Windcutter Wagons

"at present as a rather large 9F has found its way into the C & W shed!"

Did it sneak in? This is why you need to keep the doors shut in autumn, 9Fs can't resist trying to herd the wagons into rakes...

Great work on keeping an unsung part of the scene going

 

I think the 9F went in for a drink - it was the Beer, Cider and Gin festival after all. It was barely noticeable.....

 

The weather is looking good for this weekend's Autumn Gala and there is an intensive timetable. There is the Windcutter Sales /Information stand at Rothley C & W shed on both days.

 

Our wagon #723 has been brought back into the shed and so welding has continued with all but one floor sheet welded in place. The outside has been largely undercoated and a start made on the top coat. Our sales stand was busy on the sunny Saturday but was taken down very quickly just after lunch on Sunday when there was a local downpour!
There are two more wagons brought to Quorn awaiting attention. There are now 6 wagons lurking at Quorn so we are being well looked after by the GCR C & W team.

 

#723 in the shed has been finished apart from the numbers (there was a slight problem with the black boxes on one side as I had them at the wrong ends!). So today we worked on the wagons outside. The small patches on B 562230 were quickly completed, the inside had the floor undersealed - the sides were done last week. The outside has been prepped for repainting. The other wagon B 279718, had the rusted lower inside stanchions cut out and patches started to be welded in place together with the East side door floor section.

 

Rob and Tom were able to do some (well a lot of) painting on Friday and Rob has also made new wagon plates for #723. We decided to use the B187443 number as it was an actual reference number rather than our convenient false number.
We will be having our regular workday on Wed prior to the Last Hurrah Gala over the weekend.

 

q; Are you able to spray any of your paint or is all down to hairy sticks for the types you use...?

 

Hi
All our painting is done using brushes of various sizes. Unfortunately as the paint last week was very slow to go off, (due to the very cold weather) there are a few "runs" so we have been redoing sections today and getting several patches welded.
By the end of the day B562230 had been repainted and nearly all the patches on B279718 have been welded in place and the side door has had a better repair. It is due to go into the shed when the next shunt happens.

 

We had a rare non workday Wednesday yesterday as the weather was poor and there had been no change of wagons in the shed. We have also been debating further about the number for wagon B279723....and as it is a majority view, we will stick with B 279723.
Another factor was that the C&W team are working very hard to get the Santa stock ready and are having to paint in the main workshop, so, understandably, did not want dust, dirt and grinding from 16T steel mineral wagons!
As a side note, I have been asked if I would agree to my Brake Van (B 950690) being taken to the GCR(N) at Ruddington for a short period. I have agreed and so will have to try and get a ride whilst it is "On Tour"!

 

I popped into Rothley and our numbering expert has been busy!


Now to get a new wagon plate printed.
I also went to Quorn and my brake van was accessible so I checked it over ...and emptied the stove - which was full of ash under the grate.
Still the fire should burn brightly the next time it is used.

 

Yesterday saw three of us in the shed at Rothley where the C & W staff had swapped B 279723 for B 279718. This had its remaining lower stanchion patches completed on the inside and the West side door had its repair panel taken off for a neater repair to be effected. A start has been made on the outside for a repaint. As it will be in the shed for a couple or more weeks, it is sensible to do this work.

 

More progress on #718 as all the internal welding has been completed and so the inside has been undersealed (Leaving the middle floor for later). The door reskinning has been done and we are prepping the outside for repainting.

 

I have been away for a couple of weeks but the team has been working hard and, as predicted, B279718 and B562230 have been finished and we have 5 more wagons in the yard. B279716 was the black painted NCB wagon #16, and will be repainted in bauxite (Already half painted!) and regain its original number B589054. Wagon B279719 had been stopped with a suspect spring – we have a suitable spare and it should be a reasonably quick swap…. The other wagons #37( B 573403 poor condition), #40 (B596329) and #9 ( B565224) are to be examined, patch painted? and FTR’d. We are due to have a number of Windcutter wagons in a mixed goods rake for the January Winter Gala.

 

The Christmas Elves have been busy in Rothley shed and the black private Owner B 279716 is now a Bauxite B589054 !


It is expected to join with the other wagons in the yard to make a "Fitted Head" to the goods train ready for the Winter Gala Jan 23 - 26th

 

Is the fitted head going to be shunted round to the front at each end of the journey?
(Only asking because for all the faff it would cause, I've always thought that would add some fun to a gala...)

 

Hi pmh
As it is an intensive timetable there will be no shunting of fitted heads!
Today the team were busy doing pad exams and we also swopped the suspect spring on #19.