Toplight Coach Group at the Swindon and Cricklade Steam Railway

April 2007

Toplight Coach Group Report

by James Faulkner

The main work going on at the moment is work on the external doors, Each door requires completely rebuilding with many new pieces although so far we have been able to save most of the bottoms and pillars. so far eight of the door frames have been rebuilt and re hung back on the coach with a further 4 doors being worked on by myself, Andrew Creaser and Ken Habgood. Ken is concentrating on the doors in the guard’s compartment. One of the guards doors needed a new pillar and this can been seen in the photographs. It’s a very complex job making a new pillar and its important the straight droplight can slide down the door slot which follows the curve of the door profile.

We have made a modification to the original design in that we have put an extra wooden bar across the bottom which stops the droplight from sliding down the door so far and also gives much greater strength to the centre pillar which is very thin at the bottom and hence very weak. The rubber door stops are then mounted on this new bar rather than on the door bottom. This can be seen in the photo of the guards door.

B y having the droplight not able to slide down so far this should mean passengers can’t lean so far out of the window. Later GWR coaches were fitted with these extra bars as was Auto trailer 178 also restored at the SCR.

It takes quite a lot of effort to re hang the doors so that the door closes correctly and the hinges don’t bind. All the existing holes for the hinges are plugged with dowel and then re-drilled with all new screws. This is to ensure the hinges don’t work loose in service. Typically 1 to 2 days are required to fit each door.

Other work completed recently is the adding of the brass capping strips to the corner pillars and more steps being added to the end. (see photos - coming shortly).

So sitting on your sofa reading this, do YOU fancy getting involved? Much of the work is easy such as sanding and varnishing, wire brushing etc. We are would desperately like it for more people to get involved as the main limiting factor in any of this is a shortage of skilled volunteers. We work on Wednesdays in the day and Evenings and at weekends

You can contact us James Faulkner Tel 07715 322241 or email James75452000@yahoo.com or Nick Bailey on (01242) 604522 or speak to us when we are working.


	April 2007 Toplight Coach Group Report by James Faulkner The main work going on at the moment is work on the external doors, Each door requires completely rebuilding with many new pieces although so far we have been able to save most of the bottoms and pillars. so far eight of the door frames have been rebuilt and re hung back on the coach with a further 4 doors being worked on by myself, Andrew Creaser and Ken Habgood. Ken is concentrating on the doors in the guard’s compartment. One of the guards doors needed a new pillar and this can been seen in the photographs. It’s a very complex job making a new pillar and its important the straight droplight can slide down the door slot which follows the curve of the door profile. We have made a modification to the original design in that we have put an extra wooden bar across the bottom which stops the droplight from sliding down the door so far and also gives much greater strength to the centre pillar which is very thin at the bottom and hence very weak. The rubber door stops are then mounted on this new bar rather than on the door bottom. This can be seen in the photo of the guards door. B y having the droplight not able to slide down so far this should mean passengers can’t lean so far out of the window. Later GWR coaches were fitted with these extra bars as was Auto trailer 178 also restored at the SCR. It takes quite a lot of effort to re hang the doors so that the door closes correctly and the hinges don’t bind. All the existing holes for the hinges are plugged with dowel and then re-drilled with all new screws. This is to ensure the hinges don’t work loose in service. Typically 1 to 2 days are required to fit each door. Other work completed recently is the adding of the brass capping strips to the corner pillars and more steps being added to the end. (see photos - coming shortly). So sitting on your sofa reading this, do YOU fancy getting involved? Much of the work is easy such as sanding and varnishing, wire brushing etc. We are would desperately like it for more people to get involved as the main limiting factor in any of this is a shortage of skilled volunteers. We work on Wednesdays in the day and Evenings and at weekends You can contact us James Faulkner Tel 07715 322241 or email James75452000@yahoo.com or Nick Bailey on (01242) 604522 or speak to us when we are working.