What have you done today ?
- Thread starter Chuffer
- Start date
Forrest Gump
CCCUK regional rep
Not too difficult to spot your car!
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
And the show was thinning out a bit when the aerial shot was taken . It always has a good turn out each month in the good weather and I have seen it busier than last night . Not bad for £6 entry . It`s run by a husband and wife team and a few helpers and they have to cover the hire cost of the show ground .
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Been out with my camera this morning to capture the famous `Royal Scot ` loco 46100 heading north through Roade Cutting not far from where I live . It`s a civil engineering masterpiece that only the Victorians could achieve . At 1.5 miles long and 65 feet deep and four tracks wide it took just four years to complete from the initial letting of the contract in 1834 . And all dug out by hand by an army of Navvies !! These days it would take more than four years just to fill in all the paperwork and risk assessments !! 
The train was running 1.5 hours late and had started out diesel hauled from Southend to London where Royal Scot took over for the journey up to Chester .
The train was running 1.5 hours late and had started out diesel hauled from Southend to London where Royal Scot took over for the journey up to Chester .
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
It`s a combination of factors Ross . Partly it is the overall length of the journey which may prove too much for one tender full of coal even though in this case a Royal Scot class loco has a 9 ton coal capacity and 3500 gallons of water . Water stops are always factored in en route because fire hydrants at stations or road tanker lorries brought in to a convenient siding . Coaling facilities present a much bigger problem , especially if the loco is running under or close to 25KV overhead electrified lines for obvious reasons . All main certified locos are now fitted with low level filler hose connections with a non return valve so water can be taken at ground or platform level thus removing the need to climb up on the tender top as in the old days . Today`s train was Southend to Chester and return so much too far for one steam loco . Plus you have to factor in crew changes due to length of hours worked in one shift and one fireman could never shovel coal all day over such distances .
Another factor is where the steam loco is based . Most steam specials heading north or south from London have the locos based at Southall Depot , an old BR steam loco depot which has several locos based there at any one time has full workshop and servicing facilities . The dedicated carriages necessary for steam locos due to braking systems etc are also stored at Southall . Other specialist steam depots such as Crewe Heritage Depot and West Coast Rail at Carnforth cover other parts of the country as does Vintage Trains at Tysley in Birmingham .Today`s train starting in Southend would have meant the loco running light engine ( engine only - no carriages ) or hauling empty coaches from London to Southend then all the way back again and onwards to Chester , a huge expense at over £300 per ton coal for no return . Also today`s modern railway operators are so risk averse that huge safety margins are factored in too . In my early years of main line steam operations we did everything from stopping underneath road over bridges and running long lengths of hoses from the nearest fire hydrant over the bridge parapet and into the tender , to driving a coal truck up the ramp onto the platform at Bristol Temple Meads Station and hand shoveling the coal into the tender !! All very ` Titfield Thunderbolt` .
The powers that be would have appaplexy these days !!
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Been getting down and dirty rubbing up an old boiler today ! Finally finished off one side of the loco boiler power wire cup brushing with a Makita and getting the first coat of heat restistent paint on . ( Apologies for the old photo from previous post as forgot to take one of my completed handy work in the rush to go home ) It involved laying on my back on a low trestle under the belly of the boiler with the grinder a few inches from my face . I came home wearing most of the crap !!
Lots of activity going on all around as four locos were being coaled ,watered , oiled up and raising steam ready for the weekends ` Railways at Work in the 1960`s ` gala weekend . A heady atmosphere of coal dust , smoke , steam and warm oil . Plus a bright orange cloud from me as rust and scale and sparks flew in all directions .
Next time you pour nearly a £100 of high octane Super Unleaded into the empty tank of your Corvette , consider this . All these various locos hold between 5 and 9 tons of coal at currently over £300 per ton . And that`s Polish Cobbles which is not brilliant stuff . We can`t mine our own coal any more but import it from the far side of Europe ! !
Where`s the sense in that ???? Not to mention the carbon foot print before you even set fire to it !
Finally finished off one side of the loco boiler power wire cup brushing with a Makita and getting the first coat of heat restistent paint on . ( Apologies for the old photo from previous post as forgot to take one of my completed handy work in the rush to go home ) It involved laying on my back on a low trestle under the belly of the boiler with the grinder a few inches from my face . I came home wearing most of the crap !!Lots of activity going on all around as four locos were being coaled ,watered , oiled up and raising steam ready for the weekends ` Railways at Work in the 1960`s ` gala weekend . A heady atmosphere of coal dust , smoke , steam and warm oil .
Plus a bright orange cloud from me as rust and scale and sparks flew in all directions . Next time you pour nearly a £100 of high octane Super Unleaded into the empty tank of your Corvette , consider this . All these various locos hold between 5 and 9 tons of coal at currently over £300 per ton . And that`s Polish Cobbles which is not brilliant stuff . We can`t mine our own coal any more but import it from the far side of Europe ! !
Where`s the sense in that ???? Not to mention the carbon foot print before you even set fire to it !
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Had a fab day out today with the Mike & Debbie Penn and the regular gang from Central South Region at Wroxall Park near Warwick . The event was the Warwickshire Classic & Performance Motor Show that attracted an interesting variety of cars . We had a good turn out of Corvettes ranging from C3`s of varying years and guises through C4 , C7 & C8 . Plus scrummy scones , cream & jam plus strawberries courtesy of Mike & Debbie ...... What`s not to like ?
Must of us went up into the show arena in various categories to be interviewed about our cars and then judged my the crowd for their favourite . Mike Penn was voted second place to a McClaren in the Supercar sound off and I was voted second place crowd favourite behind a Triumph TR6 in the 1960`s to 1979 category . ( just squeeked in on that one the car was built in December 1979 as 1980 model year C3.
Must of us went up into the show arena in various categories to be interviewed about our cars and then judged my the crowd for their favourite . Mike Penn was voted second place to a McClaren in the Supercar sound off and I was voted second place crowd favourite behind a Triumph TR6 in the 1960`s to 1979 category . ( just squeeked in on that one the car was built in December 1979 as 1980 model year C3
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CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Over the weekend I drove my FTO for the first time since I've put it all together, and all I can say is FFS.
To recap - I took out most of the interior and other stuff to do the respray and fix the roof rust. A lot of the interior comes out to remove the headlining to fix the rust etc. lst it was all apart, I thought I'd fix the sunroof. After much messing around, trialling and so forth, I got the electrics working, and eventually managed to dial in the sunroof ECU so it would open and close properly. Assembled it all, and because of paranoia I tested it A LOT. Took it for drives whilst still all interior out, and sunroof worked fine. So eventually put all the interior back in.
So yeah, you guessed it, over the weekend I test drove it for first time with stuff back in, sunroof opened fine in the sun - but does it close? Does it bugger. So I now can't use my car in the rain now, and I have to take the bugger apart again to remove the headlining before I can even get to the sunroof stuff. Urghh....
To recap - I took out most of the interior and other stuff to do the respray and fix the roof rust. A lot of the interior comes out to remove the headlining to fix the rust etc. lst it was all apart, I thought I'd fix the sunroof. After much messing around, trialling and so forth, I got the electrics working, and eventually managed to dial in the sunroof ECU so it would open and close properly. Assembled it all, and because of paranoia I tested it A LOT. Took it for drives whilst still all interior out, and sunroof worked fine. So eventually put all the interior back in.
So yeah, you guessed it, over the weekend I test drove it for first time with stuff back in, sunroof opened fine in the sun - but does it close? Does it bugger. So I now can't use my car in the rain now, and I have to take the bugger apart again to remove the headlining before I can even get to the sunroof stuff. Urghh....
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Sod has paid you a visit with his Law again !! What a PIA .Over the weekend I drove my FTO for the first time since I've put it all together, and all I can say is FFS.
To recap - I took out most of the interior and other stuff to do the respray and fix the roof rust. A lot of the interior comes out to remove the headlining to fix the rust etc. lst it was all apart, I thought I'd fix the sunroof. After much messing around, trialling and so forth, I got the electrics working, and eventually managed to dial in the sunroof ECU so it would open and close properly. Assembled it all, and because of paranoia I tested it A LOT. Took it for drives whilst still all interior out, and sunroof worked fine. So eventually put all the interior back in.
So yeah, you guessed it, over the weekend I test drove it for first time with stuff back in, sunroof opened fine in the sun - but does it close? Does it bugger. So I now can't use my car in the rain now, and I have to take the bugger apart again to remove the headlining before I can even get to the sunroof stuff. Urghh....
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
Electric sunroofs are great when they are working, and probably most always work nowadays but are a bugger when the dont.
I liked to old webasto sunroofs. Very big, nearly covering the whole roof, easy to open and close. Just make sure the runners were greased regularly.
Had a couple on early XJ6’s, they were huge. Like being in a convertible when opened.
I liked to old webasto sunroofs. Very big, nearly covering the whole roof, easy to open and close. Just make sure the runners were greased regularly.
Had a couple on early XJ6’s, they were huge. Like being in a convertible when opened.
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Had a fab day out today with the Mike & Debbie Penn and the regular gang from Central South Region at Wroxall Park near Warwick . The event was the Warwickshire Classic & Performance Motor Show that attracted an interesting variety of cars . We had a good turn out of Corvettes ranging from C3`s of varying years and guises through C4 , C7 & C8 . Plus scrummy scones , cream & jam plus strawberries courtesy of Mike & Debbie ...... What`s not to like ?
Must of us went up into the show arena in various categories to be interviewed about our cars and then judged my the crowd for their favourite . Mike Penn was voted second place to a McClaren in the Supercar sound off and I was voted second place crowd favourite behind a Triumph TR6 in the 1960`s to 1979 category . ( just squeeked in on that one the car was built in December 1979 as 1980 model year C3
I have just ONE question chuffs, …. Did you put the jam on first and Then the cream ??!Had a fab day out today with the Mike & Debbie Penn and the regular gang from Central South Region at Wroxall Park near Warwick . The event was the Warwickshire Classic & Performance Motor Show that attracted an interesting variety of cars . We had a good turn out of Corvettes ranging from C3`s of varying years and guises through C4 , C7 & C8 . Plus scrummy scones , cream & jam plus strawberries courtesy of Mike & Debbie ...... What`s not to like ?
Must of us went up into the show arena in various categories to be interviewed about our cars and then judged my the crowd for their favourite . Mike Penn was voted second place to a McClaren in the Supercar sound off and I was voted second place crowd favourite behind a Triumph TR6 in the 1960`s to 1979 category . ( just squeeked in on that one the car was built in December 1979 as 1980 model year C3
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I`m a cream first man . Never mind the Devon versus Cornish ways . It seems the most sensible way to me as all the jam squiges out if you put it on first .I have just ONE question chuffs, …. Did you put the jam on first and Then the cream ??!
CaptainK
CCCUK Member
Mine worked electrically fine before the respray. Mechanically it had gunked up from the roof rust falling into it. So whilst the car was apart for the respray, I took the sunroof out to clean it up. At that time I wasn't concerned that the resprayer had removed the sunroof ecu, as it was sat in my glovebox and the electrical plug for it is unique so can only go in one place. Not sure if he removed the sunroof itself too, don't know.
Anyway, it turns out the sunroof works by having the ECU know where its position is. This is from a wire tube the sunroof motor pulls or pushes through the ECU that turns a cog wheel. The idea being that the ECU then turns the motor off when it gets to specific positions, and stops it for example when fingers are in the sunroof's path (or rust is in the rails etc). This I didn't know when I was reassembling it originally, so a lot of research and playing - if only I had removed the bits myself then I would have known how it worked.
Anyway, I cleaned the sunroof rails, and manually could wind the sunroof back and forth. All good there. It was after putting the sunroof back I had to work out how the electrics work (as above). What I didn't know is that the resprayer had moved the sunroof ECU dial position, and broken the (hidden) clips that held it in place. I didn't even notice originally, and just assumed it held onto the two pipes running through it and the headlining also helped.
But in a nutshell, my recently sunroof failure is down to the sunroof ECU falling JUST enough out of position that the "tube wire" wasn't activating the ECU dial. So it'd lost its position and always though the sunroof was CLOSED. Hence why it wouldn't activate the closing circuit. I probably knocked it when putting the headlining in as its quite tight, and silly me in my optimism after testing decided to put all the car back together instead of just the headlining and then driving it again. I'll have a think about better securing the ECU to make sure the wire doesn't pop out / ECU doesn't move and then drive it around with the headlining just in. If that doesn't work, I'm tempted to rewire it so I don't need the ECU - if your fingers are in the sunroof then its a learning lesson for you
All good fun with owning older cars.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Still recovering from my 60th birthday party on Saturday that included several club members and their Corvettes. Got a bunch of brill garage Corvette signs and pictures. The band were awesome and a possibility for the Nats next year. Please keep the noise down
Pitre
Chairman, CCCUK.
Happy belated birthday!Still recovering from my 60th birthday party on Saturday that included several club members and their Corvettes. Got a bunch of brill garage Corvette signs and pictures. The band were awesome and a possibility for the Nats next year. Please keep the noise down
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Thanks Pete but in fact you're premature as it's later in August but with family all over the UK it was the only date we could agree on.
Didn't know this was a thing. Name on the chequered flag used at the end of the race then cut out and mounted.
