectify the problem.

With fingers crossed, the promised warmer weather should enable a resumption of painting, enabling the No1 and No2 cabs to finally be completed. With a week off work, I'm hopeful of continued progress, despite the setback.

11 March 2006

A red letter day! With the help of Darren Fawcett, the cabling in the cab was carefully placed into the new trunking and then pulled through into the large junction box on the cab bulkhead. It's been nearly two years since these connections were broken to enable the cab to come off, so this was a major milestone. It took most of the day to carefully note the connection identity and match it back to it's connection post. I'd made a "crib sheet" to track the connections when the wires were removed, so that was used to help ensure the connections were re-made correctly. As I've noted previously, the AWS connections were a later modification by BR and were less than common-sense in their layout. I've now revised this. Instead of AWS cables passing in and out of multiple holes through the cab floor, now there is only one such aperture. Most of the cables now cross the floor inside the cab. Some of the AWS cables required jointing as they had to be cut to remove the old conduit. Finally, an old piece of large bore conduit feeding the heaters in the secondman's side were carefully cut and either replaced or jointed to remove the old conduit - which will again be replaced by modern plastic trunking that's rated for smoke, high temperatures and oils. The decision to "go plastic" was an easy one. Sooner or later the cab will leak and the floor will be subjected to damp (it's a Class 25 "Feature"), so plastic trunking is likely to protect the cabling for longer and is more (totally!), resistant to rust.

Finally, with all the cables connected (with the exception of three wires that I needed to go back to the original wiring diagrams!), we started undertaking some testing. The lighting circuits appear to work exactly as they should and a little testing was conducted on the power circuits. Needless to say, I returned home that evening extremely pleased with progress! The prospect of filling the loco with water and topping-off the charge on the batteries towards a start is drawing perceptibly closer. It will be fantastic to hear that great Sulzer 6LDA sound again.

There are a couple more pictures charting latest progress in the D7629 Gallery concerned with the Cab Restoration.

04 March 2006

Progress continues unabated. More of the cab floor has been painted with primer. Minor interruption while I ran-out, but a quick call in to Williamson's has rectified that minor oversight. I've used some high-pressure rubber hose to overcome the damaged gland on the bulkhead regulating air connection (caused by the floor - what there was of it, catching the connection as the cab was removed). Internally, all the air pipe connections are now remade, save two feeds to the AWS equipment on the bulkhead, which will await completion of the electrical work. The pipework is ready to go back in.

On Saturday 4th March the reels and reels of cables which had been tied and strapped out of the way were finally undone and laid out across the cab floor. They now lay along the route they will take to the bulkhead terminal box. Temporarily these are laid into commercial trunking, though this will be replaced with slotted trunking before the job is complete. The use of a modern, heat and flame retardant plastic trunking will prevent a recurrence of the rust-encrusted trunking that was in-place originally. As always, the story is related in pictures in the D7629 Gallery (Link at left).

February 2006 (2)

Even more progress. The replacement of the cab has allowed me to proceed with tasks that would otherwise be impossible, and that can still be done while it's too cold or damp to paint. The latest progress relates to the re-connection of the air system between cab and locomotive. This has involved cutting holes in the nice brand-new floor (it had to be too good to last!), to support the connections between the cab and underframe. Two pipes had been damaged while the cab was removed and these will receive rectification. In both cases the impacted system is the regulating air (governor control) pipework. Pictures of the re-connected pipework are in the Gallery section. The hardest pipes to deal with are the AWS system, which will also pose the most significant challenges electrically. The AWS was an addition to the basic locomotive design, and it shows that it wasn't as clearly thought-out from an ongoing maintenance perspective as the other loco systems have been. However, to address this issue, I plan to run all the AWS cabling and pipework inside the cab instead of routing them first through the cab floor, then back into the cab through a further set of unions as was the case originally. This will greatly simplify the routing and connections made.

It would be an understatement to say that I'm pleased with the current rate of progress!

February 2006

PROGRESS! 10th February marked a major step forward in the work on D7629. With the help of other GCRN volunteers (specifically Mark Whitcombe, Mark Hellebeut, Alan Watson and Rob Cuss to whom sincere thanks are tendered), the restored cab was re-united with the locomotive. The process of removal of the cab took a couple of attempts - it had been attached to the loco for over 30 years - and the rust and corrosion had actually bonded the cab to the bulkhead. With the new cab floor welded-in, we were expecting some difficulties - especially in-view of the fact that the welding would have been likely to have changed the shape of the floor. It was with a deal if disbelief then that the cab actually re-joined the locomotive with very few problems at-all. Every one of the bolt-holes between cab and bulkhead have lined-up and at time of writing (13 Feb), all bolts are now in-place, simply pending a final tightening.

Formerly the seal between the cab and bulkhead was a fibre-based gasket. I've elected to go for a modern rubber-based material that I feel will better be able to compress to a fully water-tight seal (particularly in-view of the pitting of the mating surfaces. This rubber was purchased from Arco in a large roll. It was then measured and fitted to the cab, bonded with impact adhesive. I've kept the joints to a minimum, one large piece having been fitted to the roof section, then one piece to each side. The join between the two pieces is angled so that moisture cannot penetrate into the cab or joint. Prior to the rubber being put onto the mating surfaces, they were both painted with primer, two undercoats and two topcoats (same paint and shades as the loco body).

The win-win behind all this is that even if the weather is too cold or damp to paint, progress can be made reconnecting the air and electrical systems, re-installing the windows and cant-rail rainstrips.

This is a major step forward in the restoration of the loco and is a significant milestone in the journey back into service.

Pictures of the cab lift are available in the Gallery section.

There has also been progress on 47765.

2005

November 2005

Is there no end to all this!?!?!

The restoration and repaint for D7629 is now well over schedule. However, as of 15th November, significant progress is at-last evident.

The roof is now finished, as are the two bodysides, which look fantastic in the two-tone green. I've obtained the new BR totems for the bodysides and will arrange for these to be fixed by a professional that I know to be good at fixing the varnish-based decals.

The cab is still not back on the loco, though all that now remains is scheduling the job to be done. The loco and cab are both ready to be re-mated at-last. I've elected to use a thin rubber based seal on the interface between the cab and body, so it should be a better and longer term seal than the original. The grilles remain to be sandblasted, but a local company has the equipment and will be contracted to carry out the work. Paintwork is concentrating on the cab affixed to the loco, with progress slowed by a team working nearby, one member of which insists on grinding at every opportunity. Moron!

Recent progress has been good and the loco is now really looking like it's moving forward. The cab, once re-attached, will need external prep and painting. Once complete, the loco will be able to free-up space in the shed while the pipework and electrics are replaced and reconnected.

It's been good to share trials and tribulations with the SRPS who are doing similar work on D7659 at Bo'ness.

May 2005

OK, so the Blog didn't work or wasn't too popular. OK, OK I get the hint. So the restoration updates are back here.

It's been a busy 2005 so-far. Work on the cab has gone really well since I contracted the services of Dave Hewson - a contract welder. Dave has done work for some steam loco groups, as well as NRM (including D8000 and D200).

The first stage involved cutting out all the rot and corroded steelwork. This is easier said than done as the wiring to the desk and the air pipes for the brakes are still in the cab. The floor was in a terrible state (take a look at the Restoration 2004 and 2005 galleries). Only a small section in the centre of the cab has been good enough to retain. The rest of the floor is completely replaced.

As well as the cab floor steelwork requiring replacement, the corrosion has also been bad along the front of the cab, around one of the cab side windows, a number of places on the cab sides and the door areas.

All of this has been cut out (with an angle grinder), and new platework is being cut and welded into place. As of writing (early May), the cab is just a couple of weeks off going back onto the loco.

Work has also been ongoing on the rest of the bodywork. The worst corrosion (and the most fiddly to address!), has been the cantrail filter boxes. These are integral to the roof panel and "feature" a pretty awful water trap where rain water is supposed to drain off through a small hole. Needless to say the hole gets blocked very quickly and the water sits in the bottom of the filter boxes happily rotting the filter frames and boxes. I consider this to be a pretty chronic design feature of the later 25's as the water invariably then leaks to the inside of the loco, causing the bottom parts of the main frames (the truss structure), to corrode badly. As will be seen below, addressing this latter issue was completed at Rothley some time ago. Another problem caused by this was failure of the AWS power supply. This is fitted just below cantrail on one side. Needless to say the water got in and caused failure of the equipment. I've now sealed the power supply to the mounting bracket so it will not be so affected. I'm trying to think of ways to address this water ingress issue in a way that will solve the problem longer-term without impacting the outward appearance of the loco. Anyhow, all the corrosion has been removed, then the steelwork primed and now undercoated. The filter boxes and filter covers (the hinged doors seen at cantrail level), are now all in undercoat ready for a topcoat that should protect them for years to come.

After months and months of sanding, filling and removing bodyside corrosion, the bodysides are now have some undercoat (hurrah!!). The time spent on preparation has been well worth it as the undercoat looks really great (see the gallery). Though there are still a lot of undulations in the bodysides, these are fairly large and show-up the framing more than anything. I've been involved with locos that have had a vast amount of filler on them before - and generally the filler adds to problems as it cracks and water gets in, followed shortly thereafter by corrosion. I've therefore concentrated on filling to remove the traces of the welding and new panelwork I've had done rather than trying to get the sides looking totally flat (which they never were in any case). The roof has also been sanded, problems addressed and undercoat applied. Again the worst of the problems appears to have been where filler was applied and flexing of the roof has caused cracks, so in some cases I've removed the filler. The roof won't look totally flat, but it should last a lot longer as the pain has a lot more flexibility than filler.

The second cab is also in need of some serious work. However I'm not going to attempt it this season. With the loco having been out of traffic for some considerable time I plan to get the old girl back in traffic for a bit before looking at doing the second cab. I will take a look under the floor and see if some remedial platework will help prolong the life of the cab in any case.

The paint being used is all from T&R Williamson (at Ripon). The loco will go back into two-tone green with small yellow panels. However the two-tone grey undercoat looks very fetching at present!

I'm indebted to the help provided by Dave Hewson, Dave Partner and Rob Cuss. Their assistance has really moved the progress along of late.

Stop by here to see further updates as progress continues.

2004

The loco has now been in the shed at Ruddington for some weeks. Restoration work is focussed on the worst of the two cabs and the long awaited repaint of the loco.
As any that have been following the restoration story will know, I've spent much of the time since I bought the loco on the electrical and mechanical systems. Now that most of that work is done, the focus has to be on the external appearance which is now somewhat shabby.
The bodywork is now sanded and filled on both sides. I have the roof and cabs to do. I'm hoping to get the primer on the loco in the next couple of weeks, with undercoat and topcoat following.
The worst of the two cabs is now removed from the loco and sits beside the loco itself in the shed at Ruddington. The cab is on it's back, facing the sky, which will enable the (remaining) floor to be ground off and a complete new floorplate installed in it's place. In addition, both side panels will be cut out and renewed. The loco looks somewhat incongruous with it's cab off beside it, especially with the cab on it's back! Once the cab is replaced on the loco, I intend to do a complete cab rewire as the old wiring became fused with rust as the channelling and conduit it was inside rotted. How this loco didn't suffer earth faults is beyond me!
If any other Class 25 owners have to do the cab floors (and it comes to us all at some point), taking the cab off is certainly the way to go. Pictures will be posted to the website shortly.
I'm not expecting the loco to see passenger service until the 2005 season.

2003

D7629 was available for traffic throughout the winter, and saw limited use on P-Way and works trains, including one to the A60 bridge at Loughborough, which has been the site of extensive restoration work.

Attention has been given to getting the loco ready for the 3003 season, including a complete check of all brushgear, oil change in one of the compressors and checks to all equipment and running gear.

In May the loco spearheaded the new service to Rushcliffe Halt, being seen on East Midlands TV and in local papers.

Also, in April, the loco suffered from low power, and struggled on a return from Loughborough to Ruddington. This was traced to a blocked fine fuel filter which has now been changed.

The bodywork continues to need attention. It seems difficult to find suitable welders with time to assist. Recent contact with a welding school in Derby (at the former RTC), is hoped to produce results.

D7629 is available for traffic, and the Operating Info page shows the diagrams that the loco will work.

June 2002

D7629 was moved by Alleley’s to Ruddington. The loco was picked-up from Quorn, GCR at approx 11:30 on 10th, and the route was A6 – A46 – A50 – M1 (Jct 22 – 24), A453 (Notts), A52, A60 into the site at Ruddington. By 16:00 the loco was unloaded.

Workings thus-far anticipated are:

June 15+16 (Thomas the Tank event)

June 22+23 (Thomas the Tank event)

July 20+21 (GCRN Diesel Gala)

Spring 2002

Slow progress on the continuing bodywork repairs due to the contractor being somewhat overloaded with work! As of the end May 2002 the bodywork between the cab bulkheads was complete, including the removal and replacement of all rotten and corroded steelwork, together with repair of all the gussets at the bases of the main body structure trusses. The repairs have included new gussets, truss sections where required, and then sealing the top of the “V” trusses to prevent further water ingress and corrosion. The repairs will continue with the cab areas…….

Update end May: There is an offer for the loco to move to the GC(N) at Ruddington, near Nottingham for the summer. Initial requirements include covering for “Thomas” events, plus the GC(N), Diesel Gala in July. Watch this space!

January 2002

D7629 was successfully used on a number of the Christmas “Santa Special” shuttles between Loughborough and Rothley. It was also used during the early 2002 Steam Gala. Following these activities and operation, the loco returned to Rothley for further bodywork repairs.

1^st October 2001

Success!!!

The GCR Diesel Gala was held 21-23^rd September. I had arrived at the GCR on the 19^th to prepare D7629 and the T1LC locos for the Gala. First sight of the locos showed that all had been fuelled ready for the event. One item on the list down, many to go. Pre-Gala work on the Wednesday involved using D8098 for shunting. There were coaches to swap between rakes and re-positioning rakes ready for Friday. All went well and all was complete by late afternoon. Next task was to check D7629 and all the T1LC locos (D8098, D5830, D1705), to create a "to-do" exam list. As I completed the list darkness fell, so it was off to eat and get some sleep before Thursday.

Thursday dawned early for me. I guess anticipation is a great cure for tiredness, so it was up at 05:30AM (2.5 hours before the alarm!!), and get ready. Arrival at the railway (at a half-decent hour), coincided with more help: Darren, Ian and Nigel from the T1LC, and John Looker was busily applying undercoat for small yellow panels on D8098! I set-to completing tasks on D7629: Checking oil levels (Sump, Compressors (sumps and inlets), Exhausters), restoring a small piece of pipework to the turbo, fixing the turbo air intake filters on the loco and ensuring all was clean and tidy. Next Darren and I started D8098 and adjusted the slack adjusters and ensure the oil and coolant levels were correct. Ian and Nigel had by this time completed D1705 and D5830. Lastly I joined John and Jim'll painting yellow ends on D8098. This continued (by artificial light), until some-when after 21:30. The things we do for galas!!

The Gala started on Friday morning. Again I arrived nice and early. Already locos were preparing to move off-shed. Unfortunately two locos were not quite ready for their booked turns: 37075 was still receiving finishing touches to it's paintwork (the train was hauled by D8098+D8048), and D123 was still undergoing an oil change. D123's diagram was picked-up by D7629 - giving the loco a chance to strut its stuff for the first time to a large number of visitors. At precisely 11:00 D7629 set-off for Leicester. The run went absolutely fine. At first I started away easily to ensure the engine was both warming up steadily, that nothing was amiss and that all was performing well. The run back from Leicester allowed D7629 to start to show its mettle a bit more. Arrival back at Loughborough was on-time and with only a relatively minor oil leak to worry about.

The next trip out was at 14:02 from Loughborough. D7629 was paired (in tandem), with 25265 - a pair of 25/3's. The Pair set-off in fine style. The sight and sound of a pair of "Rats" was truly stirring stuff, with the steady rasp of the pair of Sulzer 6LDAs sounding great under power. This run was to set the tone for the rest of the event. The pair of Rats was to prove one of the most popular sights and sounds of the 2001 GC Diesel Gala. The feedback was interesting. There were many that were too young to have heard a pair of "Rats" on the main line. To these folks the pair was somewhat of an eye-opener to those used-to the steady and relatively quiet sound of a Class 47. That was by no means the case for all the fans who turned-out to sample the "Rats" though. The "Rat Roadshow" were much in evidence. My good friend Mark Bennet was present on all three days, and judging by the grins after each run on all three days had a fantastic time. Mark's website has a great report, pictures and sounds of D7629 and 25265 at the Gala. Take a look and have a listen to pure music!

For me and for D7629, the gala was the culmination of a great deal of blood, sweat and tears. For over 18 months I had worked, with a great deal of help from those mentioned below, to get the loco back in fine fettle and on the road. I have to day D7629 did me proud and it was more than worth it. This was helped by a little feedback. One of the gala visitors remarked to me after one run with "The Pair"; "That run was great - really stirred the memories. It was worth the ticket price on it's own!". That's what it's all about folks! Right now I'm on a high, but the work won't stop.

Near future

D7629 will go back "home" to Rothley again. There is still much bodywork to be done. A few holes are still there and a few bulges where the rot behind is pushing out the bodysides. From now until the beginning of November D7629 will get more bodywork treatment. Hopefully there will also be time for a proper, thorough repaint also. I'd like to make a start on those awful rotten cab floors and stop one of the drivers seats being a "recliner". There is a regular Diesel diagram for the GCR "Santa Special" trains through late November and into December. It is planned that D7629 will share these with D8098. This will see D7629 back earning some "bread and butter" regular work - the first since the 1980's.

Stop-by this page again to find-out how I'm progressing with the loco.

Finally - I guess there are rumours that I'm in the market for another loco. Sucker for punishment don't ya know! In all honesty I have to say Yes - I would like another loco. However work is by no means complete on D7629, and until I'm happy that the loco is well fettled, then I'm not going to go out and build a fleet. However, in the future I guess I would be interested in another Rat - or perhaps even a Peak………..

18 September 2001

The refurbished turbocharger was collected from Marine Turbo (Birkenhead) (see below), on Friday 14^th Sept. I am indebted to Stuart Sellar, Martin Blair and Alisdair Cowan from the 6LDA/SRPS at Bo'ness, also Ken Joy at Brechin for parts that enabled the turbo rebuild to go ahead.

On Saturday 15^th the turbo was re-installed into D7629 with help from Martin Clark (GCR), Dave Partner and Darren Fawcett (T1LC). Late on Saturday evening the loco was watered and started to test the turbo. All tests passed OK.

On Sunday 16^th the loco moved to Loughborough for fuelling in readiness for the Diesel Gala. D8098 accompanied D7629, both under power, for the light-engine move to Loughborough. After some further checks, D7629 worked the 13:00 non-stop Loughborough - Leicester and return (again with D8098). The loco behaved impeccably for the trip and gave plenty of opportunity for thorough in-traffic tests. There were a fair number of modern traction fans about, pleased at the extra and unexpected opportunity to sample some Sulzer power on the train.

I am planning to undertake some final detailed work prior to the Gala:

• Patch painting of replaced bodyside panels (currently red-oxide)
• Replacement of defective fire detection element holder.
• Address leaky crankcase door (leaks oil)
• Address AWS fault (The GCR does not currently have AWS, but I like all systems fitted to the locomotive to be fully operational).
• Complete bodyside clean

Jim'll is preparing a "Cambrian Coast Express" headboard for the double-headed "Rat" hauled trains and MarkB will be providing the "Rat Roadshow" headboard. Just like old days!!! Hope to see you there.

July-August-September 2001

The goal is to get the Turbo repaired and re-installed for the Diesel Gala (21/22/23 September).

Within two weeks of the fated debut run (below), the turbo was removed from the loco. I had decided that I should either find a replacement or a company specialising in turbo repair. A search on the web turned up a name that I had heard before in connection with Napier turbochargers - Marine Turbo Engineering at Birkenhead. My email requesting help was picked-up within a day and I was soon chatting to Mark Dean. He has been most helpful and asked me to take the turbo to their works for them to take a look at.

Less than a week later I turned-up at Birkenhead with the defective unit. They quickly found that the metalspraying had failed and that this had damaged the new bearings that I had been given by Martin Bell. Marine Turbo have all the skills and components necessary to repair this kind of damage, but needed the drawings for the shaft dimensions. Unfortunately it as been almost impossible to obtain this information, but again friends in the preservation movement in Scotland are coming to my aid.

At the time of writing it is hoped that the materials required for the turbo repair will have been collected and dispatched to Marine Turbo within the next few days. Mark and his team there are being extremely helpful and again I'm most grateful for their expertise, time and patience. I have no reservations about recommending them to anyone with a loco with either Napier or Sulzer turbos. One look around their workshops shows that Napiers are very much stock-in-trade. They provide a full range of services from complete rebuild to servicing. Please contact Mark Dean for details if you require their assistance. Full details on their website. Just click on the logo.

While the turbo is away work on the Loco itself has not stopped. John Robinson (Coachbuilder), has been contracted to undertake replacement of rotten and corroded bodywork on the loco. Some of the work is due to be complete before the Diesel Gala, though the loco may well appear with patches where work is still underway. John's handiwork is much in evidence at the GCR as he is the C&W Manager, along with his team at Rothley is responsible for the exemplary condition of much of the everyday the coaching stock at the GC.

Service runs 14^th July

D7629 was ready for it's debut weekend (14^th and 15^th July). The previous evening the loco was moved under it's own power from Rothley to Loughborough and Jim'll and I spent the evening cleaning the bodywork. Though '279 is a bit tatty, I still have my pride!! Sincere thanks to Jim'll for the help.

D7629 debuted on the 10:30 Goods on 14^th July. Before leaving Loughborough I was especially pleased to see previous owner Martin Bell, along with Martin Corbett from the Llangollen Railway. When I bought the loco I agreed with Martin that he should come across to Loughborough for the first day. We were joined by my girlfriend, Nico, and off we set on the 10:30 goods. The run to Leicester went very well indeed - until we got to Leicester and the horn stuck "on". Luckily the horn isolating cock is just below the drivers desk and so was soon silenced. This would fail the engine at Loughborough, so between runs a bit of quick maintenance (WD40!!!), freed-off the valve.

Just prior to the second trip, the 13:00 passenger we were also joined by a group from the Bo'ness & Kinniel and chaps from the "Rat Roadshow". It was a great atmosphere and it was especially rewarding for me to see so many folks around that had helped get the loco back into service.

The run down to Leicester was fairly uneventful, though the loco seemed to be low on power. At least the horns now worked! However on the return trip to Loughborough, the loco was most certainly low on power. The most likely causes were fuel starvation or blockage of one of the governor connections (to the inlet manifold). Both were checked-out. The fuel filters (both), were found to be almost totally blocked with sludge. The removable element was changed, the other filter cleaned.

As soon as the loco was restarted the performance was very noticeably better. The loco sounded much smoother on tick-over. The journey to Leicester was most certainly the high point of the day with the loco behaving exactly as it should.

The return run is where it all went wrong. Leaving Leicester there is a long, curving climb to the top of the bank. D7629 was on full-chat all the way up and sounded fantastic. Just before the crest of the rise the Amps suddenly dropped to 500. The engine note sounded very strange. Investigation on the move showed the turbocharger to have seized solid. AAARGH! We limped back to Loughborough and the loco was then moved back to Rothley the following day.

I was always wary of the metalspraying that had to be done on the main turbo shaft. So I can't say I was completely depressed, but all the same it was a tremendous setback.

Restoration (June 2001 Part 3) - Test-run (20^th June)

You just can't sleep when there is a test-run to be done and so it was that at 05:30 on the 20^th I awoke. I arrived at Rothley at 07:30 and began to prepare D7629 for the first outing on the GCR, and the first run out on the line. The tests of the previous weeks had concentrated on the electrical and braking systems (see below), and had proved the traction circuits with a number of moves up and down the yard at Rothley. Now it was time to see how the loco performed "on the road".

The first job was to ensure the loco was fully prepped. This involves checking all oil, fuel and coolant levels. The water was topped-up. Generally the loco has been holding water well, apart from some niggling leaks around the turbo top seal, the No4 head/liner and the "known" leaking radiator element - which does need replacing.

For the test runs, a number of T1LC/GC folks were involved (and to whom I'm indebted);

John Looker (for driving 47117 and for organising the GC signalmen and operating staff)

Ian Farnfield (Inspector)

Nick Tinsley

The signalmen at Loughborough and Rothley

Tom Tighe (GC Engineering Manager for help and support)

Once prepared, D7629 was started and fully checked around for any faults. All brake and DSD tests were completed and the loco made ready to move. A short run up and down the yard confirmed no last-minute sticking relays or brake faults. 47117 was booked off Loughborough at 09:30, but was delayed by half an hour. The extra time was used to adjust the slack adjusters on a number of D7629's brakes to ensure that all brake cylinder travel was equal and within specification.

On arrival, D7629 was moved out of the yard at Rothley and onto the back of 47117. Once coupled, we were ready to go. The first run was for Leicester North (4 miles), and we agreed that D7629 should push 47117. Brake tests complete, I applied power and D7629 started pushing 47117 up the 1:50 - 1:176 from Rothley. Initially, power was applied gently as I let D7629 settle into the task. The run to Leicester proved the loco capable and all systems operational.

The engine room filled with fumes on this first run. There were a couple of reasons. No1 cylinder had obviously been passing oil - probably due to sticking rings after the long period out of use. The oil carried over was passing into the exhaust. The expansion joints on the older 6LDA exhaust systems have sliding rings and these take some warming up to seal. In the meantime, the smoke and exhaust gasses were able to escape. There is nothing to worry about with this occurring - especially on a loco having it's first run for some time.

At Leicester we turned around and headed for Loughborough, D7629 leading. Again, power was applied gently and the loco responded well. The climb out of Leicester saw full power applied and all systems were responding as they should.

After Rothley an opportunity was taken for a look around the engine room as Ian took the loco back towards Loughborough. The exhaust had warmed up and sealed and the engine was performing well. The oil and water pressures were good, and the temperatures were being maintained. The radiator fan was operating when the coolant reached temperature. There was no evidence of water leaks save the radiator element mentioned above.

On this run the speed reached tested both field diverts, both operating without any problem at-all, which was unexpected but extremely welcome good news! It must have been some time since the diverts had operated, as before D7629's long period of maintenance, on the Chinnor and Nothampton railways there would have been little opportunity for the field diverts to operate.

The remaining runs were completed without any incident. All loco systems have checked-out OK, with one minor problem with an apparent lack of power. I already have a couple of items that will be checked to verify proper operation that would impact the ability of the loco to develop full amps. This will be tackled over the coming weeks.

More than anything, D7629 now requires some in-service operation to really "shake out the cobwebs". It is intended that the loco will be available for traffic and diagrammed for July, before bodywork repairs see it again confined to the Shed at Rothley for August.

Watch this space!

Mark.

Restoration (June 2001 Part 2)

On 17^th June No4 head was re-investigated with a view to addressing the leaking top seal. I elected to re-check the tightness of the head bolts for No4 head to see if the weeping top seal would indeed seal. The results have been pleasing - the leak has been reduced to nothing, even after prolonged running.

Restoration (June 2001 Part 1)

The No4 transitions are now completely dry. However, the liner top seal has started to leak - presumably it was just waiting to go and the removal of the head to do the transitions gave it the opportunity! I'm guessing that the top seal on No4 has rusted as a result of being wet for large amounts of time from the No5 leaks. Two steps forward and one back.

The oil change was completed on the 1^st June. Many thanks to Reg Lowe for helping me. It was always anticipated that there would be interesting objects found in the bottom of the sump and D7629 was not to disappoint. Apart from the usual (!) nuts and a grub screw, there was a large quantity of asbestos rope. This was formerly used to give some protection to crews from the hot exhaust pipes between the engine and turbo. It seems that at some point the exhaust was dismantled with the engine side covers removed, allowing the asbestos rope to fall into the sump.

Once the oil was drained from the sump, the oil drain valve was removed from the bottom of the sump and the foreign bodies above were removed. Then a further wash through with clean oil was done before the drain valve was replaced and new oil pumped in. Finally, the oil filters were changed for new units. The new oil is SAE40 (locos normally have 30 grade). The heavier grade should help prolong the life of the main bearings and thin less as the engine warms up.

One job that was also done while the loco was over a pit was the filling of the Traction Motor Gearcases with Motak. Motak is a lubricant developed jointly by British Railways and the then Regent Oil Co (now Texaco). It is a mixture of bitumen and animal based fats. It's very viscous, thick and black, and not a little carcinogenic. Motak must operate in a very high-pressure environment (the interface between the tracti