NEWS ARCHIVE: JULY - DECEMBER 2006

South Devon Diesel Traction, SDDT


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33 002 Rebuild Continues!

November and December 2006:
The cutting out gang and Dave The Welder have done wonders with cab 2.(See the Pictures below) The new panels are fabricated and in place on the lower half.

With a little help from Alan Cash and his crane we've finally got the liners out. We've also got the triple pump in bits for a rebuild, the sump has been pumped out and the cleaning process started. Not a pretty sight, it looks like a scrap yard in there with lumps of metal lying around, made the 25's look quite good!

33 002 33 002 33 002
A shy painter scuttles away from the camera!  The completed No.1 end in the workshop. The No.2 end of 33 002 with new metal and undercoat. 33 002 from the P.L.O.G. Shed
33 002 D7612 D7612
A "popped" Liner is harnessed for removal The liner is guided out. The liners "On the floor"
(Note No.8 is upside dow.)
33 002 33 002 33 002
Can anyone "SeeKing?"
Courtesy & © Pete Burrow
A Liner leaves 33 002 Pete Salutes a liner as it leaves port!


October 2006: Many hours of work has been spent with the cylinder heads, cleaning and valve seat lapping with our wonderful Hall Toledo Valve seat grinder. The valves have come back from Plymouth where they have been refaced. We've got the pistons and liners out now, new big end shells have been sourced with some help from our friends at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and various other parts ordered.

Dave the Welder has started on number 2 cab now which is even worse than the other one. Even the supporting struts have rusted away on this one. It seems only good luck held the cab on!

33 002 33 002 33 002
Split Big End bearings!
Courtesy & © Neil Cannon
Out goes another Piston!
Courtesy & © Neil Cannon
High into the sky!
Courtesy & © Neil Cannon
33 002 33 002 33 002
A liner comes out of the block.
Courtesy & © Neil Cannon
Two Pistons await storage.
Courtesy & © Neil Cannon
The cab with the pillars
under repair
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
33 002
And Again! Note the new
splice at the bottom.
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour


August 2006: Even ewith an inch drive T bar and long piece of scaffold our muscles were not up to shifting those head bolts. Luckily help was at hand and as we couldn't find Gary, we were very kindly loaned a 5 times Torque multiplier and Pete then undid them on his own. (He must have had at least 3 weetabix for breakfast that morning!) So now the heads are ready to lift and its Big end bolts next!

33 002 33 002 33 002
Jon Guides in the Crane
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
Out goes another head!
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
The Block with the heads gorn!
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
33 002
The heads make their getaway!
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour


July 2006: Now that 25 901's engine is complete, suckers for punishment that we are, we have started on 33 002. We've got the exhaust off and have started on the Cylinder head bolts. These have proved even tighter than the rat's, so now we're waiting for an inch drive T bar socket to arrive as 3/4 inch drive is clearly not up to it!

33 002 33 002 33 002
33 002 Shows off her new paint!
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
33 002's engine starting to be dismantled,
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour
The Missing exhaust!
Courtesy & © Phil Seymour




25 901: All change!

August 2006: Not content with rebuilding 25 901s engine, we decided that as the railway no longer has a 1960s green diesel, something ought to be done about it....... 25 901, or sould I say D7612 was chosen!

25 901 20 118
The Sunday Gang work on 25 901
Courtesy & © Bob Latham
The Sunday Gang work on 25 901
Courtesy & © Bob Latham

Enter D7612!

On 16th August 2006: D7612, (25 901's original number) was rolled out in a beautifully applied coat of 1960s two tone green with half yellow warning panels. This is her original livery we believe, and certainly suits this later design of class 25 body: Judge for yourself!

D7612 D7612 D7612
D7612 Stands at Totnes After
Working a River Rail. 29.8.96
D7612 Fresh from the paint shop.
Courtesy & © Neil Canon
D7612 - a credit to all who
helped paint her
Courtesy & © Neil Canon
D7612 D7612 D7612
D7612 at Staverton
Level Crossing.
D7612 Waits at
Bishops Bridge
D7612 At Bishops Bridge Loop
29.8.96




20 118 20 118 20 118
20 118 Arrives at Tunbridge Wells,
Courtesy & © Stephen Humphrey
20 118 stands at Tunbridge Wells,
Courtesy & © Stephen Humphrey
20 118 at Tunbridge Wells
Courtesy & © Stephen Humphrey


20 118 Takes a Summer Vacation to the Spa Valley Railway!

19th August2006: 20 118 performed well at the Spa Valley Diesel Gala. It was a well run gala on an excellant railway and a good time was had by all that I met. The Photo Gallery can be seen by clicking here:

Spa Valley Gala Page

1st Aug 2006: The Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells has hired 20 118 From August to October, she arrived at Tunbridge wells last Thursday. 20 118 will Star at their Summer Diesel Gala on Friday the 4th to Sunday the 6th of August and will be used on various other occasions upto October, so that she will be back for our November Gronk aid Gala.

Fore more details, look at the Spa Valley Railway's Website or the South East Loco Group's Website.




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