# Return to Train Graveyard - May 08



## KingElvis (May 29, 2008)

Today on the way to a job I made a return to one of my fave all time explores....The Train Graveyard.

This is a collection someone has put together of locos, carriages and shunters in a field and then left them to rot. My main target was the drivers cab of the Type 47 Loco "The Institute of Civil Engineers" and after much searching, I managed to crawl through and what a place it was to be in (Yes, I sat in the drivers seat LOL)

Also, other lovely remnants of BR remain in here, old signal lights, British Rail signs and mirrors.

All in all a fantastic explore and one which I enjoyed immensely. Hope you enjoy the pictures. 

The wonderful Type 47 Locomotive "The Institute of Civil Engineers"






















Her immense engines











Other shots from the graveyard


























Lovely old BR signal lamp






Some more random stuff





















Papers fron 1998
















British Rail Mirror shot


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## Neosea (May 29, 2008)

Just got to love that power plant. Thanks for the photo's


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## KingElvis (May 29, 2008)

Neosea said:


> Just got to love that power plant. Thanks for the photo's



I couldn't believe how tight it was in there, when running it must have been a living hell to be in there


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## Neosea (May 29, 2008)

KingElvis said:


> I couldn't believe how tight it was in there, when running it must have been a living hell to be in there



Working on the motors would not have been easy.


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## apinner (May 29, 2008)

Absolutely superb, i would love to see this for myself!


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## Richard Davies (May 29, 2008)

Some locos were designed on a modular basis, so an engine could be lifted out, & another replaced in the space of a few hours.

The removed engine could be repaired in a workshop enviroment.


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## krela (May 29, 2008)

I love this place, would love to go there sometime.

:GEEK:


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## stesh (May 30, 2008)

Nice photos, it's just up the road from me, I see a visit on the cards


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## spacepunk (May 30, 2008)

So, things ain't changed much?


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## Dirus_Strictus (May 30, 2008)

Richard Davies said:


> Some locos were designed on a modular basis, so an engine could be lifted out, & another replaced in the space of a few hours.
> 
> The removed engine could be repaired in a workshop enviroment.



In the old BR days power plant replacement was only done during heavy maintenance, when on works. Only small repairs and routine maintenance was done on depot. The ability to pull power units out quickly was not an issue - however engine/generator were always removed as an assembly.

After the initial problems of using, what were basically small marine engines in locomotives - vibration, flexing of crankcases, overheating etc, power plants routinely ran without trouble between major overhauls. One of the reasons for this was that all sump oil used in all motive power units, was analysed on a routine milage/operating hours basis. Not only was viscosity and detergent content checked, X-ray fluorescence analysis and mass spec was used to detect and measure wear metal content and sodium due to internal coolant leaks. Such detailed data was collected, that it was the staff of the oil analysis laboratories that told the engineers when bearing or ring wear etc was approaching the wear limits and the loco should be pulled out of service for major repair! Originally oil analysis had been brought in as a money saving exercise - it is very expensive to dump 100/200 gals of sump oil on a fixed mileage basis. However it was soon realised that the records gave a complete picture of the internal condition of the power units. When the operating life of the Deltics was extended (due to East Coast electrification/signalling problems), we were analysing the sump oils on a daily basis.

Some of us even applied the technique to our car engines - Obviously there was no real cost benefit for private cars, but public transport and haulage was another matter. It is even more pertinent in todays climate of dwindling oil stocks.

There was quite a bit of heat and noise in the engine compartments, however it was not that bad and BR started issuing hearing protection very early on - not that we could get the staff to wear it. The most impressive locomotives to ride test on were the Deltics - there has been nothing to compare with those Napier power plants.


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## KingElvis (May 30, 2008)

spacepunk said:


> So, things ain't changed much?



Nope, but sitting in the drivers seat was pretty neat


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## theoss (May 30, 2008)

KingElvis said:


> The wonderful Type 47 Locomotive "The Institute of Civil Engineers"
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I worked on that loco when it was based at Tinsley TMD.

What you have is, on the left,

Two compressors which suppiled air for the brakes (seem to thing working pressure was 140 PSI, and the safety valve blew at 170 PSI)

On the right, you can just see the cowling of a blower motor used to force cooling air to three of six traction motors. Another blower was situated at the other end of the loco, in a room with a concrete block were a boiler orignally was positioned.

Behind the blower are two exhausters, used to create vacuum for the vacuum brake system (largely obsolete in my time) and behind that out of shot is the triple pump used to pump oil, water, and fuel to the engine. Above these machines are various valves to operate the brakes.

Removal of any of these machines involved temeorarily bolting an RSJ runway beam and tackle to the brackets welded to the ceiling.

What shit days they were.​


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## theoss (May 30, 2008)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> One of the reasons for this was that all sump oil used in all motive power units, was analysed on a routine milage/operating hours basis. Not only was viscosity and detergent content checked, X-ray fluorescence analysis and mass spec was used to detect and measure wear metal content and sodium due to internal coolant leaks. Such detailed data was collected, that it was the staff of the oil analysis laboratories that told the engineers when bearing or ring wear etc was approaching the wear limits and the loco should be pulled out of service for major repair!



There were also visosity and water content tests done at depot on oil samples.

In the later days, when the engines were coming to the end of their service life, many cylinder liners seemed to get removed due to water leaking internally after the oil sample revealed water ingress.

I also seem to think sodium metasilicate and borax were added to the coolant.


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## apinner (May 30, 2008)

mmmmmmm deltics!


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## Billy & Jase (May 30, 2008)

I would love to walk round them, 47's an 37's are the dog's lol good pic's i'm well into my railway history. driving down to Booth's of Rotherham soon, a large rail scrapyard you can walk around on a saturday for a small donation. its the only proper rail scrapyard left after the BREL's in glasgow, doncaster, sheffield, swindon an of course the famous VIC BERRY'S in leciester (closed in the 80's). if you like your rail history, or even if you don't check out Vic Berry's scrapyard on google u'll be pretty amazed, diesel locomotive stacked like matchbox cars! 

cheers!

Billy & Jase


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## apinner (May 30, 2008)

The photos i just found by googling vic berry were astonishing.. so many engines destroyed!


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## Lightbuoy (May 30, 2008)

Great report KE 

Me fave has got to be the first class carriages 

Lb:wcool:


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## apinner (May 30, 2008)

I thought you might find this interesting.. 47540 aka The Institute of Civil Engineers in its better days..

http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v2.php?img=1179051015211

Full Gallery..

http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_gallery.php?s_loco=47540

Some more information..

http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?index=2&jndex=1&kndex=40&s_loco=47540


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## King Al (May 30, 2008)

great report KE, love the shot with the ferns growing in between the seats I think it would be cool to have plants on trains


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## KingElvis (May 30, 2008)

apinner said:


> I thought you might find this interesting.. 47540 aka The Institute of Civil Engineers in its better days..
> 
> http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v2.php?img=1179051015211
> 
> ...



Thanks for that, lovely to see it in better days


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## Silverfox (May 30, 2008)

I'd like to point out i have no interest in trains what so ever, however i really enjoyed having a butchers at your report. I even found the information you included, top man


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## The Duke (Jun 2, 2008)

Great pictures and info by Theoss really interesting. Keep up the good work.


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## Billy & Jase (Jun 3, 2008)

checked out the pic's has seen better days dont u think 

cheers!


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## scammell23 (Jul 8, 2008)

*Detroit Diesel Engine*

Fantastic pictures, I loved the retro 70's coach! I noticed in one of the pictures there was a Detroit Diesel engine. I thought 47's used Sulzer engines?


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## Highline6-90 (Mar 29, 2009)

I love that kind of stuff, great pictures. No one has that kind of stuff down here.


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