Restoration diary

A long two-day session involving a visit to Booths scrapyard, where we were able to weigh in various scrap parts from the container and shed, while acquiring useful items such as low-hours liners, cylinder heads and the aux. gen removed at a previous work party. Various electrical items such as traction motor blowers were dispatched to Bowers of Heanor for overhaul. Thursday was particularly well attended, with Mark B, Pete C, Dave R, Andy R, Chris B, Dominic J and new volunteer Steve Grimes all present. All bar Pete & Andy went to Booths & Pete helped Andy feeding wires from the last three cab-warning resistors. This was finished in the afternoon and the cables were tidied up, and this is another area now completed. After helping unload various items when the guys returned from Booths, we left site around 9pm. I don't know who was the last home, but I didn't arrive until gone 1030pm! On the 19th, Dom, Chris and Alex also undertook cleaning of 50029 in preparation for display at the Peak Rail diesel gala next weekend on Friday.

Mark B & Ian were having a general tidy up of parts from the latest scrapyard hauls, then after lunch they removed six gudgeon pins from spare pistons & con rods, greased the pins, stored them & the pistons & marked the conrods for future scrapping. I brought up various items from my house for storage in the coach then wired in another three cab warning light resistors.

As I am taking some time out from the project to re-join my old American Football team for this season, Chris Thorn again reports: "Saturday 9th saw John Pinion, Tom and Chris at Booths to process new arrivals 37692/37798. Whilst already stripped they did yield some promising brake cylinders. The afternoon saw Dave join Chris and Tom at Rowsley. Dave continued making piston lifting brackets, Chris sorted new spares arrivals and Tom continued in the cab. Sunday saw Mark, Ian and Pete join the overnight trio. Two more pistons were refitted on Sunday and more spares were delivered from Mark's. Tom wired in the new cab lights and refitted the new fault light panels and AWS horn, all overhauls from recent ex Booths components."

As I was unavailable due to having a bad back, this report is from Chris Thorn. "Dominic, Tim and Mick Ratledge cleared the roadway to the shed and re-graded the surface. They also sorted the scrap pile ready for collection and helped little Chris refitting cubicle doors to Renown. Tom completed painting the cab vestibules, refitted overhauled ceiling vents and the warning light cluster. Dave opened up all the loose brake cylinders and added the corroded ones to the scrap pile. Ian and Pete sorted the latest arrival of new engine parts and refitted some more pistons. I brought up more parts from home, continued sorting our spares and shifted the heads in the shed to clear the floor space ready for new arrivals."

Chris Thorn & his brother Tom spent four days doing a marathon session over the Easter weekend, making great inroads into cleaning back loose paint and sanding on the entire interior surfaces of No.1 cab, fitting better wooden shelving to the pallet racking in the coach, did further sorting of spares, listed what we are still missing, removed the remains of the brake frame piping and cleaned & painted the frame & structures behind.