Restoration to "better" than when built

Are restorers using better materials and techniques when doing restoration?

I remember cars built in the 1970s rotted away in under 10 years in the UK climate (Lancia being particularly bad). Things like corrosion prevention coatings, new painting techniques, corrosion resistant materials etc. have improved as can be seen in the car industry.
Adding a dryer to the air compressor discharge or using stainless piping for wet air?
I know some diesels have sump heaters to help prolong their life.

So do groups generally restore to the original spec, or look to improve so that components last longer?

I am not actively involved in any restoration, but I am interested as an engineer.

 

Know Deltic RSG 55022, uses a pre-heating water jacket prior to startup, to reduce wear.

It also houses a myriad of sensors to warn of impending problems, in that respect a move on from Br days.

 

There is also the situation that some owners make the improvements that BR might / should have done but didn't; a case in point is owners of Locomotives (e.g. Class 14) with Paxman engines replacing alloy heads with cast iron heads. As noted in previous post owners also add items to improve locomotive performance within their normal heritage line operations.

 

If you can manage it, have a 10 minute walk around steam locos which work for their living like 35028, 45407 or 9351 with one of their maintainers. They will point out a host of amendments to improve performance, reduce wear or just make life easier. Also components are machined to better tolerances with often better materials. (Unless HLF insist on historic grade metals.)
Those who know and understand will see the purpose of the improvements. Those who don't know will see a 1920's or 1950's loco. There has probably been advances in steam loco technology in the last 40 years than there were in the 40 years before that. Surely it is better that we're maintaining the development, not saying development is fossilised at a specified date.

Cheers, Neil

PS I think I remember hearing that both British Steel and NCB changed the cylinder heads to cast iron ones on the Paxman engines of the 14's soon after purchase from BR.

 

I know Tornado's a new build but things like 110v sockets in the frames for power tools, electric lights below the running plate and I think there's gauges on the tender for running tender first. Going over to diesels I think the Clayton's had a few little Mods to help it out. In both cases though I'd say these are sensible things to do, I also think doing things like sensible load management can help prolong component wear and tear.

 

Matt,
Electric light was common on LNER locos pre war and was adopted by Bulleid on his pacifics.

One unseen improvement to locos is optical alignment which can give reults better than than new for those works which clung to string and chalk.

 

We change if we think its beneficial to the long tem preservation of the Loco.
so
We use corrosion resistant steel when replacing body and cab sheets. Modern day paints are also used especially for primers .
Engineering wise we fit heating tapes to generators, use cat refined oils instead of solvent produced oils ( group 2 instead of group 1) , and use better grade of jointing ( we make all our own gaskets) .
Lighting ( internal, marker and headcode) is going over to LED

Brian

 

Absolutely. Have been involved with DMU preservation for a while, and the original specs and methods are purely a guide. There are a LOT of shortcomings in railway design, for a whole host of reasons (finance, availability of materials etc).

My own group's rule is Does it look the same? Is it a more advanced method or material than the original? Can we afford it? If the answer to all is yes then the modification is done.

Strangely, there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from improving something in such a way that even an enthusiast won't notice!

Other variations in preservation are simple things such as painting the hidden sides of things, something BR didn't always do. I like to think this extra care and attention that can be afforded to a one off project (as opposed to a batch production environment) can prolonge it's life. You get out what you put in as they say.

It's a fascinating topic. The results of which can be often critiqued (debate on LED lights on a loco anyone?!?), however the processes themselves are less frequently discussed.

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I remember 80097 stalwart Malcolm Vickers telling me on several occasions it was being restored to better than new condition, such attention to improvement must go a long way to explaining why its restoration has taken so long...

 

I see that the CFLPS are doing certain things to there loco's such as 40135 will be given a repaint in two pack paint, 40106 is to be equipped with a pre heater (As will 40135) to prevent wear and tear on start up (we all know how smoky an EE power unit is on start up!) dosn't sound like much but I can imagine it's like sport. Little things done right can help you an awful lot in the long run and at the next overhaul,

 

or sound? perish the thought of a Cravens DMU without rattling windows? (I grew up in Norfolk and still fondly remember that noise) even if that would technically be an improvement

 

That one made me think!

 

There is a DMU radiator fan modification that is similar to this. The original mechanically driven version "gurgles" on tickover and this characteristic noise is lost if the radiator is converted with a modern electrically driven fan. The new fans require less maintenance and many groups have fitted them, however some of us stay with the mechanical fan in order to keep the noise!

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You mean like Flying Scotsman and its German-styke smoke deflectors ?

 

In the end it will be modernisation of what ever to be able to operate in the current environment rather than it was like that in say 1950. It will be still be steam or what ever but not stuck in a time warp which will burst one day. This is the future or the alternative is to stuff and mount in the fossil museums.

 

I know you're stirring with this comment, but those deflectors are not a preservation era improvement, insofar as BR actually fitted plates of a similar ilk to many A3s including 60103.

 

Well, they're not using asbestos, that's for sure...

 

I wasn't stirring but noting that the smoke deflectors cause controversy despite their use being necessary because of the drifting exhaust resulting from the application of the Kylchap equipment. I believe that many enthusiasts would prefer to see the locomotive operate without them and opinions regarding their aesthetic value vary greatly; in my case my experience of German steam from 1969 to the present gives me appreciation both of the need and the appearance - I like FS with them fitted.