Carriage & Wagon Report, January 2005
by Richard Johnson, 31st January 2005

At the end of public services on 3rd January, all the service coaches were brought down to Winchcombe as planned, and parked up in both platforms at the station.

The Maroon Open Second 4798 was immediately detached, and taken into our shed in place of the FK 133329, which had been there on a temporary basis. 4798 was looking very shabby, as it had last been refurbished in 1996, which of course is nearly nine years ago. How time flies. It only seems yesterday that we went up to Crewe carriage sidings to inspect and purchase it!

As was expected, some of the window surrounds were showing distinct signs of rot, and there was no option but to remove six of the large windows. This enabled rotten sections of the bodyside adjacent to the windows to be cut out. By the end of January, John Squires and Malcolm Dickson had fabricated new sections and expertly welded them in. The windows are now ready to go back in.

As the coach was totally stripped and refurbished internally last time, it needs only to have a heavy clean, and be tidied up. All of the veneered woodwork will be lightly sanded and given a fresh coat of varnish, and of course the toilets will receive some attention. The seating is in quite good order, having been replaced in part a few years ago, so not much needs to be done there. It is currently in the process of receiving a brand new shining coat of Maroon and will sparkle when it is released back into traffic.

As well as this, the GWR Mink G 112850 and the SR Brakevan 55126 have been finished. I understand that the Mink G is going to be put to work in the P/way train, and will help rebuild our railway. That is the best possible news for all those who have worked on it for the last six months. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a vehicle put to work, after it has been refurbished. They are not museum exhibits; they are working vehicles.

P/way train at Winchcombe, with the GWR Mogo 65742, the Conflat L and the GWR Mink A Van 142594. The newly refurbished Mink G 112850 is about to join them.

Replacing it in the shed is an LMS Brakevan which was refurbished 15 years ago, and looks decidedly shabby. Also, there are plans to refurbish a GWR FRUIT C van, for use as a parcels van for Santa’s helpers, (as the current van is too small) and a GWR Banana Van, built exactly 100 years ago in 1905; one of only two still remaining anywhere in the UK. More about those next time.

Whilst the service coaches have been parked up at Winchcombe, a whole host of jobs have been done. We were fortunate to be joined by several of the Guards and TTI’s on three Saturdays. The coaches have been thoroughly washed and cleaned internally and externally. They have all had a full annual examination, and all brakes have been adjusted. On three of them, brake blocks have been changed on bogies where they had worn low, and two cracked window droplights have been replaced in the FK 13337. A number of minor repairs have been done; all axleboxes have been oiled and all door hinges have been lubricated.

It goes to show what can be achieved with a bit of organisation, and how important this two month break from operating coaches is to us. From March, the coaches will be back in daily use earning their keep again, and opportunities to work on them will be limited. That is why we are working towards trying to complete two more ‘Blood & Custard’ coaches this year, so that we shall have three rakes each of six, and be able to rotate them and use just two rakes at any one time.