UPDATE: 10 August 2010
There will be a short delay in publishing the book, please bear with us on this, non of us have ever produced
a book before, so unexpected delays were perhaps inevitable! Please keep checking back here
for news of the publication date.
On the loco, a replacement brush box has been sourced to replace the one destroyed in the radiator fan motor flashover. New temperature probe sensors, which were ordered by the 50 Alliance on behalf of a number of 50 owners have arrived. Many thanks to the 50 Alliance for including us in the order.
Finally for now, we really need to collect our latest batch of roof hatches from the South Devon Railway. We have left this too long. If anybody fancies picking these up on our behalf and delivering them to either Yeovil or Tyseley, please contact us. This would save us the time and money of making a special trip.
UPDATE: 20 July 2010
Last weekend at the Yeovil 150 event 50050 made its first working appearance
since 1999. Visiting locos 6024, 30777 and 47760 joined 50050 in celebrating
150 years of railway at Yeovil junction. We were delighted that following
the previous weekends working party by the 50027 group, 50050 was well
enough to take part.
The locos cabs were open to visitors during the event and several guests were given tours of the engine room. There was the first opportunity to see and hear the loco running since 1999, when it was started periodically throughout the day. After the steam shuttles ended, 50050 paid its first visit to the end of the demonstration line, giving cabrides to various friends of the loco. Andy Rowland (50029+50030) was rewarded for showing all those visitors around by having the opportunity to drive 50050. Andy has driven another large logo Laira Railtour 50 recently, so became the first person to drive both of them since 1993!
Thank you to all the viewers of this website who dropped by to say hello and to those who travelled long distances to see 50050. Martin Hart a good friend of 50050 travelled from Bromsgrove, several people came from Bournmouth. Some people suggested welders / fabricators who may be interested in helping on 50050s bodywork. These welcome suggestions will be followed up soon.
Since the last update, various options have been investigated regarding the flashover damage to the fan motor. A decision will be taken soon on which way to address the issue. If any group has a class 50 fan motor brush box that they wish to sell, we would be very interested in hearing from you.
Finally the book is back from the printers and should be available in the next 5 days or so. Please keep checking back here for details of how to order.
Above photos taken 17th July 2010
UPDATE: 12 July 2010
Another working day was held at Yeovil on Saturday. It turned out to be a day of very mixed fortunes. The main
news is that at long last 50050s KV10 problems appear to be over! The KV10 issue was first discovered in 2003
and prevented the loco returning to the mainline in that year.
Its a saga that is told in full in the book, due out later this week, but to summerise 50050 was broken into
while in "secure" store and its KV10 swapped with a very dud example. It truely has been a nightmare
which at one time threatened 50050s very exsistance. The last piece of the jigsaw was the loan by the 50027
group of two servicable KV10 control cards. These will have to be returned if 50027 ever needs them, so the
problems are not quite over yet...
And now the bad news, 50050 suffered a flashover of its radiator fan motor on Saturday. At this time it is not
known how bad the damage is, although a brush box has been badly damaged. The fan may well have to be sent away
for repair and we have already spoken to Bowers in Heanor about this.
47401 suffered a similar fault recently and we have been in touch one of its team about costings for fan
overhauls. Thanks to Dave (86259) for his help with this.
Another problem is that it may not be possible to crane the fan out at Yeovil. Last time we asked to have
something craned, we were refused, so 50050 may have to either leave or be a static loco for the forceable
future.
Obvioulsy this is an unexpected cost. Please consider buying a copy of the book when its available or use our webshop for your internet shopping. It includes ebay! Or kindly consider making a donation. It all helps and will speed 50050s return.
UPDATE: 28 June 2010
50050 was started for the first time in 2010 on 13.6.2010, mainly to test the rewired number 2 end traction
motor blower. Prior to this the number 2 end power controller was refitted and wired in. There will be more
testing on the loco during the weekend of July 3 and 4th. If this goes well the loco will be started during
the Yeovil 150 weekend 17 / 18 July. This will be the first time the loco has ran in public since 1999.
50050 will not be moving under its own power for this event. The book we have produced on 50050 is finished
and at the printers. More details on price and how to buy a copy will appear on this website soon.
We have been unable to find a welder / fabricator / sheet metal worker to start the long overdue bodywork repairs. 50050 is now looking very rough with several large holes in the bodywork. We have asked over 20 people who have any sort of loco body experience and despite offering 'blank cheque' type wages nobody we know is willing to travel to Yeovil. In desperation we are now contacting local fabricators in the Yeovil area to see if any of those will be willing to take the job on. It means risking using somebody with no experience of reskining railway locos, but sadly we have very little choice. If there is no progress in finding anybody by the end of the year, we will have to admit that its simply not possible to restore 50050s body in Yeovil. Bizarre as it sounds it may actually be easier to move the loco to a welder, than finding a welder willing to travel to the loco.
We have been able to supply 50008s owner with some parts. In exchange 50050 will be included in the order for 50008s new window wiper arms. Currently 50050 has the twin arm type on number 1 end and single arm type on number 2 end.
Finally, this year is going to be another year of large bills! One way of raising money for the loco at no cost to yourself, is using our webshop. It even includes eBay! Please go to the "How you can help page" for more details.
Thanks to Shackerstone diesels, Garcia Hanson, Martin Hart, Andy Rowland and Chris Wilkins for their help.
UPDATE: 23 April 2010
Last month 50050s number 2 end power controller was removed. The controller has been dismantled, lubricted and
freed. This should enable the loco to be driven in both directions from number 2 cab. A fault that showed up
during the locos first run at Yeovil last summer.
Away from the loco, we have bought some new radiator fan temperature probes, thanks to The 50 Alliance for
inviting us to be part of a bulk order. We have also placed our first order for new gutter section, this will
enable us and the 50027 group to make a start on replacing corroded guttering on our respective locos.
Finally the book we are publishing on 50050, The First of the Last, is nearly finished after lots of work
by Andy Coward.
A couple of requests now, if anybody is visiting the South Devon Railway soon, and is then passing either
Yeovil or the Midlands, could you email as we have a collection to make at the SDR. It would spare us time
and money if somebody could visit on our behalf.
Lastly, like any project the more money we have the quicker 50050 will be running again. One way to raise
money for the loco at no cost to yourself is to complete one of
these surveys. We get £1.20
for each completed form. It will only take a minute or two and will cost you nothing.
UPDATE: 22 March 2010
UPDATE: 19 December 2009
Just an update on 50050's last train, I have now found out, it actually worked under its own power on
21st December from Stratford to Wembley Yard, hauling 50002.
While at Wembley, the loco passed into the care of Fragonset Railways.
Thanks to Simon Briggs, who was on board the loco that day for the above information.
UPDATE: 17 December 2009 We had our final working party on 50050 at Yeovil on Sunday 6 December.
Andy Rowland from the 50029/30 group joined us for the day. The day had two main purposes. The loco was drained
and prepared for the winter and the number 2 traction motor blower was repaired, following some rewiring in
the cubical. Thanks to Andy and to the gentleman who loaned us the hydraulic crimpers.
At the South Devon Railway, two new roof hatches have been manufactured. These follow on from the set we had
made earlier this year. Those covered the engine, the two new hatches cover the number 1 end traction motor
blower compartment.
We have also found a supplier of class 50 guttering and an order will be placed after Christmas.
Finally, on Sunday December 20, 2009, It will be 10 years since 50050 hauled its final train. Hauling 50002
from Norwich to Stratford.
UPDATE: 6 November 2009 Congratulations to Harry Schneider and his partner Cindy, on the birth of their daughter Lisa on November 1st
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