Carriage & Wagon News - February 2011
Changing Trains
As these notes were being prepared the IWSR received the news that the project to build a Rolling Stock Storage and Display Building adjacent to Havenstreet Station, under the banner of 'Changing Trains', has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) 'First Round Pass'. This means that the project can now progress to the second stage of the HLF application process, the railway now has up to two years to submit more detailed plans and apply for a full grant of £929,600 from HLF for the project. It also attracts a £35,000 HLF development grant to progress the project plans.
'Changing Trains' aims to ensure that the Railway's historic Victorian and Edwardian carriages, steam locomotives and other heritage rolling stock, is kept under cover when not in service, away from the harmful effects of sun, wind and rain, and in so doing are placed on display for the public to enjoy. The project will provide covered space for most of the Railway's restored locomotives, carriages and wagons, including items scheduled for completion during the next 10 years under the HLF-assisted Carriage & Wagon restoration programme.
More details of the 'Changing Trains' project can be found on the Latest News page.
LBSCR 8-Compartment Third 2403
Early December saw a major milestone in the restoration of 2403 in that the coach body was, after more than a year of work in C&W, finally lowered right down to its new underfame and the coach body bolted into place. The extended London end compartment now has had the roof section extended and fitted with spare hoops obtained from the C&W extensive stock of genuine spares. This was not the only section of roof to receive attention as most of the other roof planks have been removed cleaned, repainted and refitted along the length of the coach. Also obtained from our spares was a genuine internal SR door which is now undergoing restoration by Derek Gardener and will eventually be hung as the door between the extended disabled compartment at the London end and the adjacent helper's compartment. After many weeks of removal, cleaning and priming Derek Atkins is now progressing with refitting the windows to the south side of the coach, he also refitted two on the north side leaving just one to fit at the very end of the coach. As will be seen from one of the associated pictures the country end of the coach body has been panelled and painted, the same is true for the London end of the coach body. Andrew Asher has been steadily working his way through the compartments sanding the insides down readying them for their repaint to commence.
Please click on this link to see latest information & photographs on the restoration of 2403 on C&W team mebmber Derek Atkins' website.
LBSCR 10-Ton Open 27834
Steady progress has been maintained by Colin Brock, Graham Redfern & Andrew Tavener since the last update. As will be seen by the associated photographs the underframe is now sitting on its wheels and has its buffer back plates fitted. Once the wheels had been fully secured it enabled the wagon to rolled over to the other C&W road thus creating space at the end of 2403 for it to be moved up to the end of C&W thus making space at the door end of the workshop.
Please click on this link to see the latest photographs on the restoration of 27834 on C&W team member Derek Atkins' website.
LBSCR Bogie 5-Compartment Brake Third 4168
Since the November report the country end bogie has been completely dismantled, cleaned and repainted. We managed to obtain on short term loan a small oven which could be used to harden new brake and spring pins which Gary Walker and Dave Smart had turned in our own workshop. Once fully rebuilt the country end bogie was rolled out of C&W and refitted to the underframe. This enabled the London bogie to be removed and rolled into C&W in the space made available by moving 2403 to the far end of the workshop. Work is now progressing on dismantling this bogie and preparing it to receive the wheels removed from the Scottish underframe. It is intended to refit the London end bogie early in February. By removing the second bogie from the underframe it has allowed work to be done on fitting the buffer mounting brackets at the London end of the underfram.
Please click on this link to see the latest photographs on the restoration of 4168 on C&W team member Derek Atkins' website.
<SECR Bogie 4 Compartment Brake Third 4149
In late December 2010 carriage 4149 was brought from the sidings and parked outside of the C&W workshop this was so that in early January 2011 the coach body could be lifted from its underframe, lowered down onto an accommodation underframe and removed from C&W to the sidings. The underframe is now in Griffins Field Sidings waiting for the bogies to be removed and everything to be totally dismantled. This will be followed by aggressive shot blasting to remove the accumulated scale and everything will then be spray painted to prevent new rust forming. At this point the underframe and bogies will be fully surveyed to ascertain the amount of work required and if it can be carried out by Havenstreet staff or if due the extent of the work required it will have to be done by outside contractors.
Please click on this link to see the latest photographs on the restoration of 4149 on C&W team member Derek Atkins' website.
Please click on this link to see the latest photographs on the restoration of 4149 on C&W team member Derek Atkins' website.
Winter Maintenance
As part of the normal winter maintenance program the four wheelers 2343, 2515, 4112, 6336, 6369 & 6378 have all been into C&W for a rub down and re-varnish which was carried by Derek Edge. Dave Smart has carried out 'B' exams on carriages which used over the Christmas operation period and A exams on several other carriages. All remaining carriages will have 'A' exams carried out before the running season starts.
What else has been going on?
The C&W wood store (Van B S210) came into C&W during early January so that a new roof covering could be fitted with the aim of keep the elements from the timber stored inside.
We have a new staff member Charlie Lemon who has joined us as the Engineering managers assistant, we wish him well in his new post.
Coming up next
PMV 1669 will be coming into the works yard for preparatory work to enable it to be used as the underframe for LBSCR 4 wheeler 4115 which will follow 2403 as the next grounded body to be restored.
PMV 1046 will be assessed to see if it is suitable for traffic use during the coming season.
Work will continue on 4168 and it is hoped the carriage will re-enter traffic in early April this year.
A great deal has been achieved in C&W over the past year this has been due in part to the increased number of volunteers who have joined us. We hope to accelerate the C&W restoration programs, in particular for the restoration of 4149 & preparing the 1669 underframe for use under 4115. So if you wish to be part of this interesting and fulfilling work and to be potentially involved at the start of these new projects then please see contact details below.
New volunteers
We'd like to welcome David Anscomb and David Savill who have joined C&W as new volunteers since our November report. New volunteers are always welcome, the more we have the more restoration and maintenance that can be done to the IWSR rolling stock. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer then please contact the railway's volunteer coordinator Clive Miller on 01983 882204 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Further pictures of IWSR C&W Dept. progress can be seen on C&W team member Derek Atkins' website.