Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th January 2012, Carriage & Wagon Works, Bury

Saturday 28th January 2012
Attendance: 5

A start had been made on the first of the distinctive windscreen glasses and all four indicator box windows had been glazed the previous day so Jason and Adam started the day off by permenantly fitting the headcode boxes to A and B end nose doors. The glass was first given a quick clean and then each box fitted in turn. The chains were also re-attached to stop the doors swinging out too far.

D9531 was then shunted across over the pit road for the remainder of the weekend. Chris B arrived mid-afternoon and assisted Jason & Adam lifting the cab roof section off and down to ground level via A end bonnet. The 'chimney breast' of peg board was then able to be removed to locate fixing holes for the fire alarm bell and cupboard. Suitable holes were made in the pegboard to accomodate these and it was then re-attached. The fire alarm was then mounted and wired in by Alan.

The decision was made to cut a new piece of pegboard for the cab roof section, as the hole for the conduit for the cab light was in the wrong place. An alternative bulkhead light unit was located as well. The seal on the roof section was also found to be out of tolerance, so it was decided to utilise some left over rubber section on this. Chris set about the long task of scraping out the old seal and as much glue as possible.

Meanwhile, Alan had begun feeding wires at the A end to the route boxes and marker lamp units. Some bulb holders required either swapping or repairing and Alan was able to find some alternative units to fit. While all the above was going on, Jason was busying himself drilling and mounting the bottom kick strips and heaters inside the cab. There were a lot of holes to drill which took some time doing.

Rob Mason arrived early evening and cut a new piece of pegboard for the cab roof section, using the old as a template but relocating the slot for the conduit. Chris finished scraping out the old seal, located the new rubber and some evo-stick grip glue. Once the channels had been wire brushed, Adam and Chris cut seals to length and began sticking them down to the frame.

With energies dwindling and 8pm approaching it was decided call it a day and we set off for a well-earned pint & pie!

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Sunday 29th January 2012, Carriage & Wagon Works
Attendance: 6

The main aim for today was to get 'Ernest' moving under its own power. In freezing temperatures that were only amplified in the C & W depot, the team made an early start. Jason began by cutting a aluminium heat shield for one of the heaters and a new sideplate to replace one that was missing. Alan was busy in the cab making further wiring adjustments.

Chris set about changing around some of the air pipe choke fittings ready for when Martin arrived later in the day, Rob & Adam continued with the cab roof with Adam making some adapter plates for the new roof light and Rob further adapting the new sheet of pegboard, cutting out the necessary pieces including a suitable hole in the centre for the cab light. Once done, the pegboard was then screwed down to the roof section. Having finished with the cab light, Adam did some gloss flatting on the B-end cab.

Chris & Rob departed to B & Q mid-morning to get in some supplies and materials for the cab floor. After a quick bacon butty break, Jason mounted the heat shield he had finished and new side plate in the cab along with some of the other pieces already at hand.

Martin arrived and set about continuing the 100 psi pipework run to the brake frame. Chris made up a reducing fitting for the transmission overspeed so a flexible could be attached and also made flexible's for the fill valve and primary influence. Alan sourced a suitable EP valve for the tooth on tooth pipe network and Chris mounted it to the back of a floor panel.

Alan then set about making up the pipework for the tooth on tooth and soon discovered a problem, some 6mm to 4mm reducers that had been bought did not fit the 4mm pipe to the double check valve. The old pipe was slightly larger than 4mm in diameter and would enter the push fit adapter. Despite searching for a solution with what we had available to hand it was getting obvious that it was a losing battle. Martin battled on with the 15mm pipework but was finding soldering difficult in the low temperatures but managed to complete the network up to the brake frame.

"Below deck", Jason had started polishing the side rods on one side using a grinder and wire wheel attachment to get the rough stuff off and years of grime, which came up quite well considering.

Rob and Adam had finished refitting the pegboard on the cab roof centre section. It had also been given a coat of paint so, whilst drying, they had a look at the cab floor. Panels were removed from one side and some adjustments made to get a good fit, Once done Rob cut some lino pieces and these were then glued to the floor panels. He also cut some aluminium edging strips to length for each panel ready for attaching.

Martin completed the 15mm pipework and it was decided to call it a day. The tooth on tooth pipe issue putting the hopes of getting Ernest moving today to nil. The outstanding pipework now stands at:

8mm from the forward/reverse relay valves to the shuttle valve
8mm feed to the cab manifold for the regulator air controller
8mm from a timing tank to the reg air EP and a flexible from this to the engine governor
15mm feed to the exhauster speed up choke
15mm feed to the front sanding valve in A end

A few small solder repairs also remain to seal brake pipework where there are some in holes in connections.

The above is due to be completed on the 4th Feb, and fingers crossed D9531 will then move under its own power. Time is against us but hopefully next weekend will bring the finishing line significantly closer.