|
[D8110] 20110 |
The loco is in service and worked a freight trip on
Saturday 12th April for the D.D.S. on the morning of their AGM and later
top & tail with 118 and the DMU running into the night, A start was
made over the Easter weekend to get the new livery on the loco for the
diesel gala. After the rubbing down and some undercoat had been applied
the loco was placed in the tin P.L.O.G. shed. By the start of May the
painting was all but finished. The name "RIVER DART" was applied on the
Wednesday afternoon (7th) and on Friday evening (9th) the nose end doors
which would have had a Tinsley rose on, had a Primrose put on instead for
the line it works over! And the shed code which goes between the cab
windows should be 41A for Tinsley is not, nor is it 83J (Buckfastleigh)
instead it is 72A for Exmouth Jct., Exeter? Exmouth Jct. only had class 08
shunters allocated to it and then it was 83D, so why 72A? Well it was the
only thing going at the time! The loco worked well over the weekend.
The headboards carried on the loco for the "The Three to the Sea" in the
evening on Saturday were the originals from the Sheffield to Brighton trip
and supplied by the Class 20 Society, who own them. The Society also had
their sale stand out on the platform on Saturday. A start was made to
re-place the engine compartment door seals on Sunday 1st June, with the
tops and left hand side being treated first. The right hand sides with be
done at a later date, as the doors have to come off.
© Neil Cannon |
© Neil
Cannon |
|
D8110 is prepared for repaint |
Even Diesels suffer from body rot ! |
© Neil Cannon
Appropriate name for "Three to the Sea" |
© Neil
Cannon |
|
Impressive repaint - note 72A shed
plate | |
|
[D8118] 20118 |
| Worked on the D.D.S.'s AGM day (as above) without fault.
It was placed at the Totnes end with 110 Buckfastleigh end so both loco's
were cab leading. The loco also worked for the Railway's Easter Transport
Gala on Sunday & Monday 20/21 April, plus the Thomas weekend on 3/4/5
May. The "RIVER DON" name was re-applied (with double sided tape) to the
loco and "SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA" covered over. Again this was done Wednesday
afternoon. The loco worked well over the weekend. The only thing that will
need to be looked at is the power control. This was found to fluctuate
about 200 to 300 amps when under power. The following Sunday the loco had
it's old name back and the stuck on names peeled off, but on one side some
touching up is needed as some paint has come away. The loco worked over
the 1950's weekend on the Monday 26th May. The cab heaters were
electrically tested on 15th June with ambient temperatures in the cab of
over 30C! The cab end was also covered up on this date, until it's next
working, this will help keep the sun from fading the yellow
paint. |
|
[D7612, 25262]
25901 |
| No.1 cylinder not firing has been traced to air getting
into the system. The loco had it's first trip down the line for 23 months
on Saturday April 12th. Top & tail with 20118 and the DMU for the
D.D.S. on their AGM. The loco trailed on the way to Totnes and worked
back. Whilst waiting at Bishops Bridge a joint on the filler/drain valve
was leaking, this was tightened up, plus a fuel leak on No.1 cylinder also
found (by nice black oil streaks down the side of the newly painted power
unit) where the high pressure fuel pipe goes into the injector. Apart from
these two things all seemed to go well. The water valve that was leaking
was removed on the Sunday and the rubber joint had been squeezed so tight
to stop the leak it was now full on holes! The brass casting on this gate
valve is also playing up. It would seem that it has hair line fractures in
it that weep. It's has been repaired once already, but still weeps.
Towards the start of April the new batteries arrived on site, and by the
end on the month they had been fitted. A new "O" ring has been fitted to
the fuel strainer on the suction side of the system and a new water gate
valve has been soldered sealed onto the fittings and refitted to the loco,
which is now bone dry. On Thursday 8th May the fuel system was bled and a
test run done to Totnes. It was found to be firing on all six cylinders
again. The loco returned from Totnes with a small milk train. As with the
two 20's the loco worked well over the weekend, and seems to be quite that
bit better now the fuel filters etc. have been changed. The 1950's weekend
had the loco out once again on Sunday 25th May. On the evening of Tuesday
3rd June the loco stood in for the DMU on a charter (making the news in
the local paper), doing one round trip of the line. Unfortunately
No.1 cylinder is still playing up at times, also water has been found in a
couple of places on top of the engine block. Some joints on the fuel
system have been remade as they were weeping |
|
Class 09 |
| No change with this loco as yet. The loco had some fuel
put in the tank for the first time on Sunday 4th May. Not bad as the loco
has been here for ten plus years. It was planned to have the loco's engine
running over the gala weekend, but due to charging problems it was not
possible. It was, however, started on the Monday after the event and
started first time. It was then left to run for about one
hour. |
|
Class 127 |
The owning group had the annual spring bash on 16th
April. Some members turned up to do some work on the unit on the 1 3th.
Working on the ceiling in the centre car and to fix the water leak on the
Ashburton end power car cooling system. When it came to the gala weekend
the unit let it's self down (once again). On the Wednesday 7th the
Ashburton end power car would not start, j ust turn over slowly. So on
Friday 9th it was put on charge. When a start was attempted it was dead.
Looking in the battery isolating switch box the local fuse had blown, so
it was replaced. That also blew when the B.I. S. was put to "ON". The rest
of the afternoon was then spent making the unit a 2 car set, making it a
power car and non driver which then meant that over the weekend it could
not take any tail traffic as planned. The owners paid a visit mid June and
put the set
right. It would appear that the stop
solenoid was at fault, once again. Hopefully this will last a while as the
unit will be seeing some use starting next month on the evening
service. |
|
Class 122 - 55000 |
Work started in April on marking and cutting out of the
new ceiling panels. Fitting these panels started at the beginning of May,
with a short break over the gala weekend, as the unit housed the `O' gauge
railway "Higher Trelavour" that was on show to the public. By mid June the
ceiling panels had all been fitted.
© Neil
Cannon |
|
The new Ceiling being
erected | |
|
Yorkshire |
| In service. |
|
Fowler |
| Has seen some limited use as it has had to come out of
it's shed to make way for D8110, which is now 20110. |
|
Ruston |
| No change from last time, but wait, it was seen doing
some shunting on Saturday 10th May on the gala weekend. However on the
Sunday it had sprung a oil leak on the oil cooling radiator for the
hydraulic drive. |
|
South Devon Diesels' Drewry 04 |
Now out shopped in B.R. green livery, but was unable to
take part in the D.D. S.'s AGM day on 12th April due to running in of a
new bearing which means yard work at Buckfastleigh during April to get the
bearing bedded in. The loco made it's first trip down the line on the
Saturday 3rd May to give brake van rides at Totnes for the Thomas weekend
and all went well with the new bearing running cold. It was stabled at
Staverton each night. After shunting and the odd passenger turn over
the gala weekend the loco had it's control air system check over for
leaks. One leak was found on a pipe to the forward/reveres piston this
turned out to be a broken union joint. A temporary repair was done so the
loco could move. This was later repaired the following weekend.
The loco had it's engine oil changed mid June, along
with the compressor and exhauster. |
|
South Devon Diesels' Class 50 |
| Still no news on this loco, as yet. But next
time their should more than one line! |
|
Stock |
MINK W 104700 - Waiting the fitting of some new wooden
strips over the doors. It formed part of the van train over the gala
weekend.
CCT W94556 - No change. The gala weekend
had this van out and about. By min June it was found that the new paint on
one of the new panels that was welded in over last Christmas had not
taken. When the paint was peeled off it was all wet behind it. This panel
has now been repainted.
CCT M94852 - No
change.
SHOCK - This van also had a spin out and
about over the gala weekend.
MINK `B' (W125814)
B753100 - Had it's first run out over the gala weekend in the van and the
mixed passenger trains. |
|
Other |
| THE VISITING LOCO'S |
20166, 33110 & 47279 like our own loco's all the visiting
loco's worked without fault or failure. 201 b6 worked on reduced
power as a turbo has a bearing that's is about to fail. It had it's
two turbo's replaced at the ,start of the year due to both having
coolant leaks.
33110 has it's electric heating isolated and both
20 & 33 have defective speedo's.
These two locos came up
from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in Cornwall. 47279 came light
loco from Dagenham, stopping at Exeter for a body and bogie clean.
It was restricted to the Staverton to Totnes end of the Line and saw
limited use on both days. It was also .suffering from a reverser
fault. which meant it had to be reversed by hand in the engine room.
The loco is a Freightliner owned loco and it was used to tow the 20
& 33, to and from the B & W Railway. |
Just passing through - GWR 1369 & Beattie 30587 share the
running shed © Neil
Cannon | |
| Keep the aluminium drink cans coming in. |
|
Dates for Diary (Diesels
running) |
| See Sunday trains below. Also Branch Line Weekend 24th
& 25th Aug. and Transport Heritage Weekend 20th & 21st
Oct. |
|
Working Weekends |
| The main working Sunday will be
the first one on the month, but most Sundays will see someone around if
you turn up between 09.00 and 09.30. All help most welcome. FIRST SUNDAYS
OF THE MONTH:- 6th July, 3rd August, 7th September & 5th
October. |
|
Running Days |
Sundays - 6th July 25901, 3rd August 20118, 7th
September 25901, 5th October 20118.
Buckfastleigh Dep. 10.04, 11.30, 13.00 &
15.00. |
