Friday 10th to Sunday 12th February 2012, Carriage & Wagon Works, Bury

Friday 10th February 2012
Attendance: 3

First job on the agenda was to drain some coolant out of the system. A suitable receptacle was found, cleaned out and then coolant drained into it. Jason then set about shortening and taking a dip out of the small bleed pipe from the cooler group to the header tank as this was suspected to be causing an air lock.

Chris was taking a look at the coolant float switch which has been causing the loco to shut down whilst being shunted with the engine running and could cause similar problems moving under its own power. The Radiator side grille was detached then removed with help from Jason. The cause of the problem had been identified as a lack of buoyancy in the float itself. A modification had been agreed, adding some cork to give greater floating ability and add strength to the arm assembly.

Whilst Chris got busy carving some cork blocks to shape, Jason started to fit some M18 countersunk bolts to the cab door way position, as they were slightly oversize for the holes, Jason found a M18 tap, tapped each hole then wound in each bolt tight, then fitted a washer and nylock nut to each underneath.

With the cork carved to shape, Chris then tested it in the coolant bath to observe and compare the buoyancy with cork fitted, this was much improved and a success. The gasket faces were then cleaned off and a new piece cut for the flange. This was glued into place, the assembly refitted onto the cooler group and the side grille put back.

Jason was then tasked with sorting the header tank Mobery switch, the internal fittings of which were not to the correct specification. After some deliberation, it was decided to borrow the workings from D8233's float switch as it has the same type as D9531 should have. Also, to put the job into perpective, changing the whole switch out completely would mean removing the exhaust stack! Not something we need be getting involved with if at all possible! The next problem was we didn't have any suitable pliers to remove the circlips that hold the workings in, so Jason nipped out to Halfords and bought a 90 degree set. These removed the required workings from the Mobery on D8233 easily but, due to the exhaust stack, quite difficult on D9531. It was decided to abandon the task until the morning when suitable tools could be brought up from Castlecroft Shed.

Meantime, Chris had begun sanding down the filler on the front of B end and one of the battery box sides. He then went over the roof section lightly hand flatting the primer. Gilbert turned up shortly after and began dusting down and tack ragging the B end with Chris, then masked out the border for the wasp stripes on the front of B end.

Chris & gilbert then proceeded to apply a coat of undercoat to the B end roof, side frames, front section and one of the battery boxes.

Once completed, brushes were cleaned out and a well-earned cuppa had before calling it a night.

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Saturday 11th February 2012, C&W Works and Castlecroft
Attendance: 5

The day began with Chris & Adam heading out for some materials for the days tasks. Jason went up to Castlecroft to get a set of 45 degree internal circlip pliers then returned to complete fitting the Mobery switch workings borrowed from D8233. Once done, the coolant removed yesterday was bailed back into the loco using a bucket relay system! Adam fitted and connected the loco's B-end horn box in preparation for movements later in the day.

Matt Lindley made a start on wiring in the headcode boxes at A end and Alan was busy setting up the regulator air system and wiring in another cab light. The reg air valve was found to be doing eratic things, so Alan decided to remove it for further inspection. Luckily he found a new valve, although this needed some modification to allow D9531's own actuating arm to fit. Chris made the necessary adjustments and, once done, the valve was fitted and set up.

'Ernest' was now ready to go up to Castlecroft to top up on water and a startup was needed to check on the last few jobs done in readiness for testing taking power. Class 03 Shunter, D2062, was used to drag the 14 out of C&W No4 road and up to the stop board ready for move onward to castlecroft.

Once at the stop board it was noticed that the low water level light was dim, further proving up the new cork float and also meaning we could start D9531 up. The recent freezing cold temperatures meant this took a couple of tries but it finally started and air pressure was allowed to build up along with a few final checks made as we waited for a path. The road was given by the signalman and Ernest sucessfully took power, propelling the 03 up into Bury Bolton Street! A few brake tests were made on the short journey through to ensure we could stop ok! We duly arrived at Castlecroft and the coolant was topped up.

Alan then shut the engine down to do some more checks. Unfortunately, whilst trying to solve a tacho fault, Alan accidently crossed wires to the cooler group float switch, which burnt it out. This was offset slightly by the good news that the engine had not shut down at all during the movement, so the cork mod had proved itself effective. The float switch will need replacing though as it no longer worked.

Alan wired out the switch for the interim, and had a look at the reverser which wasn't always throwing over in one direction. One of the swtiches that allow it to be thrown was found to be slightly out and this will need investigating further at a later date.

After lunch and a brew, D9531 was fired back up and a path organised through to No2 carriage siding via Platform 4. Ernest made the move quite happily, still with D2062 attached for insurance, and upon arrival we coupled up to 4 air braked Mk2's. The train air was blown up, then brake and capacity tests made as appropriate. All were satisfactory so we decided to try for a test move with the coaches into Platform 4, still with the 03 attached for insurance. Another path was arranged with Bury South Box and D9531 powered away towards the platform. Alan made an initial brake application once moving which worked, albeit a little harsh, then released the brakes quickly and powered back up to speed and braked again. All seemed to be working as it should bar the initial strength.

After a few minutes in the Station we propelled the stock back into the siding, uncoupled and Ernest then lead the way shunting under its own power back into No4 C&W road with D2062 in tow.

After a celebratory brew and half hour chill out, and with the loco cooling down, the team got busy on the bodywork side of things.

Adam & Chris got on with de-nibbing A end roof section, cooler group roof, cooler group sides and A end side doors then went over it all again, dusting down and tack ragging ready for glossing. Once prepared, Chris applied a gloss coat to the roof sections.

Whilst this was all going on Jason was busy fitting a engine-hour meter and mileometer, he also figured out a method for fitting instrument lights in the middle of the desk.

Chris carried on with paintbrush in hand and, with the roof sections done, set about painting one side of A end including 4 side doors, fuel tank front and side, then finally both cooler group sides and fronts round the wasp stripes.

With the time at 9pm, it was decided to pack up and head for a well earned celebratory pint!

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Sunday 12th February 2012
Attendance: 7

Chris was up early and decided to get a good start in. He began with cleaning up and overhauling two Sarco valves destined for the air system then moved on to filling out the craters on B end roof section.

Jason and Adam showed up soon after. Adam removed both horn boxes that had been put on for the movements the previous day and cut some tyco for the B end section and glued it to the box. Jason set about making up the pipe work for the Sarco air drain system. Mark, Colin and Gilbert were next to arrive, and they decided on a painting plan.

Colin got busy painting the cooler group side grilles, and Mark set about 2nd glossing the cab - both areas being wiped down and tack ragged first. Chris had met up with Graham Thornton and went to his store to pick out two suitable driver seats. With two selected, Chris took them back to the Class 15 coach and started removing the backs and bases.

Andy Hardman collected the fabric covered seat parts and the new material which had been sourced as he had kindly offered to re-cover them. Steve Connor had also arrived and was busy in the coach making and fitting alternative fixings for the lamp holders in the marker lamp units. Jason had a break from the Sarco drain system to help Adam removing the old cable glands between battery boxes and side frames.

Next up for Adam was installing the cabside windows. This included cutting, drilling and fitting an aluminium 'U' section to one of the frames to replace a piece that we had been unable to find in the stored D9531 bits. The side windows were then cleaned up and duly fitted. Having finished in the coach, Steve joined Matt at the loco and continued fitting the marker lamp units and wiring them in along with the headcode boxes.

Meantime, the paint team were making good progress: Mark had finished painting the cab and moved onto 2nd glossing the four side doors on the opposite side to those Chris had done the previous evening. Colin had completed one grille and moved on to painting the second.

Jason had finished the air tank Sarco system, and then fitted a Sarco and drain pipe to the small condenser unit, once done he then fitted the compressor blow down to large condenser unit, but did not have enough fittings to complete the drain pipe from it so this will need to be completed next week.

A great weekend of progress and with the project having definately turned a corner, 3 weeks to go before 'Ernest' pulls a train!