CARRIAGE & WAGON

The team members originate from experienced engineers, surveyors, building trades and fire service backgrounds. The Fire and Rescue Service background also means the C&W staff are responsible for Fire Safety and several dept' members are First Aiders and First Responders to medical emergencies in their communities.

The teams' professional background has provided them with a high level of competence in assembly, tool handling, welding and metal fabrication and carpentry. The Dept' has considerable skill in jacking, lifting and paint preparation and painting.

Over the last five years the Dept has progressed from DIY hand tools to a sophisticated tool resource.

We have the capability to carry out body lifts and bogie refurbishment. Recently we stripped and rebuilt a pair of Commonwealth bogies that work below RMB 13. A schedule of body lifts is underway as we have made lifting frames and have the correct jacks that enable a coach to be lifted in mere minutes.

Possessing the heavy tools required, we are also able to form and fit replacement steam and vacuum pipes. We create timber parts at the railway and have supplied other railways with moulded wood Mk.I door and window parts to their order.

All the coaches are having careful replacement of crash pillars and corroded steel work, as they are work shopped. The problems of aged Mk.I coaches are well known and we are quickly addressing the issues.

The Dept has large illuminated internal workshop space and are able to work all year round.

There are 15 Mk.I bogie vehicles in the fleet and at peak times, i.e. Bank Holidays and Santa Train Services there will be 10 or 12 coaches in service on thirty-minute frequency services. As a result a high level of coach availability is required.

The residual condition of the ex-BR coaches has passed the “paint it and it is O.K.” stage in their lives and now major refurbishment of coaches is a standard practice with replacement of all items and units that appears below standard.

A considerable amount of exterior painting of up to 4 coaches a year has produced a much smarter fleet of coaches in the last 3 years. During summer 2007 it is intended to carry on with carriage painting although only two could be classed as to be urgent.

However it must be noted that our coaches are life extended working coaches and not stuffed and mounted museum items, and they reflect this in their lives. Sadly the stock lives outside and the weather in North Yorkshire are quite harsh on the paintwork. Applications of good quality varnish helps to reduce the re-paint frequencies.

One third of the fleet has been re-upholstered in-house over the last 36 months; the remainder will be re-upholstered during 2007/8/9.

We chose not to buy expense reproduction fabrics of 1960 styles, but applied fabrics obtained from more recent B.R. eras that are sympathetic to the carriages. Children with crisps and yoghurt are a serious incentive to be practical about fabrics.

The major project at the moment is a major refit and repair of our FK 4 (BR 15952 0f 1957).

This coach was very heavily corroded; requiring all windows removing, much steel frame and 16g steel skin replacing and doorframe replacements. We fitted 7 new ex 308 EMU cast aluminum doors and completely re-upholstered the interior in royal blue in the First Class and light blue in the Second Class compartments and carried out a complete repaint and overhaul before returning it to traffic. It is intended to complete this coach during 2007. As any experienced C&W fitter will know, hundreds of hours are required are required to carry out refurbishments like this.

Waiting to be rebuilt is Shark Van, ballast plough, number 7008 LMS of 1932. This is an exciting wood working project that will require 80% of the body replacing, but the steel under frame is in sound and excellent condition. Waiting funding, this project will be undertaken as time allows, as the focus of C&W at present is to produce the finest and smartest coaches for our passengers to travel in.

The Dept now benefit from approximately nine regular volunteers workers, some of who attend several days per week. The principal attendance days are Wednesday and Sunday and visitors and new teammates are very welcome from all ethnic groups and personalities.

The manager is Wendy Anderson. She will be pleased to receive enquiries.