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30th November 2015


At Llangollen work is continuing with the fit out of the interior of Cravens Driving Trailer 56456. More of the ceiling supports have now been added and as can be seen from the photo these are now a substantial way down the vehicle. The light boxes that will support the light fittings have also been added.


Class 105

Welding work on the front of Class 108 Driving Trailer 56223 has been completed. A large repair patch has been welded in along the bottom of the cab front to replace the earlier repair and this is now being ground down and filled prior to repainting.


Class 108

Winterisation of the Class 141 has taken place at Butterley with anti-freeze being added to the engines and also fuel additive to ensure that it does not wax as it did last year if it is required for services in the hardest months of the winter.


Class 141

We have also been busy cleaning out the inside of Gloucester Driving Trailer 56097 and have been transferring all the parts that we do not yet need into a railway van which is parked outside the works. This is in preparation for the repairs to the floor.


23rd November 2015


There has been much effort this week on progressing the 'C Exam' on the Class 104 set with teams working on it on both Saturday and Sunday.


Class 104

Many of the jobs have been of the unpleasant kind and have included stripping down and cleaning the control air filters (which are situated right up under the floor), inspecting the final drives, greasing propshafts and checking the air system for leaks. The Saturday team got the better of the two days as they were working on all the inside jobs, including checking windows, seats and fixtures and fittings.


Class 104

While this was going on four more ceiling parts were fitted to the roof of Cravens Trailer 56456 and there was also a trial fit of a piece of woodwork which goes over the windows. This was satisfactory and the piece will go off the joinery shop for duplicating.


Welding work has continued on Gloucester Trailer 56097 at Butterley with the side sheeting beginning to go onto the final section of the bodywork. Samples for the replacement woodwork round the doors have been selected and have been taken to the joiner for re-manufacture. A badly-worn set of corridor-connection scissors has been taken to the fabricator for either repair or replacement.


16th November 2015


The final duty of the year has been to provide one unit for the annual guard's training day at Llangollen and for this the Wickham was used. Work has continued at Pentrefelin workshops on the C Exam of the Class 104 with more of the large list of jobs ticked off. New scissors have been fitted to the Guard's droplight on Class 127 51618 as these had become defective. Two new ceiling supports have been fitted in Cravens trailer 56456 and measurements taken for the next pieces of joinery, which will hold the sliding window top bars.


Class 108
Class 108

Repairs to the cab front of Class 108 56223 continue. The top picture shows how the cab frame had disintegrated at the bottom where it joins the floor and the second picture shows the repairs that have been done to fix the problem.


Class 100

Over at Butterley one of the first-class fixed windows in Gloucester trailer 56097 has been put back into place, along with its woodwork.


Class 100

Welding continues with two more body uprights being fitted to the centre section on the driver's side and most of the replacement bottom frame section cut and fitted.


9th November 2015


With the season at a close we've been compiling the figures as to how we have done. The Llangollen-based fleet has covered 9,130 miles this year, with a reliability of 99.6% while the outbased Class 141 has covered a further 1,387 miles with 100% reliability.


To achieve this our volunteers have worked very hard and have kept up with a complex system of exams and maintenance which has paid dividends in terms of reliability.


The current project is to conduct a 'C-Exam' on the Class 104 and this is ongoing at the moment. Preliminary work has also started on removing some of the seating in Driving Motor Composite 50528 as this is to be sent away. For this to happen a slot has to be booked with the trimmer, the moquette has to be called up out of stores ( it is kept in specialist stores in controlled conditions so it doesn't deteriorate) and the transport organised - taking the seats out of the vehicle is in some ways the easiest part of the job!


Work has continued on the repairs to the front end of Class 108 56223 and to the side of Gloucester trailer 56097. There has also been a concerted effort to complete the cleaning out of the units that were used for the recent Thomas event.


Class 104

The Class 104 set is currently undergoing a 'C-Exam'


Class 141

Our Class 141 remains in traffic at the Midland Railway and will operate again there in 2016


2nd November 2015


Work has started at Pentrefelin depot on the repair of the lower cab front of Class 108 Driving Trailer 56223.


Class 108

A strip of metal has been removed from the bottom of the cab sheeting to reveal that there is severe corrosion in the uprights which support the cab structure. These will have to be repaired before a new piece of sheet is welded on. This problem is very common on the Derby cabs and both of the other two Class 108 vehicles have had this repair in the past.


With almost all the season's running over thoughts have now turned to routine maintenance. The Class 104 set is due a 'C-Exam' which is a very heavy and thorough check and this was started on Saturday when most of the filters and oils were changed.


The fleet antifreeze check and top up was also done while all the units that had been out at Thomas were swept out and cleared of debris. Window washing and interior wipe down will follow.


At Butterley there's been good progress on the steelwork of the centre section of the driver's side of Gloucester trailer 56097. Three of the new uprights are in as are several of the new cross members. The lower rear of the bottom frame box section is being renewed due to corrosion. This is hidden away behind the skirt panel when the side is re-assembled but forms an important part of the strength-bearing structure. As with previous areas a serious amount of replacement has been undertaken. The picture shows the new material and the way it is being fitted.


Class 100
Class 100