S.D.D.T. Ltd  

January - March                                                                                                                                 No.17

 NEWSLETTER

www.sddt.co.uk

The home page is now up and running.

Pages will be added to the new web site over the coming year.

D8110 (20110)

The loco worked to Staverton on 1st January to act as standby whilst the line was removed at Nursery Pool Bridge. The loco was started on Sunday 7th March. this was the first time since January. With the bridge rebuilt and the winter track relaying finished, the loco has returned to Buckfastleigh. It has had a busy end to March dropping Ballast at various locations along the branch.

[D8118] 20118

 Has seen limited use and on 1st January went down the line to bring back some wagons. Has also been used for a few shunts around Buckfastleigh.

[D7612, 25262] 25901

 

Has spent most of the winter under cover, but not allot to report on this loco as with the other loco’s! It has had the brushes checked over (main generator, compressor, exhausters cooling fan etc.) through March and all seem to be within limits.

 

Class 04

This loco has also been stabled at Staverton, going down on the 2nd January. Has had the odd trip from Staverton. One of these was on Saturday 21st February when the ashes of Fireman Graham Grenville were scattered around Woodville by his family. Later that day a second trip to Totnes was made to bring back a couple of wagons. Sunday 7th March the 04 powered clean up train, well once the loco was started that is! The loco is now back at Buckfastliegh.

Class 09

No change, but watch this space!

Class 37

37037 (D6737) Has been acquired by the Devon Diesel Society from Harry Needle railroad Company. At the start of January the loco was still at EWS’s depot at Wigan (Spring Branch), were it had been robbed of parts. It was move later in the winter to Barrow Hill Round House for repairs and refitting of missing part so the loco’s power unit could be started. This loco also comes with a boiler (or steam generator), but the water tank was also missing. This has now been refitted under the loco from a spare at Barrow Hill. It is hoped the loco will be in Devon in time for the gala in June. This loco was first allocated new to 50B Hull Dairycoates 4-5-62, moving onto 55C Healey Mills 10-69, moved back to the east coast 8-72 to 40B Immingham but only for a short time before going to 41A Sheffield Tinsley 10-72, it moved back to Immingham and back to Tinsley before going to March (MR) 10-74, from here it moved to London Strafford (SF) 2-81 but only for a month as it went North to Glasgow Eastfield (ED) 3-81, later moving across to Motherwell (ML) 12-85 were it was renumbered to 37321 and named (Ted Rogers/Dusty Bin)! “GARTCOSH”  at ML on 23-7-86 this was for exclusive to working air braked British Steel trains. Twelve loco’s in this class was selected. By 1-91 it was transferred to Thornaby (TE) as 37037 and was denamed in March 92 before going to Cardiff Canton (CF), a year later it moved to Bristol Bath Rd 5-93, going back to Canton (CF) 11-93, it was put in store unserviceable 7-94, it was returned to service 11-11-94 before moving back to London, this time to Stewarts Lane (SL) 12-94, moved south west to Eastleigh (EH) 9-97, it was back North to Toton (TO) 11-98. It was put stored unserviceable again on 22-2-99 at Immingham and later Toton, wheir it was returned to service and moved to France on 27-8-99. It returned to the UK on 14-8-00, arriving at Wigan on 16-8-00 and was authorized for component recovery on 23-8-00, being sold to Harry Needle’s Railroad Company in 2003. It move to Barrow Hill round house for rectification at the start of January. After a spell in the round house to allow the loco to dry out! Work started on replacing the missing parts in mid March.

Class 50

In the bay at Totnes, safely stored.

Class 122

The spare bogies have had their wheelset ultrasonically tested on Sunday 11th January and all were found to be in good order. By the start of February the wheels had been removed from the bogies and departed for Bristol St.Phillips Marsh (First Great Western) depot for turning on Friday 20th. They returned during week ending Saturday 6th March and over the next weekend they were cleaned and prepared for painting. A hunt around (at the end of March) for the paneling for the large saloon has found all the necessary panels to do the job, but the eight saloon doors may have to have new panels made. On the last weekend of March the unit was put over the pit so the No.1 end bogie could have it’s brake adjusters and handbrake gear removed in readiness for the bogie to be rolled out from under the unit.

Class 127

Due it’s first outing in April.

Yorkshire

In service.

 

Fowler

No change from last time. It has had it’s batteries charged and started in mid January.

Ruston

No change from last time.

 

Stock

      MINK W104700 - At the start of January one of the four doors was taken off to have some rotten

      wood replaced and one of the other doors had two of the three hinges refitted, so it would close a lot

      better. Also the two rain stips was fitted by the middle of January. The wagon then received a full repaint.

      CCT W94556 - No change.

      CCT M94852 - A start has been made on the restoration of this parcel van. In mid-February the racking  

      was moved from one side of the van to allow access to the doors and windows. The weekend of 21st &  

      22nd a start in cutting out the rotten metal work was made along with freeing up the end doors, which

      were welded closed by B.R. some years back. The vacuum cylinders were removed over the weekend of

      28th & 29th February. They were later taken apart for examination. Two new rolling rubber ring seals

      were required. These were fitted on Sunday 14th and then the cylinders were refitted back under the van.

      SHOCK - No change.

      MINK ‘B’ W125814,  (B753100) - No change.

 

      OTHER WORK

      Work (by both diesel groups) has been done on the two milk tanks (W2016 & W3037) which are on the

      railway. They both had a steam clean to get off the green mold, which had built up. They then have their

      tanks sprayed with silver paint with the rest (straps & chassie) in black. The vacuum cylinder from

      W3037 was removed on Sunday 8th and put back in place the following Sunday after having the release

      valve freed up and the cylinder checked over by the workshop staff. The axle boxes have all been

      removed, cleaned out. The paddes also had a quick clean. All were later replaced with fresh oil. Only

      one pad had to be replaced. Five boxes had to have the seals replaced to stop water getting into the

      boxes. All this work on the tanks was finished by the end of February (apart for new plates that will be

      fitted when they arrive) and this should make them look smarter for the coming Diesel Gala and other

      events on the railway through out the year. Through April it’s hoped to have new number plates for both  

      wagons, also plates for the tanks.

 

 

      DATES FOR THE DIARY (Diesels running)

      Enthusiast Transport Weekend April 10th & 11th - first working 2x20 in multiple from end to end.

      Thomas Weekend 1st, 2nd & 3rd May - two diesel working.

      1950’s Weekend May 29th, 30th & 31st - visiting loco?

      Diesel Gala 12th & 13th June.

      Transport Heritage Weekend 11th & 12th September.

      WORKING WEEKENDS

      Most Sundays, at the moment. If you turn up about between 09.00 and 09.30 someone                                              

      will be around.

      RUNNING DAYS

      SUNDAYS - July 4th, August 1st, September 5th & October 3rd.

      Dep Buckfastleigh 10.00 11.30 13.00 15.00