44004 Great Gable

Bodywork repairs and the restoration of number 2 cab will resume once D182 departs for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in May. Great Gable remains sheeted over and drained of water.

45041 Royal Tank Regiment

45041 returned to working order following winter storage on Sunday March 30^th. The batteries were charged and their voltage checked to highlight any suspect cells which may give problems, cooling water filled and lubricating oil topped and the loco started without problem. The MR-B Spring diesel gala is being held over the weekend of 19/20^th April and 45041 has been booked to work at the diesel and steam date on Sunday 15^th June. Final details of the gala will be available from the MRB booking office in the week preceding the event on 01773 570140.

45108

Following the acquisition of the loco that completes our collection of Peak loco variants, much work has been expended arranging the movement from LNWR Crewe carriage shed to the Midland Railway at Swanwick Junction. Plans were finalised when the haulier Alleleys received the necessary paperwork on 26/2/08 from the various transport agencies to allow movement of an exceptional load. LNWR staff were advised who in turn arranged for 45108 to be moved by the resident class 08 shunter from Crewe South carriage sidings, where she has been stored in recent years, to the adjacent loco shed beside the Crewe to Derby line the next day. An examination was then made to allow the loco to be hauled dead and unbraked from Crewe South to Crewe North where the Allelys lorry could load the loco. No significant remedial work was required so 45108 rested in a siding next to the Crewe – Stole line until March 13^th when local crews and locos were available to move her to Crewe North.

At 12.30 on March 13^th, 45108 was hauled in top and tail formation with a mark 2 brake coach 9504 to the Heritage Centre. 47815 + coach, D120 complete with a very long air pipe going completely through the loco and 47853 made up the convoy. The loco needed to be through-piped and top and tailed as its air system is incomplete and therefore is unable to be braked by a hauling loco. The convoy first called in at the Crewe diesel depot to collect 47575, deposit 9504 and collect another coach 6067 for onward movement to the Crewe Heritage Centre at Crewe North.  

45108 waited again there for the large multi wheeled lorry to be available and collect it for onward movement to the Midland Railway which was planned for March 26^th. However, changing commitments saw the loco loaded on to the Alleleys lorry on Tuesday 25^th March and delivered the same day to the unloading area in the housing estate near to Butterley station arriving about 16.00. Class 25 35321 collected the loco and hauled it down the incline into the Swanwick Junction shed arrival road completing the journey at 18.00.

D120 is now sheeted over and will be restored once Great Gable returns to service later this year. Initial examination shows repairs to internal air pipes and batteries are required before other testing can be made to check the general health of the equipment. The interior of the loco is generally in good if a little work worn where as the exterior bodywork is also reasonably sound but appears shabby. This is because during restoration at Crewe in 1990, all of the original paint was removed making the bodywork vulnerable to corrosion which has caused the paint work to peel in open storage.

D182 was taken out of service on Sunday 30^th December for engine repairs in preparation for its visit to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway diesel gala which is being held from Friday 9^th until Sunday 11^th May. The exhaust system and all cylinder heads on 'A' bank were removed, cleaned, examined, painted and refitted. New exhaust lagging was added. This sentence makes the job sound a quick and straight forward one, but it has taken working members every Sunday for three months to complete.

Many new seals were obtained from original suppliers to the railway industry and we have bought stock of critical items to ensure a long working life for our old Sulzer's. One cylinder head was found to be fractured and was replaced by an overhauled spare purchased from Crewe diesel depot about twenty years ago. All of the fuel pumps and injectors on ‘A’ bank were removed and replaced with overhauled ones. Two of the removed pumps had not been working correctly due to worn and damaged components on the engine that was last overhauled at derby Works in 1978. The fuel rack was repaired where a lot of wear had taken place. The oil filters were also cleaned and repaired to help cure difficulty sometimes encountered when starting the engine in the past.

The engine was drained of its old oil and the following weekend the sump was cleaned and 3.5 barrels of new oil was put into the power unit. The loco was filled with water and the triple pump run, to check for any water leaks following the work on the cylinder heads and no leaks were found, but due to the very cold weather around Easter, the water was drained from the loco again. The engine was run satisfactorily on Sunday March 30^th concluding this work on one side of the engine which cures several outstanding problems on the power unit. The other side, ‘B’ bank will have to wait for the locos return from Yorkshire. Thanks are due to Burton member and shareholder Geoff Coleman for sponsoring the oil change at £1440 with good quality Mobil oil. Also to two friends formerly employed in the engine shop at Derby Works for completing the critical parts of the engine rebuild for us which saves us struggling!

The repairs were assisted by the acquisition of a large amount of surplus Sulzer engine components and batteries from contacts within the railway industry which were collected using a hired lorry in February. Work outstanding includes some body work repairs to the engine room roof, the engine room air compressor and various examinations of the axles and boiler to allow rail transportation to Yorkshire where she is required to steam heat trains.

44008 Penyghent is expected to take part in this years Peak Rail Diesel Gala’s which are due to be held over the weekends of 10^th/11^th May and 20^th/21^st September, as well as a Diesel and Steam event over the weekend of 28^th/29^th June and a D8 running day on 4^th October.     

Owner Andy Dickinson has provided the following update on what is happening with 45015. The lease of the covered accommodation in Essex to where 45015 will be moved commenced on 1^st March 2008. Some lightweight track materials have already been delivered to the site. Some rail vehicles (carriages) and road vehicles are now in storage there and further deliveries are expected in the forthcoming weeks. Further supplies of track materials suitable for taking the weight of a mainline diesel locomotive have been located and will be delivered to the site once purchase agreements are in place – this is due to the location and site access to the track panels is unfortunately taking much longer than was originally planned.

The funding for the transport of 45015 has to be brought together in an account (there have been offers of loans and pledges) and once that is in place, then the loco could move to its new home in a few weeks time. A web-site for the loco can be found at http://www.45015.org.uk and sending an e-mail to 45015Fund@talktalk.net will allow you to ask questions about the group and the loco and get a pledge form to contribute towards the locos move to its new home.

45060 Sherwood Forester has been removed from the list of locos visiting the Swanage Railway diesel gala which is to be held between Friday 9^th – Sunday 11^th May due to its on-going generator repairs. The loco has had the two resistor panels that are mounted above the electrical cubicle refitted. It was discovered that the rubbers that fit to the Automatic Voltage regulator had perished, so these have been replaced. Work on the generator proceeds with the field compensating connections repaired as well reinsulation of the bus bars underneath the machine. At this point it is still unknown as to when the generator will be fully repaired and returned to Barrow Hill. Pictures of the damage to the generator and the on-going work on 45060 including pictures taken on visits to Bowers where the generator is being repaired can be found at http://carl9188.fotopic.net/  The site is regularly updated with pictures of the repair work on 45060 as well as pictures of the restoration of 45105.

Work on 45105 continues whilst repairs to 45060’s generator are on-going and inside the engine room, starting down A' side, some 40% of the loco bodywork is now in green primer. The area underneath the brake frame has been cleaned and is now in full gloss grey, with all pipework painted in their correct colours. Work is due to start on the vacuum exhauster, which was removed from the loco just before Christmas (and that is sited under the brake frame) in the next couple of weeks.

Number 2 cab is almost complete, with only a few small jobs outstanding. The AWS indicator and cancellation button has been restored and refitted back into its frame work, following replacement of the electrical wires that were cut whilst the loco was stored at March depot following withdrawal. The main air reservoir gauge and its associated pipe work are still to be refitted. The two steel plates that are situated on the bottom of the bulkhead, behind the driver’s seat have been renewed using 4mm steel. In an attempt to get rid of the unsightly hanging duct tape from the back of the doors, the driver’s door has had all of the duct tape removed and hardboard fitted instead.

45112 The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was removed from Meldon on the Dartmoor Railway by 31454 on Thursday 17^th January as 0Z45 13:37 Meldon Quarry to Derby. 31454 was also at Meldon and was going on-hire with Network Rail at Derby the following Monday so the opportunity to move 45112 most of the way to Barrow Hill was taken. The move, undertaken by Cotswold/Advenza, ran via Crediton, Cowley Bridge, Taunton, Bristol and Yate but ran off route to Gloucester and terminated.

On Saturday 19^th January 47375 hauled 45112 and 31454 as 0Z45 the 09:50 Gloucester to Derby. The move ran via Longbridge, Landor Street and Tamworth and was originally booked as 0Z45 07:45 with the convoy also including 47200. It had been planned for 47375 to haul 45112 and 31454 to Derby and then continue to Stockton with 47200 but 47200 was found to be unfit to move on the day.

On Monday 28^th January 31454 hauled 45112 as 0Z56 10:36 Derby – Barrow Hill via Ambergate, leaving 45112 at Barrow Hill for the loco to have considerable work done to it. Following arrival at Barrow Hill it was planned for 45112 to have a complete electrical test, to have the alternator removed and overhauled, some engine work to be completed, the fitting of OTMR and a repaint. Unfortunately since 45112 arrived at Barrow Hill the loco does not appear to have any work done to it.      

The owner of 45118 The Royal Artilleryman was looking to move the loco away from the Northampton and Lamport Railway, but has recently reached agreement for the loco to stay on the line. This is fortunate for the railway as it currently has an acute motive power problem following 33053 having a flashover whilst visiting the Nene Valley diesel gala at the beginning of March. The only other serviceable diesel on the railway, 47205 was suffering from power problems. This has meant that 45118 hauled the railways first post New Year day of services on Sunday 16^th March as well as all services over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

The loco’s bodywork is in surprisingly good condition considering that it is outside all of the time and has been since it arrived at Northampton where there is no undercover accommodation available on the railway. The paintwork on the locos roof has faded and several rust spots can be seen but only one cab-side needs replacing due to corrosion (number 1 end, drivers side) and the odd area around the radiator grills needs cutting out and new metal welding in. The loco has working Electric Train Heat and keeps services very warm when hauling trains on the railway.     

D123 is not drained of coolant to protect it from the winter, nor does it contain anti-freeze since the loco is run up over the winter every couple of days as well as being used by the shed staff at Loughborough if they need a large shunter. The batteries on one bank of the loco are getting very tired and during a frost precaution start at the end of February, the loco was successfully started but un-noticed the AVR tripped and the batteries were not charged whilst the loco was running. The next occasion that a loco start was attempted  the engine would not turn over and as the temperatures were expected to drop significantly that night the loco was drained of water.

Battery maintenance was undertaken over the weekend of 8/9^th March and the batteries charged with an attempted start on the afternoon of Sunday 9^th, which was unsuccessful. The loco was left on charge over the following 3 days with shed staff changing over the battery bank being charged (the shed at Loughborough only has one 110 volt charger and class 45’s are 220 volt locos meaning with only one 110 volt charger you can only charge one bank of batteries at one time). A start of the loco on the afternoon of Wednesday 12^th was successful and after some 3 hours the loco was shutdown in readiness to partake in the GCR 1960’s event from Friday 14^th until Sunday 16^th March.

Unfortunately when D123 was attempted to be started on the morning of 14^th March, the power unit would not turn over, so it was quickly put on charge again, using the shed charger on one battery bank and a borrowed 110 volt charger on the other bank. After missing two Loughborough to Leicester North trips whilst being charged, the loco was successfully started and became the first peak to haul a passenger train in 2008 when it hauled the 14:45 Loughborough to Leicester North and return. D123 then hauled the 17:00 service to Leicester and return before hauling two evening beerex service trains which departed Loughborough at 19:00 and 20:30.

On Saturday 15^th March and Sunday 16^th, with the loco having been left on charge overnight both nights, D123 was successfully started but the starting battery voltage both mornings indicated that new batteries are required. D123 was mainly involved in driver experience trips on both Saturday and Sunday of the 1960’s event giving enthusiasts the chance to drive a large type 4 diesel between Loughborough and Rothley. The loco finished off both days hauling 2 return trips from Loughborough to Leicester North. On Saturday D5830 was added at Quorn and Woodhouse to pilot D123 to Leicester, with D123 piloting D5830 on the return to Loughborough. On Sunday D6535 piloted D123 on the south bound trip, with D123 hauling D6535 and the 6 coaches back to Loughborough.

D123 is booked to haul the diesel diagram on Sunday 6^th April as well as take part in the GCR diesel gala which has changed dates to 11^th – 13^th April.       

45132 has recently had the locating screws removed from the generator, following the making of a special tool to help remove them. This is another step towards the removal of the generator for repair. The engine air intake box is having some light welding undertaken on it, but work on the locos nose has ground to a halt due to the loco being shunted up hard against another loco.

Work on 45133 continues and it is hoped for a return to service in the next couple of months. Currently the heat exchanger needs to be put back into the loco after testing and repairs for leaks. The roof has also been extensively repaired. A repaint is also planned for the loco this year when shed space is available at Swanwick junction MRB.

45135 3^rd Carabinier has had little work done to it during the period under review and is drained of coolant and sheeted over from the extremes of the winter weather. Now that work to return 33109 to service has been completed, it is planned that attention will see 45135 returned to traffic.

Work on 45149 continues at Toddington. Over Christmas, the power controller at number 2 end was rewired and the engine room floor was given a coat of gloss white in readiness for the power unit to be refitted. All of the power unit mounting bolts have been collected and the threaded holes re-tapped so the bolts will fit freely when the power unit is lifted back into the loco, which is planned for May. Before 45149 was moved to Heysham in 1993 for overhaul whilst it was owned by Pete Waterman, the power unit was lifted out. Unfortunately the power unit and generator were not disconnected properly and as a result when they were lifted out of the loco the main cable from the generator to the electrical cubicle was damaged. This has been repaired with a replacement brass crimp being brazed back on to the cable. A sump chain and sump pipe (that is connected the engine sump oil drain cock) has been purchased to replace those damaged in the lift and the damaged drain cock repaired.

Some of the insulation inside the generator has lifted and this has been glued back down. The generator bus bars have been re-profiled and replacement clamps have been made to hold the main bus bars underneath. The overhauled governor, inter-coolers and associated pipe work has all been refitted to the power unit as well as the water pipes. A water test was carried out at the beginning of March, with a crankcase door removed and it was discovered that the cylinder liner seals were sound. Various other water leaks were discovered and were attended to. Missing free end gauge pipes have now been acquired and new flexible pipes have been purchased to complete this job. On A bank of the power unit, the oil pipes on the cam followers have been refitted. The fuel rack has been refitted to both sides of the power unit as have the leak off pipes that run from the cylinder heads. The next step is to clean and repair the exhaust pipe work before the exhaust is refitted.

In number 2 cab, some welding repairs have been completed on the plate work and a new cover for the drivers side drop light has been made. On the secondman's side, the floor panel in the corner has had replacement aluminium cover manufactured and the conduit (holding ETH, AWS and heater wires) for this panel has been repaired. All cab instruments have been overhauled at the manufacturer who originally made them. They have been dismantled using a special tool, shot blasting of the bezels and cases, aluchroming and spraying, followed by testing and calibrating which was all done to the original specifications. Work on the locos bogies continues and replacement tread is being welded on to the driver’s side footsteps.

46010 has had its number 2 nose end grills removed and they are awaiting repair. Shed space is still at a premium at Llangollen and the group have not managed to get the loco undercover as yet to allow the bodywork repairs to begin. No other work has occurred on the loco over the winter due to the diesel group dealing with repairs to 37240, 37901 and 47449. 46010 has been stood down from the line-up of locos for the Llangollen diesel gala, which is being held from Friday 11^th until Sunday 13^th April.  

46035 Ixion still resides at the Crewe Heritage Centre with no work being done on the loco and a return to the service looking increasingly unlikely.

Donations

Thanks to the generosity of the members during subscription renewal, we have money to purchase cylinder liners seals at £176 and fuel injector seals at £50. Nottingham Club member David Kerry kindly donated a 20’ container for our use – most useful.

Railwayana

The nameplate from 45111 Grenadier Guardsman is available at auction as was the Sulzer engine makers plate removed from 44001 which sold for over £200 on e-bay.

MRB Diesel fleet

With such a large collection of locomotives and stock now on site at the Midland railway, it is increasingly difficult to get an overview of the status of each vehicle. The following summary has been compiled from information provided at recent meetings.

12077         serviceable

D2139        serviceable

08590         serviceable

20001         requires engine overhaul

20205         radiator work

20227         serviceable, returned from LUL Ruislip

D8048         serviceable and expected on site shortly

20189         leaving MRB when OTMR installation completed

D7671         serviceable with leaking cylinder heads

31108         At SDR, to move to K&WVR gala and then to MRB in June

31162         At NNR, maybe back to MRB this year

31271         At NVR

31418         engine + bodywork repairs

33018         Waiting for 33201 to be completed before work continues

33201         expected serviceable for the April gala

37190         Operational with suspected battery problems

D212          Operational, not now moving to GCR for one year loan

45133         requires shed space for heat exchanger installation and repaint

47401         Serviceable, repaint this summer

47761         possibly to make one last run before being scrapped for spare parts

D1516         Engine work in progress

50007         Water in the sump – engine heat exchanger repairs in progress

D1048         Work in progress on pipework, bodywork and painting

MRB DMU fleet update

51118 + 56097 stored

50164 stored

51070 + 50253 serviceable

59303, 50015 restoration

50019 + 56006, 56015 serviceable

59521 restoration

51591 + 59609 + 51625 serviceable

51610 spare parts only

79018 restored

79612 stored

141 113 serviceable

Stored on site are 4 TC unit and 51341, 51353, 51392, 51395 & 563xx

Mikes Memories                   What to do at lunch time

The cover view shows old favourite (the loco, not me in the cab) 44007 Ingleborough at the back of Derby Locomotive Works in December 1980. I am not sure who the photographer was but is likely to have been my old workmate Rob Monnier from Uttoxeter who accompanied me around the Works most days at that time taking pictures and recording the day to day scene.

Rob gained notoriety in later years since he was influential in getting the Virgin Class 47s repainted at Toton into a variety of colour schemes such as green, blue and XP64 liveries. Looking back, for us it was paradise working at Derby Locomotive Works where dinner time rambles around the site allowed unrestricted access to any loco you wanted. We used to roam across the tracks to the stabling point and depot with being challenged photographing whatever we liked. At the back of the works, 44007 had recently arrived following the end of Class 44 operation on British railways on November 30^th 1980 where she yielded many spare components for the remaining Class 45 & 46 fleets, principally the bogies.

At that time too, plans were forming amongst local enthusiasts to preserve one of the Class 44s which did not reach fruition following the sale by the competitive tender process until May 1981. Many East Midlands enthusiasts have special memories of 44007 because, as well as being seen regularly about the shire,  she put in such a memorable performance hauling the night time Toton to St.Pancras leg of the Peaks Express in October 1977. It was as if she had never been anything except a passenger loco defying those years spent on freight duties with a storming run into London. Afterwards, my chum Malcolm and I got a cab ride back to Loughborough in the rear cab, a very special memory for me indeed. Towards the end of her life, she was also famous for rescuing the Harwich Boat train from Chesterfield hauling the service complete with failed Class 47 into Nottingham shortly before the end of Class 44 activity in 1980, an exceptional event most enthusiasts missed of course.

With the end of any class of loco, there are popular locos everyone expects to be preserved that miss out such as 46026, D1072 Western Glory or the Finsbury Park Deltics like 55007 and 12. Unfortunately, the popular old stalwart 44007 did not make it into preservation but she did provide many unique parts did such as the nose end doors we rescued and currently fitted to D8 Penyghent at Matlock. I negotiated a deal to buy about one ton of scrap which employees could do in those days with ease so collected much material liberated from Ingleborough for use on a preserved Class 44 which, for us, turned out to be 44004.

Notice also the damaged nose end grill. This is actually off Great Gable which received minor nose end damage at Bescot in the summer of 1980. The maintenance staff at Toton depot exchanged the damaged aluminium grill between the two locos to restore Great Gable’s appearance. Whilst rummaging around our stores containers for parts, I often come across material acquired back in those days including many fittings from 44007 reminding me of the times spent there and people I worked with who looked after the Peaks. One of our shareholders owns a nameplate from Ingleborough (actually I have it at the moment for use of Great Gable) so lots of memories of Ingleborough live on. It is intended to disguise Great Gable as Ingleborough using this original nameplate when 44004 runs again so the memories of old favourite 44007 can live on.