Front Cover: 847 at Sheffield Park 20 August 1991. See page 14.
Mike Frackiewicz
In this edition click to go further to:
Financial Matters or Restoration report or First of the Snow Ploughs purchased or Details about U Class 1638's background
| Rodney Packham | Chairman and
Membership Secretary |
132 Church Road, Swanscombe,
Kent DA10 0HP. |
| Ray Bellingham | President and
Chief Engineer |
C/O Sheffield Park Workshop,
Bluebell Railway. |
| Mike Frackiewicz | Company Secretary | 23 Stratton Avenue,
South Wallington, SM6 9LJ. |
| Steve Pilcher | Treasurer and
Newsletter Editor |
312 Riverside Mansions, Garnet
Street, Wapping, London E1 9SZ. |
| George Binns | General Member | 21 Barnfield Close, Hastings,
East Sussex TN34 1TS. |
| Felix Cope | General Member | "Feldor", Grassy Lane, Sevenoaks,
Kent TN13 1PL. |
| David Jones | General Member | 22 Manor Road, Hampden Park,
Eastbourne, Sussex BN22 9DT. |
| Adrian Pinkess | General Member | 116 Little Heath Road, Bexleyheath,
Kent DA7 5HW. |
| Barry Smith | General Member | 65 Thayers Farm Road, Beckenham,
Kent BR3 4LY. |
| David Pinkess | General Member | 51 Sidewood Road, New Eltham,
London SE9. |
This is my last edition as Editor. My office have sent me on a two year, one day a week course in building conservation. It means I will have to do a lot of studying etc. at home and will have little time for activities of the Society in the evening. I do hope to regularly help out at Sheffield Park-I will need the break!
We have had an offer of assistance to take on the role of Editor; this needs to be agreed by the Board. Although I have enjoyed producing the last 15 Newsletters over 9 years, I feel it is always a good thing to have a change of personality now and then, otherwise there is a risk of the magazine going stale. Finally I would like to thank all members for their photos etc. which have helped in the production of the magazine.
Designed and printed by Lime Tree Litho, Sevenoaks, Kent TNI4 5HD
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541 proved to be a very useful loco for the Bluebell Railway in 1991 which was a difficult year for loco availability. It was in regular use and will continue in use until late Summer 1992, when it will have to be withdrawn for its ten year boiler inspection and overhaul.
1618 has now completed 16,000 miles since its overhaul in 1987. Like 541 it was in regular use in 1991 it was taken out of traffic in September in order for it to be given its five year boiler examination. It went into the workshops in October and it will be back in traffic for the 1992 season. The workshop is undertaking the following tasks:-
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Have you ever thought of what it's like living in the black hole of Calcutta? No? Well neither had I until Monday April 1st, when I clambered into 847's firebox: the firebox area being 9'2" x 4'2" x 5'2". A giant black hole! My April fools assignment was to make a new ashpan and grate.
First off was an inspection of the foundation ring. Years of grime had to be cleaned off to reveal a number of studs missing, bent and wasted. The best of the studs were wire brushed and re-tapped to clean up the thread form. The wasted ones were extracted, and those broken drilled out and the holes re-tapped. New studs were then fitted. The next job was to form a support bracket to go round the whole of the underside of the foundation ring from 2" × ½" section steel. The shape is not rectangular but tapers for 2/3 length back to front, and the ends are curved. These turned out to be more difficult than at first envisaged, as my only previous forging experience was in a school workshop. This section of steel and the tightness of the bend which had to curve in both the horizontal and vertical plane proved to be a challenge. More by brute force and ignorance, the shape miraculously appeared. I had found the knack: think of the mother-in-law and clout like hell! (only joking-just in case the wife reads this.) The hell-hole of the firebox was left for a while and we sorted out the old ashpan. It was found after a desperate search under Camelot's boiler in an extremely shoddy state. The sheer size, awkward shape, to say nothing of the weight, made the task look quite daunting. About 6" of the lower side panels were paper thin or had just disappeared into a heap of rust. We could get a rough outline but nothing more. A day's cutting with the gas torch on all the rivets and bolts reduced the wreck to a kit of parts. Each piece was carefully chalked to make identification easier. The next week we arrived to find all the chalk marks washed off! Still never mind, there was always 830 lurking in Turner's siding.
On close inspection the whole ashpan needed to be replaced; even the angle brackets were badly wasted. New side brackets were then started. Another forging job as the brackets had to curve over the trailing axle to support the ashpan (good old mother-in-law again!) These were then drilled to accommodate ½" bolts. The brackets being finished, a start was made on the curved base of the ashpan. This 5'6" × 1'11½" × 3/8" steel was pressed into shape using the workshop's hydraulic press. Once it matched the curve of the angle bracket already made, holes were drilled and the sections bolted together. A start was made on making the sides of the back section of the ashpan (the area accommodates the rear damper door). Work was continued on these sections plus the ashpan end during September. On assembling the whole of the rear end it was found to be ¼" out of true. Not content with this, the whole lot was stripped down, parts re-ground and put back together. This time the discrepancy was...
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...found to be 1/64". More to the liking of Mr. Maunsell and our minder Uncle Ray.
This is as far as we have got at present. Having the edges and the ends square, the rest should not prove such a headache. The whole ashpan will be bolted together and then taken to the loco in sections and bolted in place over the pit. Not a job I look forward to in such cramped conditions, considering the weight. It's grab a hernia weekend I think when we do that. Any volunteers?
847 was moved into the workshop on Thursday September 12th ready for the final push to completion. Imagine our surprise on the weekend of 21st September to see her again in the running shed. Certain adjustments to Port Line had necessitated the shunt. However, Thursday October 3rd saw the start of the beginning of the end. Bluebell's steam crane lifted 847 for the front bogie to be removed and the loco eased into the workshop. Work can now start on the machining of the cylinders. Over to Uncle Ray for this precision piece of boring.
Well, what of other jobs? Brackets for the oil boxes were cleaned up and mounted on the backhead and on the running plate. The sanding boxes have been mounted along with the associated control mechanism. Part of the cab floor had to be removed to accommodate this. Attention has been paid to the floor so that it now allows the rubbing plate to be horizontal and not tilt from front to back - much more to the liking of the engine crews! Rodney can feel justifiably proud of a job well done.
| An almost timeless scene - 541 on demonstration freight. Bluebell on Parade Day, | |
| 12th May 1991 | Tim Beckett |
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Fire iron brackets have been fitted to the tender sides and to tender tool boxes, and given a coat of black gloss. The control rods and mechanism for the damper doors have been stripped, cleaned up and painted in primer ready to be mounted on the loco.
Steve Pilcher has been very busy these past few months. He has taken charge of the making of Camelot's boiler cladding to earn the Society a substantial donation. With a small gang he has managed to erect 4 of the 6 panels on the boiler. An excellent job he has done, too. A big thank you for the money he has earned us, and so make it possible for the liners to be ordered before Christmas.
Also a special thank you to all the workshop staff, particularly Colin for his useful tips, Keith for his ready wit (I feel sure he likes Maunsell engines despite all the jokes), but especially Ray for his undying patience and help with the 1001 questions he is asked. The guidance he gives when he is tied up with other workshop commitments proves he is a most treasured asset of our Society. Finally, a big thank you to all those working members who make my weekends a most pleasurable experience; and last but not least, everyone who has supported our project financially over the years.
Yes, 1992 does look like being the year for 847. The green goddess will rise again. But for the present back to that bloody ashpan and black hole of Calcutta. See you all at the opening ceremony. Target date Summer 1992.
Adrian Pinkess
STOP PRESS! |
The machining of the cylinders has been
completed and
the new liners delivered on 3rd December. |
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The Maunsell Society's own U Class 2-6-0, No. 1618 was the subject of a publication but very little seems to have been written about No.1638, the other U Class at the Bluebell Railway. These notes are intended to help fill the gap.
No.1638 entered service as No.A638 on 9th May 1931. She was built at Ashford, at a recorded cost of £4815, and was paired initially with tender No.1928. A638 was allocated to Redhill, but moved to Guildford at the start of 1933, following the Brighton line electrification. At Guildford the engine was one of an allocation of over 20 U Class, whose duties included Reading-Redhill trains and through workings to Eastleigh over the Mid-Hants line. She was renumbered 1638 at her first general overhaul in May 1933, and received smoke deflectors at the second general in March 1935.
Apart from a brief spell at Bournemouth in Autumn 1936, No.1638 remained at Guildford until transfer to Reading in July 1937, as part of the reshuffle following the Portsmouth line electrification. From Reading 1638 continued to work on the Redhill line, but now also worked over the GWR line to Oxford, and was recorded on a Reading-Waterloo train in place of the usual F1 or M7.
No.1638s stay at Reading was quite lengthy, the engine finally leaving in Spring 1943 on transfer to Exmouth junction. She remained there until being stored in a siding at Eastleigh in 1946, awaiting conversion to oil burning. This, however, did not come about, and the engine was put back into steam in February 1947, returning to Exmouth junction. At about the same time was the engine's first tender exchange, tender 1950, a straight-sided 3500 gallon pattern being fitted in October 1947.
No.1638 was renumbered 31638 in October 1948 at a general overhaul, but her West Country life ended in September 1949 on transfer to Battersea (Stewarts Lane), and this led to an unsettled period for the engine. She was transferred from store to Faversham early in 1950, and then in 1951 went to Hither Green in May, to Redhill in July, to Brighton in September, and to Eastleigh in November. 1952 was a quiet year, but in 1953 the engine moved on to Redhill (yet again) in February and to Fratton in September.
Fratton proved a more permanent home. and the engine remained based there until the shed closed in November 1959, when she moved to her final shed, Guildford, returning there after 79 years absence. During her final days at Fratton 31638 was used on freight turns on the Portsmouth dockyard line, which was previously restricted to Stroudley E1 Class tanks. During her time at Fratton, 31638 had her second tender change, tender No.3028 being fitted in October 1955. No.31638 continued at Guildford until withdrawn in January 1964, along with all the other three preserved U Class, and all four went to Woodhams Yard at Barry on 18th June 1964.
No. 1638 had ten general overhauls, with a boiler change at each, and had run 868,853 miles up to March 1962, so the final figure was probably about 915,000.
Peter Cooper, Editor Urie Locomotive Society Newsletter
____________________________________________________
|
CENTRE PAGES: 847 at Sheffield Park, 20th August 1991. |
Mike Frackiewicz |
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Page 8&9
1991 AGM REPORTA bumper turnout this year; the bar at Sheffield Park almost looked full. had someone been circulating rumours that the Treasurer was about to buy some drinks? The meeting started by briefly running through some of the routine matters. Steve Pilcher gave a quick review of the 1990 Accounts. There had been a small increase in the income compared with 1989. As usual there had been no difficulty in finding work to spend it on. The accounts were formally adopted by the meeting and the auditors re-elected. The meeting then turned to the interesting bit - the restoration of 847. Ray Bellingham reviewed the work undertaken in the previous year and complimented the volunteer gang on their good work. He was also exceedingly modest (as ever) about his own contribution, which has been invaluable. he then went on to review the last big issue that remains outstanding: the boring of the cylinders and the purchase of new liners. He had just received a quote of £5,660 (ex VAT) for casting and machining the liners. The treasurer then mentioned that the Society had £1,600 in the bank, and the meeting then turned to addressing how to raise the funds for the work. A very positive attitude was shown by the meeting and the Newsletter Editor was instructed to issue an appeal to the members inviting them to, consider donating £20, or to make a short term, interest free loan, to enable funds to be raised. The enthusiasm of the meeting was impressive and over £660 was actually handed over at the end of the meeting. The Treasurer and the Membership Secretary had trouble keeping up with it all! The meeting was certainly in good form. Having resolved how tor raise the money for the cylinder liners, the next issue was what project might the society tackle after 847 is complete. David Jones was pleased to state that his idea of rebuilding 830 as a King Arthur was still on the Directors' minds. Completing 847 was the first priority, and then he hoped the issue might be pursued. And just to cheer everyone along, he then produced, with a flourish, a reproduction nameplate for "Sir Bors de Ganis" (the boiler on 830 was actually built for this loco). Some quick witted soul then asked why he had not cast two at the same time! Who said preservationists have no sense of humour? The meeting then adjourned at 11.00 and all that was left was to admire some very fine "00" models of Maunsell locos that one of the working members had brought along. if only restoring the real thing was so simple - mind you, I have a model of 847 that I started some years ago which I have still not quite finished....! |
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As mentioned in the AGM report, a fundraising appeal was launched in August to raise sufficient money to purchase new cylinder liners and piston rings, and to pay for the liners to be fitted. We have (in early November) received £5,214 in donations and £5,420 in loans from members. This is a tremendous response from everyone, particularly considering the recession we are now experiencing, and the society is indebted to everyone who supported the appeal.
In the first week of the appeal I received over 50 letters and cheques, and ended up sending over 110 replies. In order to speed up the process it was necessary to get a "standard" letter typed. otherwise I would still be sending replies now! Some responses had to go via Rodney Packham, particularly if it involved a loan certificate, and this did slow matters up. I had only moved flat three weeks prior to the appeal, so it was a bit fraught at times trying to sort the flat out, deal with letters, bankings, working down at Sheffield Park on Sunday and doing a "proper job" as well! We tried to ensure everyone had a reply within a week or so; I hope people now understand if there was an occasional delay with the replies.
Page 11
Little change really from last year. There are five locos working in various parts of the country, and next year should see the return of S15s 828 and 847. Should be a good year.
Sir Lamiel has appeared in various parts of the country this year. It has been active on a number of main line trips in the North West and included a few weeks running on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. It also appeared at the Brighton 150 celebrations in September. Was this the first time it had been south of the river since the Cannon Street open day? All being well, it should be out on the main line in 1992.
No change since last year; the loco is now in bits in various parts of the country, for use as spares etc. for other S15s.
The boiler has been re-tubed and lifted out of its frames ready for a trial steaming test, which should have taken place by the time this goes to press. Prior to this, the regulator assembly has been overhauled and put back, and all the brick arch support screws renewed. It was hoped to have the boiler back in the frames for Christmas, and the loco running in 1992. Will 828 be back in steam before 847 and where will it run? We shall have to wait and see!
As last year, in store in the woodyard sidings at Sheffield Park.
In service on the North Yorks Moors railway.
As last year, on loan from the NRM to the Steamtown Railway Centre, on static display.
As last year, it is part of the Great Railway Show at the NRM at York where it is coupled to their Night Ferry Wagon Lits sleeping car.
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30830 at Chard Junction on the 1.35pm Yeovil Town-Seaton, 8th September 1963.
Leslie Sandler
Repton moved from the North Yorks Moors Railway to the Great Central Railway at Loughborough in the Summer. It is due to stay there for 18 months and is in regular use. It makes an interesting contrast alongside 35005 Canadian Pacific.
It is now out of service, awaiting a ten year boiler overhaul at Sheffield Park.
The Mid Hants railway have been concentrating on restoring 73096 and overhauling 34016 Bodmin, plus repairs to S15 - 506. Unfortunately there has been little time to work on this engine. Nevertheless. its chassis has been overhauled and is a rolling unit. A new tender tank has been fabricated and awaits fitting to its chassis.
As last year, in store at Sheffield Park, awaiting restoration. A big step forward was made in 1990, in so far as a suitable chassis for a tender has been purchased.
Both in store at Ropley, awaiting overhaul.
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One of our members has kindly donated an interesting collection of railway tickets to the society for us to sell. They are mostly tickets from Railtours in the sixties, ie. the 1966 LCGB last run on the Isle of Wight, but also some interesting post war GWR and LMS tickets.
Another member has sent some copies of old railway notices etc. for us to sell. They include an SECR large timetable (torn) and are mostly from Irish Railways.
Please send an s.a.e. to Steve Pilcher to receive the detailed list. Best offer will secure and we may be happy to split the collections.
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1618 about to climb
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|
|
Peter Trimming |
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SNOW PLOUGHSTwo former Schools Class tenders, converted by British Railways to snow ploughs, arrived at the Bluebell railway this Summer. They are from 30911 Dover and 30915 Brighton. The conversion involved filling part of the water space with concrete, removing part of the coal space sides and fitting a snow plough to one end and a roof on top. The tanks are of no use and will be scrapped. One chassis will be used to build a tender for U class 31638 and the other has been bought by the Port Line Group to provide a chassis for a tender for 34072 257 Squadron. ___________________________ BACKPAGE:Another classic shot from P Dowley's collection - Z Class 957 at Salisbury, 13th July 1939 |
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847-
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