S.D.D.T.
Ltd 
January – March
No.21
NEWSLETTER
[D8110] 20110
A new mileage figure
for last year is 662 miles. Worked light loco to Totnes on Sunday 2nd
January and returned with 50002 ‘SUPERB’. With no run round at Buckfastleigh
the 50 had to be propelled all the way down the branch. A second trip (of the
year) up the line came on Sunday 13th February for engineering work
at Hood Bridge. Sunday 27th February and a third trip to Hood Bridge
with timbers for the walkways on the new bridge was made in the morning. Another
day out (after taking a drop of fuel) on a shunt about of stock and a ballast
drop at Totnes on Wednesday 9th March. Had a spell of more trips
& shunting work in readiness for the Steam Gala on 27th & 28th
March.
[D8118] 20118
A new mileage figure for
last year is 683 miles. A water leak has be found over the electrical cubical,
this was found whiles the electrics were being check over. This will mean the
renewal of a seal and may mean lifting part of the roof section off! The loco
has had a bank of resistors cleaned that sits on top of the electrical cubicle
and get wet when it rains! But on Sunday 13th March the loco was
started (to put air through 50002 to get to 33002) and found that when power
was tried for it would not respond. This has been traced to the water leak
making some relays stick.
[D7612, 25262] 25901
A new mileage figure
for last year is 579 miles. Work on the power unit continued through January on
the dismantling of the first three sets of heads & pistons. On Thursday 27th
things were going well until the socket broke, this delayed releasing the last
of the three heads. On Friday 4th February the last head was
unbolted with a new socket and the three heads were lifted off along with one
piston. The last two pistons were lifted out on the Sunday. The big end bearing
shells were found to be badly worn and will have to be replaced. All heads
& pistons were put into a box van for safe storage and the head can be
worked on in the dry. The following weekend saw the liners pushed out and put
in the van. A build up of slug inside the engine could now be seen and over the
weekend was removed. On the Sunday the valves were removed from the heads and
more cleaning on the engine block. On Tuesday 15th measurements were
taken of the piston rings to see which will need replacing. This now leaves
renewing the seals and worn parts, then put it all back and do the other three
cylinders! On Sunday 13th March the cylinder liners were given a
clean and the valves ground into their ports. After closer inspection it was
decided to have all the valve seats machined, then ground. So a start was made
on stripping the remaining three heads, which were lifted off on Saturday 26th
and dismantled & cleaned on the Sunday.
[D6501] 33002
The loco left its
storage site (for the last five years) on the afternoon of Monday 24th
Jan and arrived at Buckfastleigh by around 15.30 on the next day. As the light
was still good the loco was unloaded and put in the yard. A coach that was sold
by the railway was then load for a trip up to the northeast of the country. The
next day the loco had a quick tidy up along with some parts being removed from
in and around the engine room to go into store for spares. The battery
connections had clean and the levels checked and topped up. On the following
Sunday the charger was brought around to put some charge back into the
batteries. A dull orange glow came from the engine room lights when switched
on. When the charge was switched on, it started putting in 4amps. This slowly
built up through the afternoon and ended up at 13amps. Also on the Sunday a
start was made on removing the injectors, with four of the eight being removed,
plus a quick wash brought some color back to the loco. On Wednesday 2nd
February the engine room lights were a lot brighter and a few more hours on
charge. This time the charger read 16amps, but will these batteries be good
enough to start the engine when the time comes? On Friday 4th the last injector was removed. And on
the Sunday the engine was barred over a half a revelation. With the injectors
serviced during the week a start on putting them back started on Sunday 13th
February also on this day the triple pump was disconnected and placed by a body
side door ready to be lifted out so it can be examined and de-sized. The engine
was barred over as well. On Tuesday 15th both crankcase covers were
removed so that a big end bearing could be removed to see what condition it was
in. It was found to be in good condition, that was the good news! The bad news
is that the water seals between the heads and the block are damaged, their
being four per head means thirty-two new ones are required. Sunday 27th
February saw the missing droplight window replaced in No. 1 end cab door. The
injectors were refitted to the power unit at the start of March. On Sunday 13
March air was put into the loco. A leak in the electrical cubicle came to light
and was isolated, to be looked into at a later date; a second leak was then
found under the loco on the wrong side of a drain cock for the main air tanks,
this was then isolated! This pipe will have to come off to be repaired. On
testing the straight air brakes on the loco one cylinder on each bogie was
found not to be working properly. When the train air brake was tried for the
emergency drivers brake vale was found to be blowing through in No. 2 cab. The
loco was moved under cover by the end of March for body repair work to start.
Class
04
The loco
was stopped at the end of January for a fuel filter change. During the first
week of February the loco was back in service in and around Buckfastleigh only,
as the flywheel seal still needs replacing. After the March Steam Gala the loco
was stopped again for an air vale to be stripped.
Class
09
Waiting
for the better weather to come along, so it can be stated again.
Class
14
Waiting
to go away to Peak rail at Rowsley South.
Class
37
The No. 1
end cab has been finished in green & cream livery and looks very smart too.
At the start of February the loco was having a coat of primer and the undercoat
applied. On 8th March the loco was move into the C & W works shop for it’s
final topcoats to be applied. It came back out on Sunday 20th and
had it’s fire bottle removed from each nose so that they could be check over
and refilled.
Class
50
Still
parked in the bay at Totnes, but only for about 31 hours in 2005! As it is now
at Buckfastleigh, where the batteries have been charged and the lights now work
once again.
Class
122
Work has
been concentrating on the large saloon doors; with the rubber draft seals being
cleaned ready for refitting and new strips of wood to hold the seals in place.
The window frames for the brake van end cab have had a few new pieces of wood
put in and been refitted.
Class
127
Stabled
at Staverton. Has an owners outing in April.
Yorkshire
In service.
Fowler
No change
from last time.
Ruston
No change
from last time.
Stock
MINK W104700 – No change.
CCT W94556 – Both CCT’s had spin over the steam gala weekend
in March, other wise no change.
CCT M94852 – No change.
SHOCK VAN - No change.
MINK ‘B’ W125814 (B753100) –
In the goods train over the steam gala other wise no change.
DATES
FOR THE DIARY (Diesels running)
Diesel Gala with visiting loco’s - June 11th &
12th
Diesel Gala in house loco’s - November 5th & 6th
WORKING WEEKENDS
Are mostly on Sundays at the moment. If you turn up about
between 09.00 and 09.30 someone
should be about !
RUNNING DAYS
Sunday 3rd July then the evening 17.15 Dep from 18th
July more in next newsletter.
DAYS
GONE BY
25052 A Laira (Plymouth) vacuum only
class member waits to cross an up passenger at Honiton (mid 70’s) with 6B70
17.00 Chard Jct to Exeter Riverside Yd. This working was Exeter trip No.1, part
of Laira 92 diagram. After arriving at Exeter the loco would wait to work the
20.15 stopping train to Newton Abbot with stock of the Waterloo service. It
would then be serviced at Newton Abbot shed before returning to Exeter HS light
engine later that evening usually with a second class 25.
20173 runs round a
sort empty ballast train (out of sight) at Loughborough 12-2-82. In the
background can be seen Ex BR class 08 D3101 that is now working on the Great
Central Railway.
33118 At Newton
Abbot Ex-works on Exeter trip 71. Only the platform is now left in this view,
the rest has gone and been built on. 16-7-86.
The power unit in 25901 with bites removed. Left showing the air inlet and under these are the fuel pumps with the push rods in the tubs each side of the pump. Right is showing the exhaust system partly dismantled along with the rust marks over the engine block were the seals were leaking.
The first three heads almost ready to be lifted off 27-1-05 & 4-2-05 the first one comes off.
No.2 piston, hiding towards the bottom of the bore. No. 3 comes out.
Big end shells
which should have a covering of white metal! And Jacking out No.1 liner.
Up pops the liner and after it was removed this is what was left, the slug inside No.1, all three were like this.
After a overnight stay near Crewe (en-route from Smalmstown) 33002 turns off the A38 and arrives at the railway on Tuesday 25th January
All ready for unloading and shortly after being shunted into the yard for the night.
The secondmans side No. 1 cab on 37037 starting to come together on the left 16-1-05, and a week later 25-1-05 almost finished! The drivers side No. 1 cab, again almost finished on 25-1-05 on the right.