Forest Narrow Gauge — September 2015 ?>

Forest Narrow Gauge — September 2015

Skippy leads the line-up
Skippy leads the locomotive line-up

The main site at Lea Bailey was open to the public from 11:00 to 16:00. The attractions included:

  • Our Simplex / Motor Rail 21282 and Wingrove & Rogers battery-electric locomotives in action
  • Our EIMCO 12B rocker shovel on display
  • Display of our two recently arrived battery-electric locomotives.
  • Freelance motorised skip wagon ‘Skippy’ from Alan Keef Ltd.
  • A Lister Auto Truck from Brian Faulkner

Alan Keef Ltd had announced that the planned ‘Steam-Up and Open Day’ would not be going ahead as originally planned on 19th September 2015 — however, the decision had been taken for the best possible reasons! Managing Director Patrick Keef explained:

“The culmination of a large project in Europe in conjunction with other major project work and the wonderful news that my fellow Director and sister Alice Basey will be having a baby around the same time as the Open Day, together with two family house moves, meant we had to review our priorities. The Open Day is a huge attraction for enthusiasts, customers and friends alike and we will of course miss seeing everyone, but we felt very strongly that if we couldn’t commit to putting on the very best show we could, we’d rather postpone it and instead plan an even better event for 2016.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRA1Jzlppjg

WR8 Progress ?>

WR8 Progress

Removing the battery box
Removing the battery box from the WR8

Note: This post was created in May 2016 using photographs from June 2015. Due to an oversight by the Administrator, no write-up had been provided. The following was written from memory in July 2023 using the photographs as a guide.

The Wingrove & Rogers WR8 had been stored on top of the bogie wagon along with the 18″ gauge WR5. In order to make progress in the restoration to working condition it needed to be lowered back onto the running line. Using a pair of rails, the battery box was gently slid off the frames onto some higher ground before shunting the wagon into position outside the mine.

Using some stacks of sleepers to match the height of the wagon, a pair of bridge rails was used to roll the locomotive off the wagon which was then moved out of the way. Using the central support as a pivot, the bridge rails could then tilt down like a see-saw when a sleeper was removed from one end. Using the length of the rails as a lever it was then possible to remove one sleeper from the other and and from the middle, and repeat the process until the locomotive could be gently rolled down onto the track.

History does not record the method used to lower the battery box back onto the locomotive, but no doubt the nearby supply of rails, sleepers, and crow bars proved useful to the volunteers in their task.

Turning a tank into a shed ?>

Turning a tank into a shed

The WR8 outside its new home
The WR8 outside its new home

As part of the original preservation project at Lea Bailey in the mid-1990s, a steel tank was delivered to the site. As is common at Freemines in the Forest of Dean, things are re-used for something other than their original purpose (the Haywood Drift Mine near Cinderford uses one as an entrance) our example had been modified by having a door cut in one end and drainage slots in the bottom. By a happy coincidence, the door was just the right size to allow our battery-electric locomotives to enter, and the only modification needed was to cut two slots for the rails and wheel flanges. Of course the tank would need to be moved to a location that would allow track to be laid into it — luckily we had a Tirfor winch available which would do the job, albeit rather slowly!

Having checked that the tank was not attached to the supports (it wasn’t), a “trial pull” revealed that the tank would indeed move, so the end of our newly-laid siding and its buffer stop were duly removed again ready for the new resident. Setting up the Tirfor was a simple matter of finding a straight route and attaching a strop to a strong tree roughly in line — luckily there is no shortage of those at Lea Bailey. As there is no “steering”, the winch must be attached to a different tree in order to change direction. Crossing the track was a matter of laying another temporary track panel over the top of the rails to allow the bottom of the tank to slide into position. Winching the back end in laterally completed the job with the happy accident of rotating the tank just enough to align the door into an upright position.

With the tank in position it was time to lay the track. A quick check of the available spare rails coupled with a measurement of the inside of the tank revealed a slight mismatch. All of the rails were too long, or you could say that the inside of the tank was too short. Options were considered such as cutting the ends off the rails, or making a two small holes in the end of the tank, but in the end we managed to winch it a few inches away from the rail joint in order to make room. Once the rails and sleepers were connected up and ballasted (plus some steel sleepers for the inside) it was time to test it for real, starting with the WR5 as the smallest locomotive and working our way up to the WR18. A tight fit and you have to remember not to lean out! Unpowered locomotives have to be pushed by hand to the door before being hauled away by the Simplex because the door is too narrow for it to fit inside.

A secure door will be fitted before storing anything inside other than un-restored locomotives and rolling stock.

Running On Air Open Day — May 2015 ?>

Running On Air Open Day — May 2015

The two Bens with Issing Sid
The two Bens taking a short tea break with Issing Sid

For our Open Days on 9th and 10th May we had not one but two air-powered machines — our own Eimco 12B rocker shovel (which can now propel itself under power) was joined by a visitor in the form of “Issing Sid” (Hunslet 9902 of 2009) from Statfold Barn Railway. Sid is a modern-day replica of a 19th Century compressed-air locomotive designed to work underground without the noxious fumes created by a steam or internal combustion engine.

Saturday 9th was a public open day welcoming local visitors and enthusiasts from farther afield. Sunday 10th was set aside for a visit from the Narrow Gauge Railway Society following their AGM at Perrygrove Railway the previous day. Visiting Clearwell Caves was Gareth’s Clayton battery-electric which joined our resident Hunslet 7446 as well as the long-term restoration projects such as the W227 and large Hudswell-Clarke 0-4-0 diesels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzGS4j1YQPs

Can’t See the Wood for the Trees… ?>

Can’t See the Wood for the Trees…

Forestry operations reveal trackbed
Forestry operations reveal trackbed

The Forest of Dean has always been a “working forest” and that means at some point something has to be done with all the trees to prevent the whole area reverting back to the wild. To that end, the Forestry Commission has an ongoing programme of thinning out mature trees in order to give the others more room to grow, and also allowing daylight to reach the forest floor which in turn encourages plant growth.

A local contractor has been using the Lea Bailey site as a base for  part of this work and the trackbed of the former Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway is an ideal roadway to gain access to the woods beyond. Our volunteers have relaid a section of track with steel sleepers and replaced the fishplates with one bolt per pair (compared to the usual four) for ease of removal and re-fitting. This means the large forestry machines can cross the track without causing damage. It will probably prove useful in other ways, for example as a handy unloading point for visiting locomotives at open days.

The Forest of Dean — and indeed the Lea Bailey area — gets a mention in the famous Diary of Samuel Pepys, as this extract from 20th June 1662 shows:

“Up by four or five o’clock, and to the office, and there drew up the agreement between the King and Sir John Winter about the Forest of Dean; and having done it, he came himself (I did not know him to be the Queen’s secretary before, but observed him to be a man of fine parts); and we read it, and both like it well.

That done, I turned to the Forest of Dean, in Speed’s Maps, and there he showed me how it lies; and the Lea-Bayly, with the great charge of carrying it to Lydney, and many other things worth my knowing; and I do perceive that I am very short in my business by not knowing many times the geographical part of my business.”

 

Our volunteers have not been idle whilst this work was going on (although it was fun to watch the forestry machines at work on our tea breaks) as more progress has been made on the siding. One of the large wagons with side-opening doors has proved useful for ballasting although when fully loaded it is rather heavy! Being somewhat less than fully-charged, our WR5 needed a helping hand on the steepest part of the track. Several large rocks which were getting in the way have been broken into smaller pieces and shifted by rail to a rapidly-growing stack at the end of the line.

Yet more battery locomotives ?>

Yet more battery locomotives

Wingrove & Rogers WR5
Wingrove & Rogers WR5 parked on a flat wagon

If cost is everything then for an entry level locomotive you need look no further than a battery powered machine. We inherited our first one in more or less ready-to-run condition and in late 2014 took delivery of four more.

Rob Needham has arranged the purchase of  one 2ft gauge WR8 and one 18in gauge WR5 battery locos from Murphy’s the contractors in London. The WR8 is 8hp 60volts, and has been stored under cover, so should be easy to get working quickly with batteries from our WR5 plus one more. Then we can take our WR5 out of use and give it an overhaul, including replacing the controller with that from the new WR5. The 18in gauge locomotive is just a temporary resident and is expected to go a site near Cardiff, obviously it would need major surgery to run at Lea Bailey.

Murphy’s have been disposing of their stock and it was an excellent opportunity to acquire locomotives in good overall condition.

Ballasting the back siding ?>

Ballasting the back siding

Loading spoil into the tipper wagon
Loading spoil into the tipper wagon

During March the regular group of Sunday volunteers set about re-laying the back siding behind the tin shed. When originally laid, the basic levelling had been done by Pat Clifford in a hired mini-digger, with the rest of the work being done by hand using shovels. Because of the levels and gradients involved (nothing in the Forest of Dean seems to be flat) many of the sleepers had to be dug into individual “pits” which was far from ideal. Therefore, we lifted each section of track in turn and removed the soil from around and under the sleepers, allowing ballast  to be placed underneath for drainage.

When relaying, the sleepers were spaced out more evenly and a little work was done with the jim-crow to ease out the curves. Fishplates were greased and the spoil which was removed was tipped next to the loop to finish off the re-grading work which will hopefully prevent the ballast rolling off the edge of the embankment. A makeshift buffer stop was constructed by inserting a length of rail into a deep hole and backfilling with rubble. Hopefully this will not prove too difficult to remove as we plan to move the old cylindrical water tank into this position for use as a battery-electric locomotive shed.

Winter track renewals — January & February 2015 ?>

Winter track renewals — January & February 2015

STOP Limit of operations
STOP Limit of operations

Using up the last of the new sleepers, with the exception of a few saved for finishing off the long siding behind the shed, our hardy volunteers set about relaying the section of track between the passing loop and the curve leading to the mine. The original sleepers used to construct the railway 20-odd years ago were ex British Rail standard gauge timber sleepers cut in half and most still retained their cast-iron chairs for holding the rails, simply turned over “out of sight and out of mind” as the old saying goes.

Working one rail-length at a time the sleepers were changed and the opportunity was taken to dig down and lower the hardcore base on the trackbed slightly to allow a decent thickness of ballast underneath the new sleepers. This improves drainage, keeps weeds down, and allows the individual sleepers to be “jacked and packed” to remove dips and hollows in the track.

During the digging stage, a large number of whole bricks were found, these being part of the hardcore that was used to build up the original trackbed for the narrow gauge line to be constructed. It was suggested on more than one occasion that the gold mine could easily be re-opened as a brick mine! Whilst the track gang was busy lining and levelling using the MK1 eyeball, Rob was using the disc-cutter to separate the chairs from the sleepers. These were reserved for future use, with the better sleepers being kept for jacking blocks and the old chairs saved for a future project.

The jim-crow was used to improve the lead-in to the curve and once the trackwork was complete it was duly tested by the Simplex and also the Eimco rocker shovel operating under its own power thanks to Nick’s portable compressor.

Progress at Drybrook 2014 ?>

Progress at Drybrook 2014

Cutting outside tunnel
Working in the cutting outside the tunnel

Since we established ourselves in 2012, the Hawthorns Tunnel (Euroclydon Tunnel) site at Drybrook has been little more than a source of track for Lea Bailey. Now we have decided to establish a proper presence at the tunnel. The culvert that carries a small stream past our access gate had collapsed and that meant some initial hard work so we could get equipment down to the tunnel.

Another headache is the fact that the trackbed outside the tunnel is now several feet higher than the tunnel floor which is largely concreted. Also, when the stream overflows, water pours through the tunnel. Some digging out will hopefully have brought this under control. Our new skip (the result of an exchange for a former Coleford Brickworks wagon) has been pressed into service as can be seen. Inside the tunnel we shall lay track from that stored there for many years until it runs out.

Although the tunnel is very damp, should we so wish, we should be able to keep and operate the Hunslet here as it has no electrical system. However, that would mean bringing in a small compressor to start it every time it runs.

Administrator’s Note: Work in the cutting has been put on hold whilst matters relating to ownership of the land are put in order. Our access to the tunnel itself is not affected.

Four More Battery Locomotives ?>

Four More Battery Locomotives

W&R 7888R
Wingrove & Rogers WR18 No. 7888R

If cost is everything then for an entry-level locomotive you need look no further than a battery powered machine. We inherited our first one in more or less ready-to-run condition and have since taken delivery of two more.

The latest additions — no less than four of them — will be much more of a challenge. Given the cost of the heavy duty batteries needed to power them, I doubt we shall ever see a run past of all of them working simultaneously.

Clayton 1Ÿ ton 4wBE w/no 5961C of 1972.

  • Has no motor or brakes. Stored in Littledean. Bought from Ian Bendall, Wigston, Leics. Industrial identity ‘EL9’.
  • History not yet known:
  • One option is to fit two 24v lorry starter motors (one to each axle) and power with four 12v auto batteries.
  • This loco is of same type as one brought to Lea Bailey open day in June by Gareth Rees.

Logan Ÿ ton 4wBE, w/no LM 1066 of 1951.

  • Complete apart from battery and battery boxes (but very corroded due to over 40 years stored OOU outdoors at Llechwedd, North Wales).
  • To Edmund Nuttall, Sons & Co (London) Ltd, no location known. Sold to Mitchell Bros, Son & Co Ltd, Tickhill, Doncaster in 1965; given plant no MBS236. Employed on Mitchell’s Tilbury Power Station contract, before moving on to their LT Victoria Line, Vauxhall Park contract. By February 1972 the loco was at Mitchell’s Tickhill Plant Depot, Doncaster. Sold to Llechwedd Slate Quarry & Tourist Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog, moved by April 1972. Not used, put on static display. Sold to Alan Keef Sept 2014. Bought for LBLR and moved to storage in Littledean, 24th October 2014.
  • Longish term restoration project (for dry weather)
  • Needs two battery boxes making (there is a complete example in North Wales on which to measure the boxes). 96v so will need eight 12v auto batteries.

Wingrove & Rogers WR18 4wBE, w/no 7888R of 1977.

  • Complete apart from battery and brakes (but battered and corroded from use and outdoor storage).
  • New to Stanhopeburn mine. 6/1978 as No 3 moved to Cambokeels mine. By 16/10/1988 moved to Frazers Grove mine. C4/2004 moved to Broadwood Processing Plant for storage. Bought for LBLR and moved to Lea Bailey 27th October 2014.
  • Wheels and motors rotate (but are stiff). 72v so will need six 12v auto batteries. Although handbrake, blocks and rigging are missing this loco appears to have a transmission brake.
  • The WR18 is an upgraded version of W227 as used on the George & Charlotte mine tramway at Morwellham.

Wingrove & Rogers WR18 4wBE, w/no 7964 of 1977.

  • Complete apart from battery and brakes (but battered and corroded from use and outdoor storage), battery box is not original (too small).
  • New to Redburn mine. By 11/3/1978 to Stanhopeburn mine. After 7/1979, by 12/10/1980 moved to Cambokeels mine as No 4. By 16/10/1988 moved to Frazers Grove mine. By 19/12/1989 moved to Cambokeels mine. By 17/11/1990 moved to Frazers Grove mine as No 1. 12/1999 moved to Broadwood Processing Plant for storage. 8/7/2004 sold to I Hughes, Langwathby, Cumbria. Then sold to R Etherington, Shackerstone, Leics. Bought for LBLR and moved to Clearwell 24th October 2014 to be restored for use as shunter at the Caves.
  • Wheels and motors rotate (easier than on 7888). 72v so will need six 12v auto batteries. Although handbrake, blocks and rigging are missing this loco hopefully has a transmission brake as on 7888.

N.B. Redburn, Stanhopeburn, Cambokeels and Frazers Grove mines and Broadwood Processing Plant were all parts of the (now defunct) Weardale fluorspar industry in County Durham.