Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
I am a volunteer with the Lynton & Barnstaple East Anglian Group (Heritage coach group), the group is involved in restoration and building the coaching stock. I have been involved with the group for over 2 years, they have had Van 23 in the works for a number of years now. Simply van 28 was worn out with the wooden underframe decidedly not fit for service
The plan was to rebuild the van with a new steel underframe. This time those at Woody Bay engineering department decided they could both build the steel underframe and repurpose a pair of bogies they had in stock ( This work was previously done by outside contractors), The Heritage coach group duly dismantled the van and began the job of prefabricating the parts to rebuild it whilst Woody Bay got on with the chassis.
Sadly for us the engineers stopped work on the chassis to restore Sir Thomas Nunes. By the time I joined van 28 was in limbo until the chassis could be completed. We therefore got on with prefabricating parts for the next coach which is number 9
To cut a long story short the chassis is now in the workshop, the bogies have been refurbished and the brake system is being installed, with delivery anticipated in a month or so
We rent a large barn which has various rooms, this is a shot to the main coach erection area. I the mid distance are the solebars and cantrails which have been marked out for the various uprights for the sides and doors
A close up of the solebar (left) and cantrail (right and upside down) sitting on sitting on the angled slice we cut off
The solebar has a notch to fit over the steel underframe, in practice it sits over the steel underframe and the uprights are morticed jointed into it
Van 23 is 26'3" over the head stocks and the wooden planks we had were over 12" wide, so both the circular saw and planer were taken out of the machine shop, to cut and plane both solebars and Cantrails. In fact over the past month as well as other jobs we have both cut and planed to size the solebars and cantrails for both van 23 and Coach 9. We now use Iroko wood as teak is not available
A closer shot of the solebars and cantrails, which ate marked out using rods, then the mortices are cut out. Standing on Car axle stands and jacks to keep all level
A close up of our leveling system, basic old school but effective
We are also painting the prefabricated planks for the sides and ironwork
In the foreground are some of the vans side uprights. Unlike other builds the design requires the solebars fitting to it prior to the assembly of the vans body
If anybody in the East Anglia area is interested in volunteering and joining the group and can get to Colchester under their own steam PM me
The plan was to rebuild the van with a new steel underframe. This time those at Woody Bay engineering department decided they could both build the steel underframe and repurpose a pair of bogies they had in stock ( This work was previously done by outside contractors), The Heritage coach group duly dismantled the van and began the job of prefabricating the parts to rebuild it whilst Woody Bay got on with the chassis.
Sadly for us the engineers stopped work on the chassis to restore Sir Thomas Nunes. By the time I joined van 28 was in limbo until the chassis could be completed. We therefore got on with prefabricating parts for the next coach which is number 9
To cut a long story short the chassis is now in the workshop, the bogies have been refurbished and the brake system is being installed, with delivery anticipated in a month or so
We rent a large barn which has various rooms, this is a shot to the main coach erection area. I the mid distance are the solebars and cantrails which have been marked out for the various uprights for the sides and doors
A close up of the solebar (left) and cantrail (right and upside down) sitting on sitting on the angled slice we cut off
The solebar has a notch to fit over the steel underframe, in practice it sits over the steel underframe and the uprights are morticed jointed into it
Van 23 is 26'3" over the head stocks and the wooden planks we had were over 12" wide, so both the circular saw and planer were taken out of the machine shop, to cut and plane both solebars and Cantrails. In fact over the past month as well as other jobs we have both cut and planed to size the solebars and cantrails for both van 23 and Coach 9. We now use Iroko wood as teak is not available
A closer shot of the solebars and cantrails, which ate marked out using rods, then the mortices are cut out. Standing on Car axle stands and jacks to keep all level
A close up of our leveling system, basic old school but effective
We are also painting the prefabricated planks for the sides and ironwork
In the foreground are some of the vans side uprights. Unlike other builds the design requires the solebars fitting to it prior to the assembly of the vans bodyIf anybody in the East Anglia area is interested in volunteering and joining the group and can get to Colchester under their own steam PM me
