Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was in charge of the ‘tidy train’ on Monday 27th November 2023 and was pictured at Williton, coupled to three flat wagons and a brake van. The train worked slowly along the line, with a gang of volunteers picking up the life-expired sleepers and other scrap materials that had been left behind after maintenance work. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – more progress was made on the overhaul of the ‘A’ transmission, with the turbine rail being re-assembled with new bearings, where necessary. The overall condition of this complex precision assembly is amazing, considering that it has been almost 50 years since the internals last saw the light of day. Many of the internal components are gleaming as if they were brand new. The parts that are external to the turbine rail but still internal to the transmission housing have all suffered the effects of condensation corrosion, but experimentation by Colin F has shown how the internal humidity level of the housing can be managed with very little energy consumption. We will share more information on this at some point in the future.
Meanwhile, Gordon continued his work on preparing the bogies for their overhaul, the details and the plan for which will be explained in the forthcoming issue of the DEPG Newsletter (available only to DEPG members). SIGN UP NOW to be sure of receiving your copy. There is much to do, so PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THE WORK ON THIS LOCO. Simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.
D1010 – the very robust and heavy turbine rail output shaft was readied for re-installation at Williton on Tuesday 21st November 2023. This part is attached to the turbine rail secondary shaft via a tapered fit that is adjusted to a precise fit by injecting oil under very high pressure. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Although there was no time to mark any sponsored patches last Saturday, there has been progress on the drawings that record the position of each patch. These drawings are needed so that we can write to each sponsor and show the position of their sponsored patch, along with a photograph of the engraved patch. We are backlogged with this work so please bear with us a little longer while we ramp up the administrative resources on this highly successful fundraising campaign. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT !
D1010 – the ‘B’ end of the locomotive carries 86 patches, each of which is numbered and has been engraved with the name of (or the message provided by) the sponsor. Drawing by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click the image below to sponsor a patch. 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 !
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now in regular use on the ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ services that started on Friday 24th November and run through to the end of the year.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has been stood down from service while a leak in a control air pipe is being dealt with. As often happens, the leaking pipe is in a very difficult-to-reach area, but parts have been ordered that will allow a repair to be effected. Hopefully this loco will be able to resume standby duties soon.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco received attention from Neil, John and Bob last Saturday, when they performed an engine test and made adjustments to the engine governor. This loco is close to being ready for service.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – no change this week.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – some bad news reached us regarding the cardan shafts, which had been sent out to a specialist firm for balancing some weeks previously. The level of wear in the splined joints prevented the shafts from being spun fast enough for balancing, so both shafts are beyond repair and will have to be replaced. The estimated cost of replacement parts is £10,000 for the pair, so we are going to need to fund-raise before we can place an order. More details will be included in the next edition of the DEPG Newsletter.
Meanwhile, the focus remains on the restoration of the cab assembly, to allow the re-installation of the electrical control cubicle to take place. Here are a few photos that give the flavour of the work that is in progress:
D9518 – the pegboard lining of the cab is being replaced with new material, pictured here at Williton on Saturday 25th November 2023 while receiving a coat of primer from Colin G to improve its moisture resistance. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the inside faces of the cab skin have been painted and now carry a layer of insulation of the same type of material that is used in trucks and buses. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th November 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the removable section of the cab roof has been turned over so that the seals can be replaced and the metalwork painted before being set aside for refitting at a later date. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th November 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – a selection of parts that have been cleaned, inspected, painted and tested in the careful hands of Colin G are now ready to be re-attached to the locomotive when their turn comes. Pictured on Thursday 23rd November 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 stabled at Williton and is available for service, if called upon.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a ‘top end’ engine overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The progress on ‘NORTH STAR’ continues in between having to work on the other diesel locos in their care but a milestone has been reached because all twelve cylinder heads have now been re-fitted and work on re-attaching the manifolds and services has begun. We look forward to seeing the loco completed in the very near future.
47077 – the progress with the ‘top end’ overhaul of the twelve-cylinder twin bank SULZER diesel engine is apparent in this view taken at Grosmont Works of the NYMR on 23rd November 2023. Photo by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 – the air intake manifold, fuel injection pumps and pushrod tubes are all in place in this view taken at Grosmont Works of the NYMR on 23rd November 2023. Photo by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 – the blue-painted coolant tubes are visible in this view taken at Grosmont Works of the NYMR on 23rd November 2023. Photo by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the internal cab repaint being carried out by ‘JT’ has progressed well, but he is keeping us in suspense and not providing photos until he has finished the job. We look forward to seeing the internal photos in the near future. Thanks Jon !
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 !