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.
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