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"Good job your not working on this one then. There must be a collective noun for fools but if not, I'll make one up here!
I can honestly say, after 28 years of working on rail, much of that on projects around the world, I've never been on a worse one.
I'll be off as soon as I can!"
You need to be where I am......utter fustercluck, just waiting for the boot to drop. At least I know what my handshake will be...
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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To my mind, the only way to go with Top Gear is to do what Clarkson and Wilman did originally with Top Gear.... throw away the old, tired format completely, and begin again with something that is different to what has gone before. A clean slate approach. No, they nicked the concept from "Driven" and threw money at it, which is what it needed......
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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I missed this thread before its resurrection, so it's nice to see it bob up. It makes me feel nostalgic for a railway where engineering still happened. For my sins I'm now training new drivers and trying to explain some of the stuff we've had to do even in my shortish life on the rails you can see their eyes glaze over. All they know how to do is press a button, and even that's not a physical thing any more, it's touchscreen. Tell them about changing a shoe fuse without blowing yourself to the moon or fixing a main res burst in the rain, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere and they go pale and don't know whether to sh** or go blind! They'd genuinely lay a cow if you showed them some of the stuff in this thread. Which is exactly why I love it Proper stuff, looking forward to the next update Tell me about it; bl**dy wimps, some of the newer drivers...... ;-) Anyhoo, on with the sorry tale.... Seeing as 37003 was stuck for a move, we had a chat with various railways in the Leicester area, finally getting permission to road haul the loco into the GCR(N) at Ruddington, near Nottingham. It would then be slowly hauled south to Leicester UKRL in a planned stock move, so after a lot of faffing around, transport was acquired and arrived to collect 105 tons of EE's finest rusty steel. This in itself nearly ended in disaster when a hydraulic hose burst on the trailer, but because it was hammering down with rain, no-one noticed until the trailer dropped 6" with the loco half on..... brown underpants time.... Eventually all was sorted and via another failure en route, it finally got off at Ruddington..
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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But, for all that graft, two things eventually stopped the move by rail; one was a monumental cock-up by a Diesel gala Organiser (who now isn't any more...) and the discovery of a spurious grease sample from a bearing tube. So, 37003 had to sit out it's moment of glory and wait further developments....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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We also stripped off some bits that could, errrr, "Go walkies" when in storage... Like the builders plates (replicas, but still tempting for the wrong sorts..) and the frost protection grilles (cast aluminium). Then it was a quick trip down the line and back to test the brakes and make sure all the fettling had been successful, hauled by 37688 ("Great Rocks", now at the Severn Valley railway).
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Onwards with "Project 3-60" We had a good look at the bodywork and made a portfolio of all corrosion points, which being a 37, there were plenty (think 'italian steel' and you're somewhere close...). After that we approached four contractors and after getting quotes from all, we decided on UKRL at Leicester as they had a good track record in loco repairs and space to do 37003. So, it was time to prep the old girl for a rail drag from Dereham to Leicester..... Firstly, strip out all air recievers for insurance inspection... and some were well buried away! Then the Ultrasonic Axle Test to make sure there was nothing amiss below decks... Then fettle the brake rigging and fit new blocks (only 24 at 14lbs each....) And finally a general inspection called a Fitness To Run (FTR)
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 29, 2019 21:25:54 GMT
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Great to see a progress update on this, even if it isn't all good news... I never did get down to Toddington to volunteer, but did have a run behind their green 'un (D6948) earlier this year. Good old "Chitty", 37248 as was. They've done some seriously good work on that, superb job as well. More updates probably tomorrow on 003...
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 27, 2019 19:41:48 GMT
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It all seemed to be going OK, so we started prep on the liners to refit them, by mopping the bores with an f-off sized glazebuster... ...getting the pistons machined at a local marine engineers to accept oversize (by that I mean thickness) ring sets... ...which in itself was a war to get the gudgeon pins out... But we were succeeding. Now, facilities at the railway were, shall we say, negligable and it became very obvious as we worked into 2014/5 on this lot that we were not going to get much time where we needed to be to complete the tasks, so after fitting the liners back in we stopped work, prepped all the parts against corrosion and decided to employ a contractor to complete the work, calling it "Project 3-60", aiming to have 37003 back, as D6703 for its 60th Anniversary in December 2020
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 27, 2019 19:33:17 GMT
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Which left us with this lot.... times 12... and the small matter of a pair of blocked intercoolers (which according to a local engine guru, are a one man lift.... only if you are the Hulk!) Anyway, once apart, we started measuring everything with the necessary kit to BR Specs
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 27, 2019 19:28:49 GMT
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Righto, catchup time. We decided to replace the battery cells one lovely hot day in July 2013 - handballing 900kg of lead acid lovelyness off of and onto the loco one at a time. Nearly killed us but made starting less of a 'battery takes deep breath and shoves engine round' to 'press button and ROAR!'. Anyway, 37003 carried on working through until December 2013, clocking up well over 1000 miles on a 10-mile line. Then it went boobs up.... big style.... Prepping for the post Xmas running, I noticed there seemed to be more oil in the sump than before Christmas - I know Santa had been, but we didn't ask for oil as a prezzy... Hmmm. We popped off a couple of engine covers and found coolant dripping from one of the cylinder liners - immediately out of service! Oh.... bother. We decided that there was very probably going to be more damage to other liner seals so we then intended to do a full top end strip, pull the pistons and liners and replace all the seals. It was a big, lumpy job with big, lumpy bits.... using big, lumpy tools.....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 27, 2019 19:16:34 GMT
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Were any of the type 37's fitted with Ruston RK's? The reason I ask is one of the semi-submersible rigs I work on has 4 Ruston V16 RK's (turbocharged) as prime movers. Same family, just newer versions. EE were sold off to GEC who shipped the engines on to Ruston who developed them further (things like gear drive timing etc) and via a load of other sell=offs, I believe Rolls Royce now do them via MTU and MAN (we can still get bits at reasonable prices, unlike the poor b*gg*rs with Sulzer power units who have to pay through the nose...) Holy Thread Resurrection Batman! I can't do much at the moment but will fill you all in with the trial sand tribulations of keeping a locomotive alive soon.... Waiting. See Rail Operations Group use a 37 with multiple coupler units to shift different bits of rolling stock around the network now. Yup, interesting piece of kit. They also have brake converters fitted as well as air filtration and drying systems. 37800 was at work recently dragging one of the new Stadler units about via a multi-part 'emergency' coupling.
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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May 27, 2019 19:06:41 GMT
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We had them on BR - one had an accident after 100 miles when a lorry backed into it and tore the bonnet off. We used to kill Transits for a pastime; never ever killed a Sherpa and by god did we try! Two crew cab vans and a 'normal' van in the fleet, a crew cab pickup from the Engineers that got 'borrowed' regularly - even towed a 4x4 out of a snowdrift in one. Not the most refined or stylish vans but very well built (I remember someone from Scrapheap Challenge trying to extricate the chassis off an ex-PO van - that didn't go well....) and if looked after, bombproof.
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Holy Thread Resurrection Batman! I can't do much at the moment but will fill you all in with the trial sand tribulations of keeping a locomotive alive soon....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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I remember seeing that rumble through Stratford in E London one evening... a real "WTF!?!?" moment.
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Honda V6 - best engine for these (at the time). Seen a few knocking around recently, it looks like people are starting to take notice of them now...
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Feb 22, 2019 17:56:25 GMT
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Surely a perfect candidate for a 1.8t K series from a 75/ZT? Tom Nah, tune one like Reyland did with their Metro.....
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Last Edit: Feb 22, 2019 19:55:04 GMT by marinanut
Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Feb 19, 2019 20:23:22 GMT
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I think I may have been hasty in my conclusion. From a quick google it appears there’s a gasket that leaks coolant into the chambers on the inlet manifold. I’m now visibly losing coolant into the floor also so I think this gasket has gone. I’ve no other signs of failed hg apart from cloudy oil which could just be moisture in the oil. Hopefully....... No, the inlet manifold gasket leak causes No1 cylinder to misfire for about 30 secs on start-up; you have full mixing which means the elastomer bead has gone on the HG. Drop the oil and coolant, refill both with either cheap or used oil and dilute coolant, run the engine up to temp, change the oil again, run up again and dump that oil. That should purge the curse word out of the system fairly well. Then drop the coolant out. Once the head is off get it looked at by someone who knows what they are doing - I used a guy in Leicester for the last head job and it came back fully overhauled for not a lot. Check the liner protrusion - if thats bad then the engine may have been cooked. There are ways around it but 1.8 K series are all over the interweb and they are all basically the same lump. People are scared of them because they are "Rover K Series" but they aren't bad to work on and well built, with uprated HG, bolts and oil rail, they can last forever and can handle silly BHP. Or you could find a trashed MG6 and chuck the turbo N Series in (same-ish engine)and tweak that for smiles....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Jan 26, 2019 21:27:32 GMT
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A bit of something for everyone Yes, thats a Bristol VR with Eastern Coach Works body - built like a tank. VR stood for 'Vertical Rear' engine (Gardiner); VRT added the suffix 'Tall' and can be indentified by the band above the lower deck being wider and visible above the windscreen. The bare chassis used to be driven from Bristol to Lowestoft by a bloke sat in a plywood 'cab', usually four or five in convoy with a minibus to ferry them home or rescue them if one coughed en route. H&S would sh*t themselves today.....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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I thought I'd throw this you you guys first; This year we had a vehicle nicked. It has great personal value but little intrinsic and after a couple of weeks of the usual crime numbers being bandied around, the insurance eventually came up with a figure and paid out via cheque. Two days ago, said vehicle reappears after being found dumped on waste land with minimal damage. Report discovery to police who have deregistered it as stolen, but the insurance co is ordering it to be sent to Copart. The thing is, the cheque has never been cashed. We still have the keys, V5 and the unused cheque, so who is now the legal owner, seeing as we haven't actually completed the transaction? (BTW, if it goes, I'll buy the thing back as it has great emotional value to my wife...)
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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Dec 27, 2018 21:29:43 GMT
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“They are bubble people. What I mean by this is that, as individuals, they appear to me to believe that they are the only person on the planet and are completely oblivious to anyone or anything that is outside their own bubble. Regardless of whether they are driving, walking or, most noticeably, armed with a motorbike, they simply have no regard for others.” good to see things working out for you..... this description now tallies with the lifestyle in large UK cities, except replace 'moped' with 'mobile phone'. I did notice a job advert for Manila Metro appeared here a few weeks ago...... Hmmmm....
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Rover Metro - The TARDIS - brake problems.....Stored Rover 75 - Barge MGZTT Cdti 160+ - Winter Hack and Audi botherer... MGF - The Golden Shot...Stored Project Minion........ Can you see the theme?
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