A little light reading...

Yes - success!

After some queries we now have over 100 pages of documents and manuals to replace our dog-eared and grease smeared originals that resided in our equipment records, these have now been scanned in and filed. A little bit of extra work allowed them to be converted into PDFs with recognisable text too!

Everyone in the department can now have their own electronic copy without the need for them to access the hard copy (which means it shouldn't get grubby... if it does we should just be able to print a replacement)!

Well I think that may be enough excitement for today... so back to work it is...

Watch this space for more updates...!

Odd jobs and a Tank

Hi all
On Sunday there was just myself and Keith in and sadly it was very wet! Becasue of this we just got on with a few of the odd jobs that always need doing.. Like fixing the fire extinguisher to the Geismar, looking for bits and drinking tea ...:)

Also we checked out a new bit of kit, frankly it may coming very useful we think!

It is a M18 Hellcat tank destroyer from World War 2 , it was visiting the railway for armed forces weekend, now where did we put the yellow paint ;)

Regards

Rob

American football?

Today Andy came in and had a look at the Packers...

...not the Green Bay Packers... but the miniature version of the large tamping machines that currently operate on the mainline. The machine is colloquially known as a "Jacker-Packer" but is officially called a "Permaquip Ballast Packer Mark IV". We actually have two of these machines 74033 (BP039) and 74034 (BP040) of which both are powered by a Lister-Petter ST3 (1.9 Litre 3 cylinder diesel engine).

Here BP039 currently resides on one of the sidings at Norchard (whilst BP040 has been off-tracked just behind the photograph).

Andy has had success with this machine - the Lister engine firing perfectly on all 3 cylinders by end of the day and the hydraulics working - the system now requiring the air being drained out of it. I met with Andy in the afternoon and we were both glad to see that both machines share common parts, I got home and found that more parts for the "Piano" had turned up on the doorstep; anyone would think that Christmas had come!

More updates soon... watch this space!

A bridge too far?

We had a good day today; as five of us had a jolly up to Tufts bridge (too far a walk from Norchard - so we loaded up the Geismar EGO4 trolley and it's trailer). Our main task for the day was to replace a pair of timber sleepers that were directly on the bridge itself.

Our first task was to take out the timbers that we were going to replace. This is easier said than done as nearly everything has to come apart (this is quite a feat as the wooden sleepers are coach screwed onto longitudinal timbers; of which are subsequently coach screwed onto the bridge deck - the heads of which are helpfully in a recess underneath the rail chairs - in line with the check rail). After a lot of exertion we were able to get the old timbers out, mark up the location of the holes for the coach screws and lift the new timbers into place.

Marked up ready to drill the holes for the coach screws. Pic by Rob Alpin.

The next task was to produce the recess that was to take the coach screws, we used a special drill for this which is basically a Forstner drill bit combined with half a Spade bit!

Yours truly drilling with the combination drill bit, whilst Keith checks the level. Pic by Rob Alpin.

Time to swap to prevent white finger, Keith drills whilst I check the levels.

Once these recesses were cut, the first of the coach screws could be put in (these secure the sleepers and the longitudinal timbers to the bridge deck). The chairs that we had taken out could then be replaced and the check rails barred back into position, fish plated and keyed back up. The next task was to screw all of the chairs back onto the sleepers.

Rob cuts the holes ready to take the chair screws and Keith followed with the power-spanner.

Here Gordon is holding one of the screws and socket ready for Keith to attack.

Once all of the screws and fish-plate bolts were tightened up and the keys checked it was time to give everything the once over twice before heading back to Norchard to fill out the paperwork!

Until we meet again...

Pointwork and greasers.

 This week we have finally managed to have something ticked off the to-do list. Two sets of points at Lydney junction were fast approaching the iffy end of worn out and demanded replacement. Due to the nature of these bullhead points ( B and D types for those of a technical ilk.) we had to have both the stock rails and switch blades made up from new by the Caerphilly based contractor Prices.

Pointwork arriving by truck on Thursday at Lydney Junction. Pic by Rob Alpin.

Rails being installed with the help of an Ironman lifting rig. Pic by Rob Alpin.

We are hoping that the most we will have to do to these sets of points now is some possible resleepering in a good few years. Other than basic everyday maintenance we hope that is all we will have to do.

Today however consisted of some slightly less glamorous work. Due to the winding nature of the track above Norchard (Some pretty tight curves and reverse curves.) we have to install flange greasers. It had been brought to our attention by the loco crews that the flange noise was getting excessive on these curves. First port of call was the greaser at Upper Forge before the reverse curve before Fish Farm Curve. This had recently had its actuator re-commissioned but unfortunately a leak developed in its housing. This was rectified and now seems to be working well. Hopefully this will cure the flange squeal at this end.

Greaser with freshly sorted actuator. Pic by Ed Dyer

The other greaser is located near Tufts Bridge and luckily this just needed topping up with shedload of grease. Unluckily this grease gets over everything and everyone while doing it!

To aid the running back and forward along the line, the trusty Geismar was broken out and given and airing. We also did a quick run to Whitecroft in order to collect a couple of buckets for the civil engineering team and their 360 digger. This trolley and it's trailer is quite possibly the most versatile tool our department has!

Rob driving. About to depart for Tufts. The sun was glorious!

However the weather was somewhat dubious despite the heat...

A couple of horrifically wet showers! This combined with greasy rails and greasy wet wheels made driving the Geismar a wee bit interesting.

A productive day was had by all, and it is always nice to tick something off the to-do list. However a minor setback was achieved towards the end of the day. Due to the pair of us working under a line possession we had to return the token to Norchard signalbox at the end of the day. However, we succeeded in locking the keys to the signalbox in our newly constructed Geismar shed, along with the shed keys... Luckily we were able to cut the chain holding the doors shut and recover the key. Unluckily my finger got in the way. Hacksaws eh? Who'd have them!

Until next time everyone!

Time tune it tune up!

Well I managed to get the valves well ground in and all of the faces cleaned - so I can't really do much than put it back together - which is difficult as I don't know the proper clearances for the valve adjustments (something which is hopefully covered in my purchase earlier this week).

First things first was to complete my rostered duty as the Norchard Signalman; which as the box has the ability to switch out (for more info Click Here to go John Hinson's website) allowed for a little bit of tinkering for a couple of hours - enough time to get it all back together and ready to be set-up later on.

It didn't take that long as it all went back together well (I've left the Air Filter and Exhaust off for ease of access); I was also lucky to pick up a message that there was a package at home waiting for me. So I had to investigate, it was surprising that the 48 hour delivery was just that and my little book (of only 496 pages) was now in my hands and with all of the tolerances for the valve adjustment.

Well after setting it all up; it was time to trial it...

There's still a lot of work still to do on the machine yet - but at least the engine now runs; hopefully more news soon!

All the wrong notes...

So a quick look at the Piano again this afternoon has produced little as a result... in fact there wasn't any compression in the cylinder (so no wonder why it wouldn't start). Now to strip it all down and get the head off...

Which means that the Injector, Air Filter, Exhaust, Rocker Cover, Rocker Arm Assemblies and Push Rods all had to come out... A little bit of ingenuity and common sense (combined with a lot of brute force and ignorance) managed to get it all apart.

I was surprised as there isn't a head gasket - it's just a taper fit (which of course thinking about means that it is self sealing), but looking at the valve seats - they were both well sooted up and a wipe with a paraffin rag revealed pitting in the valve seats.

I called it a day at this point as the only way forward was to get the cylinder head on the bench and give it a proper look over and plus I had some other things to get on with too!

Play it, Sam!

Today we've had a look at the "Piano", not exactly a perfectly tuned instrument but a simple machine capable of lifting and slewing track to the desired location. Officially its a "Plasser & Theurer HGR230 slewer", but its colloquially known as a "Piano" or a "Muscle Man".

We actually have two of these machines 60123 (build 013 1976) and 60132 (build 038 1976). There was a third - 60128 (build 033 1976) but this was incomplete, stripped for spares and the remainder was cashed in during 2012. The surviving machines have a single cylinder Deutz (model F1L 208D) diesel engine which drives the hydraulic system.

Photo courtesy of Ed Dyer as yours truly is in front of the camera for once...

After spending four hours on trying to get 60123 (which is the most recently used machine) to start and the subsequent soakings from our lovely local climate we unfortunately had to call it a day; conveniently at lunch time - which meant Ham, Egg & Chips at the Miners Arms in Whitecroft. What a shame!

I had a trawl over the Internet when I got home and have found a service guide for the engine; which will now hopefully land on the doorstep within 48 hours - well it better as that's what I paid for... I'll hopefully have a look at the machine again later in the week...

Those niggly little jobs.

Our gang has an arty side if you will!

Well sort of. During the running season we are a bit limited as to what we can do unless we have a specific project we can do away from the running line. Until the next one is okayed (the reconnecting of Parkend sidings. Watch this space!) we have been cracking on with repainting our Geismar trolley, its trailer, and just about every ruddy Permaquip trolley we can find knocking around the railway. Surprisingly we have a good few!



 Photo courtesy of Rob Alpin as yours truly had to earn a crust today...

The reasoning for this manic outbreak of painting was mainly they were looking quite tatty, but also having seen the price of new ones, we thought we ought to make them last a bit longer...

The shed you can see is a somewhat expanded version of the old crossing keepers hut from Lydney Town crossing. It has rails running into it for the trolley as the old tarp that was covering it wasn't cutting the mustard. Its safe to say that in its Severn and Wye colours it looks a damn sight nicer too!

You can just about see the trailer poking out from behind the doors. This too sits on its own platform and will have a lean-to-esque shelter attached to the side of the shed to keep the rain off it.

The sleepers that you see in between the rails here are for the benefit of our Civil Engineering dept. as this gives them emergency access to any part of the line above Norchard. Very useful considering the siting of the formation on the opposite side of the valley from the main road.

More updates soon.

A second post? Already?

Here are a few pictures that we have collected in the past 2 years or so. Just the odd snap to show you what our little jobs entail!

 Because of our mainline connection we are lucky enough to have occasional visits to the DFR by various mainline tampers. This enables both the crews to get training off the mainline, and to get our track tamped to a quality that would take forever and a day with basic kit.

 Here we see a winters job of resleepering the south point of Whitecroft. This is a precursor to installing a run round loop at the station in order to expand our running timetable. As you can see it was a wet old job this, I think it was one of the drier days.

 A basic sleeper replacement in the headshunt leading to Dean Forest Diesels. The location next to a set of fish-plates made this job a lot easier!

 Last summer a monster ballast drop utilising a class 14 and roughly our entire Dogfish fleet.

 A spot of packing on just south of Goatfield curve.

And finally we have probably our most useful bit of kit on the railway. Before we obtained this, work on the line away from stations involved either a long walk or organising a dedicated works train as the the railways Wickham trolley is currently undergoing restoration. This Geismar just requires a line possession and 4 people to lift it onto the line. Simple!

On ideas and what to expect.

Welcome to the new blog!

Having seen the interest generated by our neighbouring railway, the GWSR with their blogs, we thought that many people out there would appreciate a similar layout for our little gang regarding our activities in the ongoing maintenance and future projects of the Dean Forest Railway.

www.deanforestrailway.co.uk

Hopefully if successfully, (and I don't kill my camera...) we will be bringing you info, updates on a reasonable regular basis, and photos of both what we do, and of a fascinating view of the line that most people don't get to see.

We look forward to keeping you all up to date!