Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was fresh from overhaul when pictured at Crowcombe Heathfield station on 6th October 2019. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
After missing the Diesel Gala and causing us a lot of trouble in August of last year, investigation work on the transmission of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 has now revealed physical damage to one of her directional clutches that will require the transmission to be removed from the locomotive so that repairs can take place. We had already suspected that D7018 would not be available for service until later this year, but this new finding confirms this and we are allocating resources to make sure that the work gets done in good time so that the loco can demonstrate reliability by March 2025, which will be her 50th anniversary of entering preservation.
The repair work will be carried out by the ‘transmission team’ at Williton as soon as they complete their work on the ‘A’ transmission from D1010. The repairs will be followed by a period of careful testing before the transmission is subjected to any power. This will protect our dwindling sources of spare parts and minimise the risk of further trouble. We expect to have the loco out and about on test trains this time next year, to work her up to full reliability in anticipation of her golden anniversary.
D7018 – graphic showing the power flow through the Mekydro K184U transmission. Engaging clutch 5 or 6 (in the green zone) determines the direction of movement. © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the damaged #5 clutch – the slopes on the teeth should only go in one direction. The yellow ovals highlight the damaged areas. Pictured at Williton on 29th January 2024 by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – by comparison, clutch #6 for the opposite direction appears to be in good condition. The slopes on the facing surfaces are intentional. Pictured at Williton on 29th January 2024 by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the massive steel stands that were acquired from BR-Swindon many years ago underwent the first stage of a clean-up at Williton when they received attention from Gordon. These stands each weigh more than 1 tonne and date back to the 1960s, with a modification added later to extend their versatility. These stands feature prominently in photos of locos undergoing overhaul at Swindon Works, many of which are contained in the books about the history of the class.
Meanwhile, the transmission team continue their progress towards the completion of the overhaul of the ‘A’ transmission with the testing and adjustment of the reverser assembly. This work is expected to be completed during the coming weeks and will provide us with two fully-overhauled transmissions in support of returning D1010 to service !
We still have plenty of work ahead of us on other aspects, in particular the bogies, and we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THE WORK ! There is plenty to do, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.
D1010 – the genuine ex-Swindon Works Class 52 loco stands were cleaned up by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024. The stands will be inspected before being painted. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click the image below to sponsor a patch on D1010. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!
See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !
Details of the work remaining to be done on this restoration project along with a status report of the funding have been included in the new issue of the DEPG Newsletter, which has now been distributed to DEPG members. A summary will be posted via roundup soon, but JOIN THE DEPG to get the information in more detail and more quickly.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently based at Williton and was put to use for the Secondman training course that is being run by WSR volunteer Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach. The trainees practiced coupling and uncoupling the loco to Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 who was conveniently stabled along the same road at Williton. MANY THANKS to John for the thorough and diligent training that he provides.
D6566 (33 048) is currently based at Williton and was in use for Secondman training purposes on Saturday 3rd February 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the period of enforced waiting for the ‘correct’ exhaust gaskets was put to use by resolving an oil leak that has been a nuisance for some time. The leak came from a defective oil seal on the fuel rack pointer shaft, and replacement involved having to remove the engine governor assembly. The mess that this small issue has made is apparent from the photograph below, with the yellow circle highlighting the location of the shaft and showing the level of difficulty in accessing the area. Anyway, it is another job ticked off the list. The exhaust gaskets are expected in time for this coming weekend, so we are still hopeful that this loco will be back in service some time in March.
D6575 (33 057) – the engine governor sits at the generator end of the engine and controls the setting of the fuel rack. The location of the leaking oil seal is highlighted by the yellow circle. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
D6575 (33 057) – the fuel rack pointer shaft has been the source of an annoying oil leak from the engine governor. The issue has been resolved by removing the governor and replacing the seal. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as reported last week, this loco is ready to return to service subject to some test runs that will be used to accumulate hours and ensure reliability. This loco will undergo an oil change when warmer weather returns and will be ready for test running as soon as the WSR re-opens.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – already covered.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – a significant step forward was made on Saturday 3rd February when the electrical control cubicle was re-installed into the cab assembly so that the electrical re-wiring work can be continued. The cubicle has been carefully restored by Jon and Colin G and certainly looks the part. When not involved with the handling of the cubicle, Terry was busy installing the sanding equipment, including the new bracket that was made by Tony the week previously. Well done Team !
D9518 – the restored electrical control cubicle was relocated by Terry and Martin to go under the crane at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the cab wall had been prepared by Colin G so the the electrical control cubicle could be lowered into place and connected up. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the restored electrical control cubicle was lowered into the cab assembly at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the restored electrical control cubicle was re-installed in the cab assembly at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the sanding brackets were the subject of attention from Terry, pictured while making a small adjustment to the alignment before installation. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd February 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Details of the work remaining to be done on this restoration project along with a status report of the funding have been included in the new issue of the DEPG Newsletter, which has now been distributed to DEPG members. A summary will be posted via roundup soon, but JOIN THE DEPG to get the information in more detail and more quickly.
This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is on standby at Bishops Lydeard for use on engineering trains.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – after receiving a top-end overhaul at Grosmont Works, this loco is now ready to take up duties on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The plan is for this loco to be in use later this month.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is stabled on number 3 road at Williton and is ready for use if required.
If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !