Carriage & Wagon Report, April/May 2006
by Richard Johnson, 1st May 2006

The last few weeks has been one of those periods when although a great deal of work has been done, we do not seem to have too much tangible to show for it. The one vehicle which has been out shopped is the BR Standard box van No.772065, which is shown in the attached photo. The majority of the work on this vehicle was done by Grenville Care, and a fairly derelict wagon has been turned into a useful asset. It is fully fitted, so is available to run, and may be seen operating in our forthcoming Gala. It is impossible now to tell that all four doors are brand new, and replaced four rotten and broken ones that previously only partially closed.

Work has continued steadily on the FK (Corridor First) 13329. All the exterior body painting is finished save for a small amount under the solebar. Three of the seven compartments are now complete, and the other four are well advanced. The replacement of all fittings in each of the compartments is a slow and laborious task. Each item has to be matched up, and fitted in sequence. Many of the items of trim are small and fiddly, and inevitably some go missing or for some reason simply fail to fit back where they obviously came from.

A significant proportion of the trim has to be made up, as it was damaged or missing when we began work. That is particularly true for example of the veneered panelling under the window. If (as so often happens) water gets in through a broken window seal, then this is the first part to suffer from rot. New panels have had to be made up and fitted in all compartments. Because originally the seven compartments were fitted with strikingly different veneers, this has led to much experimentation with various wood stains to try and ensure that so far as possible, the new exactly matches with the old. The best check that this has been achieved is confirmed by the fact that most people don’t notice that the panels have been completely replaced.

When British Railways began construction of the Mark 1 coaches in the early 1950’s, it was decided to fit all interiors with ‘Empire hardwood’ veneered panelling. Apparently, at that time just after the war timber from various parts of the British Empire was readily available, so the decision was made to use it. In many of our coaches you will find small embossed panels naming the precise wood used for the veneered panelling. This is an original feature which we have retained as far as possible. What is very interesting is that often in one coach, such as in 13329, several totally different veneers were used in adjoining compartments. It would be very interesting to know just how the choice was made, unless it was just completely random.

Once all compartments are complete, the moquette seat covers will be given a thorough clean with our industrial shampooing kit. That should bring them up as good as new. Happily, the moquette itself is in very good condition, and should give a number of years service.

The toilets still have some work to be done to them, including in particular the replacement of all plumbing (most of which had been stripped out before the coach arrived). Although estimating finish dates has historically shown itself to be a dangerous occupation, we reckon that the coach is about four weeks away from being completed.

More work has been undertaken on the BR Standard Brakevan No. B954962. But this now needs serious attention by the carpenters, and they will need to finish all woodwork on the FK before they turn to this. All the rotten timber has been removed, and new has arrived to replace it. Once the new cladding starts to go on, it will begin to look as good as new. The photo below shows the extent of the work necessary. A GWR Tool and Breakdown van No. W4 is lurking behind it. Work has just started on that. More about that another time.

After all our many months of hard work, our RBr 1675 went into service over the weekend of the Diesel gala and was an instant success. Our OTC department bought enough bacon for bacon sandwiches for the weekend (so they thought). They sold out on the first day! That indicates the potential.

We have had to take the vehicle back out of use for a couple of weeks, to deal with a number of ‘snagging items’, which was only to be expected. The most serious were an emergency door which would not close properly, and a problem with the lights. Others, were much more minor such as a couple of leaking water pipes, bolts needed on a couple of cupboard doors and a shelf required for the till. The gas powered generator played up on one day, and somewhat frustratingly since then it has worked perfectly. All efforts to replicate the fault to find out what was wrong, have failed. Hopefully the coach will be back in action in a week or so. At the time of writing this, all defects have virtually been cleared.

As was mentioned in the last report, once the FK 13329 is finished, that will give us five Carmine & Cream coaches, which with a spare Chocolate & Cream SK 25452, will allow us to make up another rake of six. That we intend to do, as it will allow us to withdraw the maroon rake for some repainting and refurbishment. Many of the maroon coaches have been in use for a number of years - of necessity, and are now looking a bit ‘tired’. There are also a number of items in several of them that require rather more attention then can be given by our midweek ‘light repair’ gang.

For the first time ever we shall have three full rakes of coaches, which will allow a degree of rotation for repairs and servicing. What unrivalled luxury that will be..