Hawksworth Brake x2 to Didcot

GWR 2232 Hawksworth Brake Corridor Third
GWR 333 Hawksworth Full Brake

Nick

 

That's good news. I first saw 333 at Shrewsbury in service in 1972 (somewhere I've got a slide), and every time I saw it rotting at Toddington, it grieved me.

 

Hello,
Would you let me have a copy?
I am also a GWS member and slowly getting back into the GWS C&W Dept.
Also on flickr.

Many thanks

NIck

 

Does anyone know why they've been bought? Spares or restoration?

 

details and pictures below

http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=127
http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=68

 

Happy to let you have a copy - if it's one of the several thousand I've scanned in it's easy - but if not there could be some delay as those slides are not very accessible at the moment. I will check.

 

Bit of both. 333 is currently undergoing a transformation to enable it to replace our Antiquary & Oxford Group sales stands as they're both getting life-expired & a bit cramped for space. Structurally 333 was fairly nasty, but nothing out of the ordinary for a late-built Hawksworth that's spent a lot of time outside. New roof sections have been fitted & most of the lower bodyside panels have been renewed as well. The area causing most concern is the floor… at some point that's had an infestation of Wood Wasp that has eaten a lot of the plywood floor panels and the joists that support them - needless to say, we hadn't budgeted for that!

We might swap the bogies out with a u/s set, but choices are limited as 333 has beefed up bearings (9" x 4") & stiffer springing than the average tin Collett that runs on 8" x 4" journals, so it may be that we 'christmas tree' them & get whatever we can to keep the core running vehicles in service.

2232 was acquired primarily as a source of running spares, but I doubt that it'll get broken up. Internally it's heavily stripped, so it's likely to get converted into a locker/changing room for volunteers. If it gets restored it'll be a very long term project & there's a lot of stuff ahead of it that's of more use to us to be honest.

Pete S.,
C&W Dept.,
GWS Didcot.