Wednesday 11th May saw the sad departure of long-term resident Type 4/Class 40 D306 ‘Atlantic Conveyor’. It has gone to the owner’s railway workshops at Washwood Heath, from where it will be made available for hire. In further diesel news, Class 14s D9516 and D9523, also former long-term residents, have been sold and have both moved from the railway for new homes in the last few weeks, at the Wensleydale Railway (D9516) and Derwent Valley Light Railway (D9523).
Some pictures of the rail move of D306 can be seen here:
http://presnews.wordpress.com/ (scroll down to the posting on 11th May), as can photos of D9523 and D9516 at their new homes on the postings of 22nd April and 18th April respectively.
D306 is a popular locomotive, and is one of only seven survivors of the class (in diesel preservation, that makes it a rare beast). It has been based at the NVR since 1990, when it moved from its previous home at the Great Central Railway, Loughborough. Whilst based there, it starred in the 1988 film ‘Buster’, in the central scenes depicting the Great Train Robbery of 1963. For the filming, D306 was fitted with split headcode boxes on the front and numbered as D326, the locomotive involved in that infamous event. The sequence can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDCYu8bIG2w (warning to the easily offended - contains some bad language).
Back to the present day, diesel services at the railway this year are likely to be solely in the capable hands of Class 14 D9520/No.45 and Class 31 31108, although the Autumn Diesel Gala should see plenty of interesting traction pay a visit to temporarily swell the ranks. Class 14 D9529, currently being overhauled and repainted in the Heavy Overhaul Workshop, will also hopefully stay around on the railway for a while once complete.
TPO shop coach No.4635 has now undergone external cleaning to match the adjacent SR TPO, although extensive bodywork repairs are required. There were plans being formulated quite recently to remove this vehicle from this role before too long and replace it with another coach more suitable and appropriate for the job, but I do not know how these plans stand at present.
The back of the Barnwell building has now been restored and repainted.
I painted the station end of B759852 today, so it now looks very presentable from anywhere on the station. Although less so when viewing the other end when passing on the train! I will do the headstock/buffers at some point when I feel like it.
I am only planning on doing the public sides for the moment, the lettering and tunnel end needs to be done next, whenever that might be.
A useful 'before and after' type shot as B759852 looked exactly like this last year.
Tim's incredible rebuild of BR brake van B953944 from an empty chassis is very nearly complete - the top coats are now beginning to go on this brand new body.
Similar view of the other side. Only a few weeks away now!
After painting the end of B759852, I spent a little time stripping some more paint off the Esso tank No.1914. The first 'Esso' logo is now completely obliterated!
I didn't get very far however as I had to pack up and head for home a little earlier than expected. Hopefully I can make some progress on it next week as I am itching to get primer and undercoat on this section of the tank.
Viewed from the footbridge, another day or so worth of work is required to take the remaining paint off this section (on the side facing away from the camera).
The extension to the cafe is coming on nicely.
The IRPS have made a very good start on smartening up their storage containers/site huts, the rear of which make quite an impact on the site. We really must do something about those spare bogies/wheelsets carefully arranged in the middle of the yard! Could make an interesting load for the freight train if we can find a suitable wagon that is not in/earmarked for Engineering use?
Here is an older shot taken in February, showing the difference that this work is making around the 'IRPS corner'.
Change of plan for me today, I was hoping to strip more of the Esso tanker but unfortunately the necessary air lines (for the needle-gun) were all in use elsewhere. Hopefully I can return to it next week instead. Anyway in the meantime I quickly wire brushed the station end of static 'Vanfit' B759852 and dabbed green primer where necessary, ready for a coat of freight brown when the weather/time permits. A pity about the large rust hole visible in this photo, but as this van is only really intended for storage I'm not going to do anything about it for the moment except paint around it. One for the future perhaps?
