DMU Update / Appeal, Jun '21

It is now just over twelve months since our Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit arrived at our base at NPL, and after another period of lockdown, our members have recently returned to working on its restoration. This seems an appropriate time to provide an update on the work completed in particularly the last few months of 2020 and what is currently underway.

Exterior

The cab front of the trailer car, M56484, has had old paint removed from the steelwork and a primer applied.

During this work we found some traces of the whiskers applied to the green livery when built. The buffer beam has been cleaned up and red oxide primer applied. All the vaccuum pipe fittings have been rubbed down and repainted as have the the electric train control jumper leads fittings.

An urgent job currently underway is to fix a leak in the fibre glass cab roof and ensure that the roof is sealed correctly to the rest of the bodywork. To do this the cab gutters have been removed and re-rivetted to the cab front and get the roof ready for a fresh coating of gelcote.

Future Livery

Towards the end of 2020 a ballot was held amongst our members as to what livery should be applied to the unit. A majority of members voted for the original as built livery of green with whiskers.

Interior

Much work has taken place inside the trailer car and the photograph shows the interior of the First Class compartment looking towards the driver's cab. The blue wall covering has been removed from the rear of the cab partition to reveal the original formica wood finish. This has been cleaned up and varnished.

The photograph also shows work has started on a laying new floor covering. All the side wall panels have been cleaned to remove the as much of the dirt from 60 years of use as possible, whilst the ceiling has received a fresh coat of white paint. The luggage racks have been removed for cleaning and the one on the floor is ready to be put back in position.

The internal lighting in the trailer car has been checked by our electricians and each lighting unit has been found to be in working order. However each unit needs cleaning and repainting.

In the driver's cab work is underway to check all the existing wiring, replacing defective parts and then put back in place the refurbished cab controls such as air pressure gaigea, rev counter and speedometer.

Once the floor is finished we can start reinstating the seating but these will need to go off for shot blasting and powder-coating first.

Water Damage

When we purchased the unit we were aware of some historic water damage to rear of the trailer car roof and there was evidence that water was still getting in. There are three roof mounted water tanks to supply the toilet and hand basin and these are fed from pipes on the roof and weren't sure if the tanks were leaking or the water was getting in from the roof above these tanks.

We had to lower the tanks to allow access to the water feed pipes and at the same time we took advantage to replace all the perrished rubber hozes which connect the tanks together.

The photograph above shows the refitted tanks back in place in the roof and these have been tested to ensure the leaks have stopped. Recent heavy rain with strong winds has convinced us that we have successfully stopped any roof leaks, and can now start putting the ceiling back.

Doors

One major task is the refurbishment of the carriage doors, the drop lights and much of the woodwork trim in the trailer car. These had suffered from a lot of water damage and corrosion and much of the woodwork is in a poor condition and needs replacing.

All the door locks and droplight mechanisms have been serviced, and where required new parts made. These now work correctly. Wherever possible the original wood is being reused, paint removed, and teak varnish applied. In some instances, the original woodwork is beyond repair and we must make new parts.

The above photograph shows a new sapele wood door bottom piece in place, and new unvarnished trim strips either side of the door.

Fortunately, we have many talented members skilled in as carpentry, panel making, welding and electrics, as well as general restoration and maintenance work, so many of the tasks can be carried out by our own members.

Future work will include new wooden handle strips for above the locks and new or refurbished door cards.

Sponsor Items Needed for the Restoration

Last year we invited friends and members of the Society to sponsor various items needed for the restoration of the Class 108 DMU. This appeal proved successful, and several parts are now fully sponsored.

We do still have several items still available for sponsorship. As the restoration progresses there will be a number of other items added to the list.

The table below shows items currently available for sponsorship:

Item	No. of Units	No. Sponsore'd	No. Left	Sponsor Amount
Footstep Boards	26	26	0	n/a
Repaint Seat Frames	27	7	20	£20
Seat Frame Bolts	4	4	0	n/a
Door Grab Handles	6	6	0	n/a
Carriage Lighting Units	19	0	19	£20
Door Threshold Blocks	14	2	12	£40
New Vacuum Pipes	8	0	8	£100

If you would like to sponsor any of the above items, you can use any of the methods at the foot of this page to make a donation.

Please be sure to indicate which item you would wish to sponsor.

Nigel Kirkpatrick
On behalf of the Rolling Stock Fund