Volunteers have been beavering away on the GWR MOGO van with the intention of getting it back on the quayside in time for Docks Heritage Weekend in October.
High quality marine ply has been purchased to replace the knackered old timbers. This has been cut and test-fitted to the van to drill bolt holes, then will be removed, sealed, primed and refitted for painting.
Thanks to Bob for the images
The tanker was picked up and turned 90 degrees today to get it into L Shed. The plan is to give the tank a spruce-up as it’s suffered more than the chassis out in the open and the paint is looking rather tatty. The Coles Crane slewed the wagon around by picking up the end and moving it over a piece at a time.
Thanks to Chris E for the photos.
That’s it! Another season of passenger operations finished. Now the winter maintenance can begin.
This includes getting the tank of the Sulphiric Acid Tanker rubbed down and repainted. The chassis is still in good condition but the tank has suffered a bit from flaking paint and rust bubbles.
The Coles Crane was used to bring the tanker out of the yard and set it down on to Henbury at the end of the working day. The steam loco then propelled it onto the quayside to be pressure-washed. Earlier in the day we did a test lift to ensure the crane would be able to slew it into the warehouse.
Henbury was then ashed out (the plates in the ashpan were removed at the same time) and taken back to the shed as the light faded.
Thanks to Katie Richards for the photos.
Good news from the harbourside as the restoration of ex-GWR O18 open wagon No.61110 is finished. It’s been brought out of the workshop and placed back on the running line.
This item of stock was bought by the Port of Bristol Authority in 1961 for use at Avonmouth.
The protective cover is metal and can be lifted by one of the cranes if needed.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for the photograph.
In December 2021 we said goodbye to ex-PBA, ex-LMS open wagon No.66045. After years spent looking rather forlorn in the yard it is going to a new home at the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn. It is due to be restored and placed in the re-laid standard gauge siding at Wharf station to demonstrate how slate was once transferred from the 2’3″ gauge stock to the rest of the network.
Crane 32 undertook the lift with ease thanks to its 10 ton rating. Thanks to Bob Edwardes for the photos.
The newest video on the Railway Mania Channel features a snippet of info about the museum’s capstan, seen in action at Docks Heritage Weekend.
Full video here:
DHW took place last weekend, with plenty going on at M Shed, SS Great Britain and Underfall Yard.
On Saturday, the Capstan was also in operation again. This device enables people to move wagons along the quayside without needing a locomotive. I made this video of the Capstan in use back in 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBH2I9fvMLM
Two electric cranes were also in operation, one giving tours and one loading/unloading goods to and from the lorry and rail vehicles.
Lots has been going on, ‘Portbury’ has just finished working the busy Bank Holiday weekend.
A few weeks ago the Steam Crane’s jib was re-painted.
The Turbot’s vacuum brake cylinder was due for overhaul, so in March it was shunted out of the service train and outside the shed, where the work was carried out.
Here it is, freshly refurbished.
The BD open wagon’s repaint is pressing ahead. The planks still have a few years left in them so since the wagon won’t be carrying much in the way of loads, the scabby looking planks were simply turned around in situ.
The next wagon to be overhauled at M Shed is the LSWR 8 plank open mineral wagon, built 1921 and numbered as BD 27.
The below pictures show it shortly after being shunted into the shed, Bob is tracing the sign writing to use as a template later. Since these photos were taken several planks have been removed for replacement.
The GW Ballast Wagon now looking fresh with the metal hood refitted and out in the yard. The next wagon for overhaul has already been selected.
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