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21st May 2025



Introduction


This edition has been under construction for quite some time but the delay has provided the opportunity for us to offer a 'two for the price of one' package of good news...

Firstly the class 104 Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) No. 50454, which failed with a collapsed wheel bearing in October last year, is now well on the road to recovery following a successful bearing transplant by a specialist from Mainline Traction Services.

The following picture shows it when the body was almost back down on the bogies...


Class 104: 50454 being lowered on to its bogies on 10/05/25

Shortly afterwards it was reunited with its partner (Driving Motor Composite No. 50528) and it will hopefully not be too long now before the sight and sound of the class 104 can be witnessed in the Dee Valley again.


Secondly, the Wickham class 109 left the shed on 4th May and emerged into daylight looking resplendent as a result of the bodywork repairs/painting/varnishing that were carried out during its winter hibernation...


Class 109: Following bodywork painting/varnishing etc.

With the Wickham out of the shed, the class 108 had the next appointment for some bodywork repairs...


Class 108: In the shed for bodywork repairs etc.

We always try our best to ensure that our railcars go into passenger service with clean interiors and exteriors. I wonder why it is that members of the group readily volunteer for a job that involves splashing cold water around on warm, sunny days?...


Washing the hybrid class 127/108

As well as the work that takes place during our meetings at Pentrefelin (Llangollen) and Butterley (Midland Railway), there is also a great deal that takes place between visits and behind the scenes. As well as the necessary administrative work, some group members spend time doing woodwork, electrical work, painting/staining etc. at home in order to prepare things for their next visit to one of the aforementioned depots, thereby helping to maximise our collective productivity.


An example of a homework project was the production of these reconditioned air pressure switches that can now go on the shelf ready for use when required...


Reconditioned air pressure switches

Information about some of the work that has been carried out on our railcars at Llangollen and the Midland Railway, Butterley can be found in the 'Unit-specific work' section below, and news about the recent use of our railcars can be found in 'Out and About' below.



Out and About


The class 108 ran all of the timetabled services at the end of April and beginning of May prior to handing over the baton to the Wickham class 109 on 4th May and then retiring to the shed for some attention to its bodywork. There was also a day when it went on a special trip to Corwen to appear in a television news item about the reopening of the Owain Glyndwr public house.

The following picture shows the class 108 at Corwen on 30/04/25...

Class 108 at Corwen on 30/04/25

Since the changeover the Wickham has operated every service and it was accompanied by the hybrid class 127/108 on 8th May when the Railway requested a 4-car unit to cope with the anticipated number of passengers.

There follows a selection of pictures of the Wickham class 109 shortly after it re-entered service, firstly at Llangollen...


Class 109 at Llangollen on 13/05/25

...and then at Corwen...


Class 109 at Corwen on 06/05/25

Class 109 at Corwen on 13/05/25

The following pictures, which feature the distant 'Corwen' running-in board and the approach to the station, were taken as members of the train crew returned from a successful lunchtime hunter/gatherer mission...


Class 109 at Corwen on 13/05/25

Class 109 at Corwen on 13/05/25

Finally, here is a secondman's eye view from the Wickham at Carrog...


Class 109 secondman's eye view at Carrog on 06/05/25


Unit-specific work




Class 104 50454/50528

As announced in the introduction, the class 104 is now back out of intensive care and in a recovery ward following the successful transplant of a wheel bearing by a specialist from Mainline Traction Services. Unfortunately, the pictures that were taken to show the stages of the transplant later disappeared into the ether, never to be seen again. However, I suspect that readers who have been following the story from the beginning may have had their fill of bearing pictures anyway :-)


A start has now been made on inspecting the remaining wheel bearings on the unit and injecting grease as required...


Class 104: Applying grease to a wheel bearing


Cravens class 105 trailer car no. 56456 (undergoing restoration at Llangollen)

Restoration work continued with the removal of another door and the usual 'sausage machine' process of carefully removing the panels, lock, scissors etc...


Class 105: Components removed from a door

...and then removing the paint which, in this case, revealed some repairs from days gone by and the need for repairs in days to come...


Class 105: Removing the paint from a door

Class 105: Door following the removal of the paint


Class 108 51933/54504

Shortly after retiring to the shed at the beginning of May the class 108 was given an 'A' exam which resulted in some 'arisings' including the need to tweak a door on the guard's compartment...


Class 108: Repairing a door on the guard's compartment

...and order some new batteries for the trailer car. The life-expired ones are thirteen years old which is not too bad for leisure batteries.




Wickham Class 109 50416/56171>

Prior to letting the Wickham see the light of day and re-enter service, a number of finishing touches included a repair to a jumper connection at the end of the power car,...


Class 109: Repairing a jumper connection

...the completion of the new desk in the cab of the power car, some of which can be seen here...


Class 109: New cab desk

...and a repair to the fire bell in the cab of the power car which involved de-wiring and re-wiring its electromagnet...


Class 109: Repairing an electromagnet for the fire bell

Class 109: Repairing an electromagnet for the fire bell

Class 109: Repairing an electromagnet for the fire bell


Hybrid Class 127/108 51618/56223

While carrying out some electrical work it was discovered that the class 127 power car had an earth fault which, with the aid of this home-grown test box...


Earth fault test box

...was traced to a glow plug in a heater. Glow plugs have a habit of causing earth faults due to a build up of carbon.


The class 127 has gained a reputation for being rather careless when it comes to safeguarding its supply of compressed air during the layovers at each end of the line - so much so that drivers have taken to leaving at least one engine running in order to avoid embarrassment. We haven't yet discovered just where the air escapes but, having ruled out a number of likely suspects, the finger may be pointing to a non-return valve in a compresssor. Watch this space.




Gloucester class 100 51118/56097 (undergoing restoration at the Midland Railway, Butterley)

The restoration of the trailer car (56097) continued with, amongst other things, more ceiling work including the installation of the flat ceiling panels at the rear of the vehicle...


Class 100: Fitting beading to the ceiling

Class 100: Installing a flat ceiling panel

Class 100: Installing a flat ceiling panel

Class 100: Installing a light


Thanks to Allen Chatwood, John Joyce, Andy Lowe, Graham Parkin, Martin Plumb and Craig Robertson for supplying the pictures that were used in this edition.