Return to Train Graveyard - May 08

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.

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

Neosea said:

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

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

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

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Working on the motors would not have been easy.

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

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.

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

:GEEK:

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

So, things ain't changed much?

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.

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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.

spacepunk said:

So, things ain't changed much?

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Nope, but sitting in the drivers seat was pretty neat

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!

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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.

mmmmmmm deltics!

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

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

Great report KE

Me fave has got to be the first class carriages

Lb:wcool:

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

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

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

Click to expand...

Thanks for that, lovely to see it in better days