RRRG new website top logo resized

 

Restoration diary

Reports of restoration work on 50029 and 50030.

Compressors update

Compressors update
The main block of a class 50 air compressor, stripped down and partially overhauled.
The motor end of the compressor, as the overhaul progresses.
The compressor crankshaft. Note the surface rust from water ingress.
The electrical machine end of the compressor.
The compressor body. This particular example has suffered water ingress over the years and we will probably use it only for parts to repair another of our compressors as it will be expensive to repair.
The compressor motor field windings overhauled.
Another view of the field windings of the compressor; the electrical end of the machine has been refurbished.
Another view of the refurbished electrical motor field windings of the compressor.
The compressor fan housing.
The compressor motor armature in the process of receiving overhaul.
Air compressor cylinder heads. Note the one on the left shows signs of water damage.
Our medium term goal is to restore 50030 to a state where the Diesel engine can be started up and the locomotive's systems checked. To this end we are concentrating on both the power unit and generators plus the air and vacuum systems. We already have an overhauled vacuum exhauster in secure, heated storage off site and we have a number of compress...
Continue reading
3015 Hits
0 Comments

Work party report 10 March 2019

No 1 end cab 50030 with panelling refitted.
Bogie brake adjusters refurbished and ready for refitting to the bogies to replace worn adjusters removed previously.
A good day on Sunday, despite the Arctic wind in the morning. Wes Needle had a very productive day. He started the day by cleaning the debris from under No.1 cab floor on the second man's side. Then, with Dave's help, they checked the operation of the handbrake mechanism under the floor. They found that the pivot nut required tightening and a new s...
Continue reading
3615 Hits
0 Comments

Work party report 17th February 2019

Dave Rolfe, Wes Needle and I were on site on Sunday 17th February. Peak Rail have been reorganising their site during the first weeks of 2019 and opportunities for work parties were also limited by the weather. Dave was removing the brake adjustment parts off the bogies, as he'd identified some that were either worn or where there appeared to be ...
Continue reading
3249 Hits
0 Comments

Work party reports update December 2018

Ian Kemp, Peter Carter and Dave Rolfe have been finishing off fitting pipework onto the ex-50008 power unit, and have started removing the injectors for inspection, before they go off for overhaul. Dave has been overhauling, cleaning and temporarily fitting items onto the brake frame so we know where everything goes. They will need removing to get ...
Continue reading
3775 Hits
0 Comments

New air filter frames

The frames for the air filters at the radiators end of 50030 were corroded, warped and generally unusable after 25 years or more out of traffic. Although we had a number of spares they likewise were not much good having been stored out in the open or in damp environments. We decided to "bite the bullet" and place an order with an engin...
Continue reading
4489 Hits
1 Comment

Work party reports July/August 2018

The radiator compartment in 50030 following reinstallation of the overhauled radiators.
Deborah Stokes testing the voltage on the batteries still inside 50030.
The first two radiator fan resistor backplates were refitted on a test basis.
Deborah Stokes removed the batteries from 50030 to top up distilled water levels and attempt to charge them up.
The heat exchanger for the overhauled power unit intended for 50030 was overhauled last year and has now been fully installed complete with all pipework.
After four hours connected to a car battery charger, the voltage on the batteries doubled, although they won't be good enough to actually fire 50030 up.
I have been offline with PC problems for the last few weeks so work party reports haven't been added! So here's a bumper update rolling up all the work on site during the last month or so since the last report in mid July.The last three workparties saw myself, Dave Rolfe, Deborah Stokes, Wes Needle, Carl and Sofy Looker and Mark a...
Continue reading
4178 Hits
1 Comment

Work party report 15th July 2018

The No 1 end cab of 50030 showing various patches done over the past few weeks. Hot summer weather is generally a good time to attend to jobs like these.
Cabside rot is the bane of all Class 50 owners. Drainage channels from the side windows in the cab become blocked and allow water to build up. We patched ours up a few years ago but the problem is starting to come back.
Cab footsteps are another troublesome area although not nearly as bad. Note the SmartWater sticker: we in RRRG have been using this service for a number of years now and we highly recommend it as a cheap and effective anti-theft deterrent for all locomotive owning groups.
​Mark Burrows, his son Robert and I were on site today. Mark and Robert carried on scraping, bashing, fibreglassing, filling, sanding and priming around the no.1 cab of 50030, while I had a good tidy up on the shelves opposite the electrical cubicle, then Mark helped me fit the three rad resistor backplates along one side of the rads. Apart from th...
Continue reading
4299 Hits
1 Comment

Working party report 24th June 2018

The no 1 end cab of 50030. This was last repainted about ten years ago when we first purchased the two locomotives and agreed with our hosts at Peak Rail that they should be repainted.
Ten years outdoors exposed to the elements hasn't been hugely kind to the paint job and the traditional cabside rot is starting to show. The aim is to do a quick repair job whilst the weather is fine and keep 50030 looking presentable and improve weather proofing.
A full repaint of 50030 isn't on the agenda for now as we concentrate on the mechanical aspects so we decided just to concentrate on removing rusty patches and getting primer onto the bare metal followed by undercoat to at least seal the repaired area away from the weather.
Mark Burrows and his Robert plus myself were on site today. Mark and Robert carried on where my partner Mae had got to on the no.1 end cabsides of 50030, removing rusty paint bubbles, grinding and sanding smooth where possible, then adding filler, sanding again and priming, then painting with grey undercoat. When purchased in 2002, both 50029 and 5...
Continue reading
4377 Hits
1 Comment

Radiator lift additional pictures

When we originally reported on the installation of the overhauled radiators into 50030, we promised some more pictures showing what we did on the day. I took a lot of pictures during the lift day and we hope these will give an idea of everything that was done on the day, and why it was such a long day! ...
Continue reading
3335 Hits
0 Comments

Work party report 3rd June 2018

Interior of the radiator fan compartment, showing the overhauled radiators that we recently reinstalled into 50030.
The two radiator fan resistor backplates fitted for spacing checks.
Two of the radiator drain cocks fully connected
​My fiancee Mae joined me on site today, along with Carl and Sofi Looker. While Mae was hammering, poking and scraping at rust spots around the lower parts of the no.1 cab on Repulse (a recent target area we had decided to tackle), Sofie was top-coating one side of the six radiator fan resistor backplates, while Carl and I lifted and bolted tw...
Continue reading
3408 Hits
0 Comments

Radiator lift April 2018

The very first step was to remove the mesh cover in the roof panel over the radiator fan.
Then the roof panel covering the radiator compartment could be lifted off to gain access to the radiator compartment itself.
The roof panel could then be lifted well clear of the locomotive and stored on the ground out of the way until it was ready to be replaced at the end of the lift.
We have previously reported on the work done in the radiator compartment of 50030 once the radiators were originally lifted out to allow the compartment to be refurbished. We had hoped that we would be able to lift the radiators back into 50030 following their refurbishment somewhat sooner than now but a combination of bad weather and oth...
Continue reading
3698 Hits
0 Comments

Work party report 11th March 2018

Work party report 11th March 2018
Radiator fan roof panel nearing completion of refurbishment.
Dave Rolfe and I were on site today. It was more of a sorting stuff out day than doing much actual work as it was my first day back since December. I did manage to clean off the sixth radiator fan resistor backplate and undercoat the second side of two that weren't done last time, and I grabbed a picture of the completed fan roof underside now it's...
Continue reading
4683 Hits
0 Comments

New share certificates issued

For those who have increased their shareholding since November 2016 (either through outright share purchase, attending the workparty in Rowsley or through standing order mandate) new share certificates are going to be in the mail on Monday December 11th. The share certificate will represent the actual number of full shares (£100 each) held on December 1st of this year. A big thank you to all those shareholders who make it possible to continue the vital restoration work as done by both our volunteers and outside contractors!

Continue reading
2553 Hits
0 Comments

2017 Annual General Meeting

The 2017 Renown Repulse Restoration Group Annual General Meeting will be held at The Alexandra Hotel, 203 Siddals Road, Derby DE1 2QE at 11:15AM on 9th December 2017. The meeting will be held in the lounge with the usual selection of hot and cold drinks plus bar food such as filled cobs, pork pies and crisps available.If travelling by public transp...
Continue reading
3083 Hits
0 Comments

Work party report 15th October 2017

Work party report 15th October 2017
​Carl Looker and his daughter Sofia put a third coat of black on the radiator room floor, than cleaned four of the rear mounting plates for the rad fan resistors which go above the walkways alongside the rads. There are three each side. The plates were only very lightly corroded as they get covered in dust and debris drawn in through the rad grille...
Continue reading
4083 Hits
1 Comment

Work party report 8th October 2017

​Dave Rolfe and I were at Rowsley on Sunday 8th October: it was not the most successful of days but we got a bit done.We tried to take the radiator breather pipes off 50029, but she absolutely refused to help her sister and wouldn't relinquish said breather pipes. The bolts were just too rusted and tight, and the access to the bolts very restr...
Continue reading
3599 Hits
0 Comments

Radiator room progress September 2017

On Sunday I went to Rowsley to see Dave Rolfe and catch up on what's been happening, unfortunately no pictures as my car was so full of stock after a sales event that day that the camera wouldn't fit in it!I'm pleased to say the radiator room is very close to being finished, the only tasks that need doing before the radiators can go back in in are:...
Continue reading
3900 Hits
1 Comment

Work party reports 19th June, 27th August 2017

​19/6/2017 Deborah Stokes and I completed the rail grey topcoating in the radiator compartment, Dave Rolfe refitted another part of the radiator shutter actuating mechanism, while Wes Needle carried on in no 1 cab, refitting panelling to the driver's desk, though not without some effort as the panels were warped from storage and previous rushed fit...
Continue reading
3916 Hits
2 Comments

Radiators and other updates - part 2

Radiators and other updates - part 2
Refitting the overhauled heat exchanger to the ex-50008 power unit completes the oil circuit once more and allows us to keep barring the power unit over before it is installed in 50030.
This post is to continue from the previous article rounding up the progress RRRG has made in the first half of 2017.As we had lifted the radiator fan and its motor out of 50030 in order to remove the radiators themselves for overhaul, it seemed a good idea to get this sent off for overhaul at the same time as the radiators were being d...
Continue reading
3380 Hits
0 Comments

Radiators and other updates - part 1

Radiators and other updates - part 1
As we approach the halfway point of 2017, it seems like a good time to to look back at what RRRG has been doing this year and our progress to date.The major work (and expense!) this year has been on the overhaul of the radiators for use in 50030 as we progress towards at least being able to fire up the engine in this locomotive. Along ...
Continue reading
4186 Hits
0 Comments