Of cranes and trains

22nd March 2020

A Ruston 48DS is one of the smallest s.g. locos ever made. At 7 tons gross it is a third of the weight of RS8. One came up in auction on Saturday - reputedly good engine but damaged cab. It sold for £4250 + premiums and VAT. Wow!

Amazing isn't it? Barely two weeks in to my suggesting that heritage railways might be ordered to close down and so far as I can see, most of them have voluntarily done so, even such as Peak Rail that were operating (predominantly empty) trains only last weekend. Already Ludwig Mond's planned holiday has been postponed and in all probability, scrubbed entirely as the railway concerned has put back opening for at least a month, and the RSH saddle tank at Rowsley due to leave for a period at Helston will not, it seems, be going (yet?). Indeed, one well-known haulier of locomotives and rolling stock told Andrew this week that all the calls and e-mails he was getting were either to postpone or cancel previously planned moves.

And it's not just in the Heritage railway movement: I went in to one of my suppliers this week and was told I was the first customer on the trade counter that day - and this was three in the afternoon. On the other hand, my Sister-in-law, whom I refrenced in the blog a couple of weeks ago, is now moaning to Steph about them having closed her local swimming pool and how they could have brought in alternative arrangements to allow her to enjoy her regular swim. The trouble is, until you actually know of people who have contracted coronavirus, there is an air of unreality about the newsreels and the exhortations of government don't seem neccessary. In fact, the more they assert that there is no need to panic-buy, the more a cynical population, long-since accustomed to treating anything a politician says with great suspicion, concludes that on the contrary, it is everyone for themselves and said politicians have probably stocked-up already.

And how does that affect us and our activities in Darley Dale? Well, it's a tricky one isn't it? On the one hand we have made various commitments and whilever possible, feel that we should see them through, taking such precautions as social distancing as seriously as possible for the sake of ourselves and others. If we get as far as a lockdown of course, all that will change: if I get a letter from the NHS instructing me to hide away for the next 12 weeks (I'm asthmatic) I may have to have a re-think. That sequel to the Railway to Merhead might get written or perhaps my oft-requested history of loco-builders Thomas Hill (Rotherham) might get penned. But until then, we will continue to do our bit to keep the nation's economy ticking over (now there's a term that will cease to have meaning as everyone goes electric).

There is no doubt that Darley Dale yard is becoming full, and to free up track space two wagons were due to be lifted off in order that extensive overhauls could get under way. Thus on Friday morning a monster-sized Hiab-type crane attached to an 8 wheeled Volvo wagon was guided by me in to the yard. The bogie retention and brake rigging pins on the ex Midland bogie well wagon had already been detached, so theoretically we should have been able to lift one end off its bogie, slew it across and then bring the other end over as well. First task though was to clear the area, with a number of wheelsets that were on their scrap limits heading for the 'bin and the stands that had lain unused since RS8's frame was on them for sandblasting moved up to another space.

These tasks were easy-peasy for the crane, being the full-size equivalent to the railway modellers' 'big fat overscale hand'. The last big items too came off the wagon, and the end nearest the crane (the Rowsley/north end) lifted off its bogie and moved about half-way across to where it was planned.

Andrew had calculated that the crane 'ought to' lift the far end of the wagon off its bogie too, but at that radius we hit the load limits with the springs visibly easing a little but that was all. Plan B was to put sleepers under the deck about a third of the way up and use them as a pivot, i.e. about 1/3 of the wagon would help counterbalance the other 2/3, but that didn't seem to effect much improvement. There was always the possibility that the pivot pin, though now de-pinned of its retainer, might still be seized in the bogie pivot itself, but the first one had slid out very easily. The operator and I started moving the last few bits that were still on the wagon (fishplates, screw couplers and such) north beyond the sleeper pivot and then tried again. Still nothing, until the operator climbed on the wagon at the north end himself whereupon the south end promptly sprung up, leaving the bogie on the rails. ('I didn't think I'd had that big a breakfast,' he remarked.)

With the bogie well to one side we turned our attention to the RRA. This still had our ramp fabrication on and again our monster HIAB (actually an EFFER: I'll leave you to think up your own puns) baulked at the gross weight.

The ramps were put to one side and another attempt revealed that although detached, the wheelsets were lifting with us. The brake calipers, which had previously had their pivot pins extracted, were still not allowing the pads to clear the top of the wheelpans, but a bit of judicious leverage got them clear, and the RRA atop the well wagon where in due course buffing and drawgear, brakes and pipework can all be removed and the basic chassis sandblasted.

The RRA wheelsets (RFS 1991) are at or beyond scrap limits so will join the scrap drive in due course - newly overhauled wheelsets are nearby, ready use later. With a bit of tidying up the crane departed and I returned to the Briddon Country Pile for a late lunch.

Andrew has spent much of the weekend on Ashdown, but with a couple of others around on Saturday other work was progressed, including finishing the sheeting of the box van roof and the two rolled end angles cleaned, primed and painted ready to re-secure the ends. James yielded remaining fuel which was transfered to Ludwig, whose gauge had been warning us for some time that it could not be run much longer without a top-up. Numerous bits were unloaded from a container and other bits ended up on other wagons or the ferry van, and even the trailer now has all 12 wheels on again. Though alas the winch for the trailer is still not ready to use and the new rail arrangements await a supply of 60 x 40 black bar which the local steel stockholders didn't hold and talked over the phone as though they really couldn't be bothered to fulfill this customer's requirements. Other steel stockholders are available.

So that's is about it for this week. I hope you are all virus-free and not suffering from it or the economic fall-out. All being well, I'll be here next week, with a few things up my sleeve (other than my arms, that is). See ya then.