Of a short shunt for RS8

24th November 2019

'Ullo again. Welcome to another edition of Weekend Rails. For those of you sick to the back teeth with RS8, you need either to take a deep breath or come back in a fortnight or so, as it is likely to be the main subject matter.

It ended up as a half day on Monday, as a phone call from a customer at quarter to eight in the morning presaged some running around for Monday afternoon and Tuesday, but back to the beginning. Let's bowl you all over with a close-up photo of the battery lid clamp: yes I know, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel but let's be honest, RS8's restoration is drawing to a close.

There were only a few things still left to do on the loco. One was to check the oil level in the gearbox, and as there was no news regarding the knob for the dipstick I took the rod of the to-be dipstick and with a mole wrench firmly clamped to its end, lowered it into the gearbox, measuring the oil level on the 'stick afterwards with a tape measure, and somewhat to my surprise finding it near enough right where it should be. So the second drum of oil was put back in the van and taken home together with some other bits and bobs that will not be required. I left Andy H to do some last bits of paint touch-ups as I headed off, though I couldn't resist a few final photos of RS8 in the former workshops.

During the week transport arrangements were firmed up to move RS8 on the 23rd (instead of the morning of the 30th as planned), as Reid Freight were coming in to collect Dovedale, going to LH at Bardon-under-Needwood, so that changed Saturday morning significantly, as you'll see. Thursday though, I was expecting the arrival of a wagon chassis, to whit, a former 6 wheel milk tank chassis acquired by Ben Riley out of the Swindon & Cricklade to provide wheelsets. W irons and sundry spares for his milk tank up at Rowsley which is, at present, lacking its middle set. Ludwig Mond was employed to shunt Track 1 and enable the lorry to move around to the stands in the yard.

The chassis itself is past economic repair - most of the channels are badly corroded and at least one section cut out, so over the next few weeks Andrew will expend some gas releasing springs, W irons, etc and then cutting the rest up.
Also on Thursday I had the news that the knob for RS8's dipstick was ready at last (actually it had been ready for several days but no-one had thought to let me know!) so went and collected it.

Saturday morning saw me and Andy H back up to Tunstead for the unholy hour of 08.00. A Reid's tractor and trailer and a second tractor were already there, and after a few minutes during which we reconnected batteries, turned the fuel on and checked it over, the engine was started up and the loco drove itself to the doorway of the stores building: the last rail vehicle over these rails as as it will never return.

Reids winched the loco up onto the trailer, dismantled the ramp and reconnected the tractor for the 200 yard journey down the road to the fuelling point where it was to be unloaded.

While in transit a Freightliner class 70 passed by...

At the fuelling point, the restricted space meant that the tractor unit drew forward and to one side, and the second tractor came up to provide hydraulic power for the winch. RS8 had been left idling during this journey, and as it reached the bottom of the ramp, it came to rest with one set of wheels still on the ramp, so for the last foot or two I drove it down, and then transferred to the adjacent road.

A Hunslet 0-6-0DH (one of two but only one in service at the moment) then propelled Dovedale to the end of the ramp and Reid's winched it on. It was to go back to their depot for the weekend then on to LH's, though rumour had it it was off to Dunbar thereafter. While we waited we were aware that we were being watched and photographed by a lone enthusiast on the other side of the main line. What he made of all this I don't know. Meanwhile there were comments from the rail staff about using RS8 for shunting purposes (there were a couple of cement tankers to be taken off a rake and I was sorely tempted to suggest doing it!), but there was a Brunner Mond train due in so we were told to wait while it came in and the DB loco was released. I stayed with RS8, watching the Class 60 enter the yard and pass next to me.

A while later with Gary and Andy H, we set off down to the quarry rail sidings, catching up with the back of the Brunner Mond hoppers which were now being loaded under the control of the Hunslet. Eventually they cleared the road and we proceeded to stable by the rail office for a few minutes while Gary aided the loading, and then across into the new loco shed that has been built adjacent.

Here RS8 will wait until next Saturday, when the 'shindig' starts with press and old employees attending to mark the completion of the restoration. That will no doubt form the bulk of next week's edition, as it has its spell in the spotlight. Saturday evening and - somewhat knackered - I curled up in front of the telly and watched 'Murdoch Mysteries', a Canadian series set in Toronto in the late 1890s. (It's on UK TV's Drama channel if you're interested.) In this instalment the hero, Detective William Murdoch accompanied by a member of the Canadian Secret Service, take a train journey north from Toronto. A few seconds of 'railway footage' marked the change of location to a remote part of Canada. And what was the railway footage? It started with a close up of bullhead rails and chaired tracks, then what I think was an Ivatt Mogul towing 3 BR Mk1's in maroon, followed by a 'look down' view onto an obviously GW taper boiler with 7813 on the smokebox door plate! Gee. wasn't Canada advanced in the 1890s...

Phil G joined us for a part of today, using his expertise as a road trailer fitter to do a certified periodic inspection of the trailer prior to its next planned job(s). A few air leaks sorted. pneumatics and lights all working correctly, etc., etc. A few advisories on the form to be attended to before long. Which reminds me, we did get some small amount of work done on it this week - cutting out the floor on the swan neck ready for the winch bracketry which Andrew stil hasn't got around to painting. He was occupied welding up RS8's dipstick and doing some work on the shotblast cabinet - he's bought a dust filter unit for it but the flexible ducting it comes with seems to be 100mm bore whereas the ends it must fit to are 4 inch: not much difference but sufficient as to make it almost impossible to force on. He had also acquired a cheap pump to be operated by a power drill, and having bought a length of suitable hose, I lowered the level of floodwater in Track B. Not all the way: I think I'm going to have to create a sump at one corner in case the ornamental pond makes another come-back. Tomorrow I will have the strange sensation of NOT having to get up and go to Tunstead. I will have to put another half-day in at the Stores later on - tidying up the clutter that is still there, then there'll be next Saturday and a further visit to see it loaded onto transport to return to Darley Dale. What will I do with myself tomorrow (as if I couldn't guess)?

So, tune in next week to see RS8 taking centre stage in the publicity bandwagon, and who knows what else. See ya then.