This section is a brief report on what we're up to keeping 003 looking pretty and sounding good Section just up and running so there should be more detail on previous working parties, not yet listed.
If you wish to lend a hand and can hold a spanner / paint brush or even take the photo's so I don't get my camera dirty* please contact us
*please note Tractor pres in perfectly clean and leaves no lasting odours
If you can't help out on the loco, you could always make a donation
We're very pleased to announce that, after herculean efforts by Mike and the regular team of devoted volunteers at Dereham, 37003 was successfully started on Saturday evening - at the end of a long day's preparation and final checks.
Initial indications are that the main generator bearing swap has been a success, and the engine started easily. There's also no sign of contamination in the oil
However, we are not quite there yet - there is a niggling problem with the automatic voltage regulator (AVR - a mechanical device which as its name suggests ensures that the voltage put through the electrical system is not too high) is sticking, and we need to rectify that before she can be put through her fitness-to-run test and we can run her. But, with enough volunteer support, there is a good chance that 37003 will be a runner by the MNR gala event in 3 weeks' time.
So this really is the final push - so please allow me once more to make an appeal to any members who might be able to help out at Dereham between now and then - it's more vital than ever, especially as we want 37003's bodywork looking tidy too for her big day.
Replating some of the 'rusty' bits was undertake, just needs a lick of paint to finish the job.
After a long time apart, the bearing is now back in and should be completely bolted back together ready for a test run very soon. Some picture from the re-assembly are shown below.
Steady progress has been made on the Class 37 Loco Group's 37003, despite the bad weather during the winter. Prior to the bad weather, the Group invested in a high-quality roof cover which has kept the worst of the winter out and with additional lighting fitted, allowed internal work to continue. Overall 37003 is in good condition; the bodywork will need further attention as it was last worked on ten years ago (37003 has been in preservation since 1998), the engine has been fully checked through and is fine and the only major concern, the worn out main generator support bearing has been replaced. This has taken longer than expected as we had to fabricate special tools to complete the task.
It is expected that 37003 will be making test runs by late April 2010 and introduced via a 'Members Day' to traffic during the early summer, then work will be carried out so that by the Mid-Norfolk Railways Class 37 50th Anniversary Gala in September, it will be in the guise of D6703 to work alongside the visiting locos.
Anyone who would like to help the oldest privately preserved Class 37 can contact the Technical Officer via the contact us page
Good progress made today with further split seams sorted out and taken to filler. The welder had a darn good workout....
It is important we get the 'North-East' side of the loco looking good first as when she comes away from the bay at some
point, she will be sat to attend to the 'South-West' side on the opposite platform. At the moment we are patch painting
her BR blue for three reasons - 1) we have lots of paint, 2) it enables us to 'guide-coat' the body as we go which will
guide us as to what else needs attention and 3) once she's ready for service she'll look half decent straight off
Some bodywork repairs were undertaken to make her fit for the onset of winter weather.
Had a cracking day up at Dereham on the 24th, myself, Al Pulford and Steve Potter got the rad fan grille fitted
at last, having spent some time finishing off the rad fan ducting and then we ripped into some bodywork. Some
stress cracks have now been welded up and finished to filler, the previous repairs to the panels below the
radiator grilles have been cut out and rewelded properly, plenty of old filler/rust was dug out and cleaned off
to bare metal before new was added, the bodysides have sort of been cleaned and one cab is now tidy for public
access.
We had a minor fright with a large lump of corrosion on one cab roof, luckily it turned out to be where
the paint had cracked and water had got in so it has been cut back and primered ready for attention.
Overall the body is in very good condition for a near 50-year old loco and once Terry Waller and his C&W
gang start in the next couple of weeks with the metalwork, she should be superb.
We've also fitted the fuel drainoff pipes to the engine, the aux gen puller is on order from the company we are borrowing it from and work is starting to upgrade the green/cream cab.
Mike
The skirts which were temporarily re-fitted back in 1999 have finally been permanently refitted
The nose end doors have been secured and bolted shut, just need a few new hindges fitting to finsh the job (hopefully this won't take another 10 years )
Roy from Applied Inspection Limited came to do the test, while Mick Parker was on hand to remove and refit all the covers and end caps. Having removed the first cover, bent back the locking ring and removed the bolts, the first end cap was well and truly stuck, no amount of gentle persuasion would help with the removal of the cap, so I left it. Continued to remove the rest of the covers & caps without too much trouble, a couple needed some talking too (2lb hammer) but they soon gave up. So returned to the first and using some jacking bolts and a lot of four letter works, I finally removed the end cap, only to find that it was a non-standard model complete with a few lumps and bumps that didn’t help in its removal.
Roy did the inspection (see pictures) and everything is fine, once we’d had a brew, Roy had a quick walk around the museum and left. I then had the fun of putting everything back together, grease grease everywhere and not a drop to fry my chips in! Putting it all back together was fairly painless, apart from the difficult end cap, which even after a few round with the grinder, it was still a little tight, still that will be some else’s problem next time round. .
All in all not a bad days work, and knowing that 003s axles and beams are OK was worth 5hrs round trip to get covered in grease.
A very windy but mainly dry day, Undone inspection plugs and opened doors to let the tank inspector have access to visually inspect and thickness test all of our 15 air tanks. Took the opportunity to move the large bracket and fix the AWS magnet back to the No1 end bogie. Air system re-pressurised to check I’d tightened everything up properly, unfortunately found a new nasty air leak behind the compressors!
A sunny Saturday! Mick Chester and myself removed the No1 end blinds in order to paint and overhaul them, in order to keep the weather out 003 gets to wear its dominos for a bit.
Frothtastic? A new look in under a hour!
Mick Sasse and Chester cleaned the Rad room floor to such an extent that they have found the drain holes, defiantly on the summer painting list now.
A through inspection was made of the engine and it was decided that the timing chain and oil needed our attention.
Ooooh look at that bore honing! Mmm.
Turbo charger fan shaft end play was checked to prove how bad the turbo bearings are. As expected they are U/S and need overhaul.
A sunny Saturday finds Mick Chester in the workshop adjusting some pipe work to fit back to the engines waste fuel lines, as we don't want to waste fuel. It's too expensive! And it sounds better when the engine uses it.
The sharp eyed will see the AWS magnet and cable, which we hoped will get the system working soon.
The next working weekend is Sat 13th - if you wish to come along
While delivering some parts to the container, the fuel delivery turned up, which was handy as the gauge could go back on. Looks better than the blank plate with 'fuel in here' on.
mmm...Diesel
With the possibility of good weather I decided to give have a go at changing some buffers. There was a faulty 22" removed from number 2 end when we were at Wolsingham, this was replaced with a 20" we had spare. There was also another 22" faulty on number 1 end and another 20" spare. So simply removing one 22" from one end and replacing with the spare 20" would give us the same size at both ends.
If anyone has some spare 22" buffers? will swap for some 20" :)
I arrived early after picking up an engine hoist off a friend as it was going to be a one man job, The bolt were on very, very tight, my 3/4" power bar was assisted by a 12' boiler tube on the end to give me a chance of cracking em' off, a strong cup of tea later and they were loose. Next I had to roll the spare buffer out onto the concrete apron, Which is actually quite easy with a round one, its all a question of getting the balance right and keeping toes out the way. Next I moved the loco forward onto the apron and used the engine hoist to change round as planned. This is of course when the rain started, just as I was finishing the long task of tightening the bolts up the sun can back out and gave me sunburn! Happy with the days work I had a wander into locomotion for a cuppa and look at Evening Star.
Look! same size and everything!
Finally a nice day for slogging a spanner, result after 3 Saturdays graft rad fan is back, drive shaft on, clutch adjusted and tested. Sounds nice too, no more dry bearing noise. Mick Chester even managed to get the horizontal drive shaft covers on.
Looks quite boring unless you know what is above that nut
- if you wish to lend a hand and can hold a spanner please contact us
Think this is probably the day we got properly going with the rad fan drive, looks difficult until go get big enough spanners, a hydraulic jack from my old landrover and a big enough hammer.
Worst bit was the staggering amount of grease involved, maybe you would like that...?
We have gloves if you don't.
Donor Bearings from here
Looking complicated
One naked fan drive shaft
Just managed to get the blanking plates by Armstrong engineering on before the gala, giving us better use of the fuel we put in the tanks.
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