Back to Business
With the end of other commitments, the team is now cracking on with M59137.
M59137 Doors
The doors in particular have taken steps forward with some of the dreaded wooden frames finally being repaired. Work has started on all the bits and bobs that make up the doors and MPD volunteer Terry Essery was busy cleaning up the runners for the droplight windows (see below right) after they'd been soaked to loosen up the "gunk" (see left). Kevin has also been adapting Class 101 doors (see right) by cutting slots in
the side as they need to be bent to a different body profile. The edges were also straightened after being bent out to remove them from the Class 101 frames (see left). Two out of the six doors will keep their original skins, so a couple of 104 ones are also around for work (see bottom centre). Other bits of metal which had corroded due to BR appearing not to have used
any form of protection whatsoever were also cleaned up and painted gloss black (see bottom right). The group are looking forward to seeing some completed doors as they were always lurking in the background as one the more awkward and prolonged parts of the restoration.
M59137 Interior
Both sides of batteries for M59137 have now been made up and installed in preparation for electrical projects coming together such as lighting and heaters. Both boxes have been painted with the top halves being white so fitters can look in on the top of the cells. The rest of the box is black. Much of the heater ducting ports have been gloss blacked as well (see bottom left).
M50455 & M50517
M50517 has had its BIS cover painted black and M50455's, which was made up by a poor fitting Class 116 version, has had a new one fabricated by resident welder, Roger Spencer. Both were fitted on the morning of the 23rd June, when the set was pressed into service after problems with the steam locos diagramed for the service and further problems with the diesel loco that was initially covering. M50517 has also been overcharging its batteries requiring them to be topped up. This is regularly being done until the fault can be rectified. Two weekends have been spent investing the problem and progress is ongoing.
