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At the winter "locomotive skills"
class at BIFHE, work continues on making new pins for the brake rigging.
Here Edward drills the split pin holes.
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Of sixteen pins required, eleven have
been completed. Here some new pins stand next to an original (rusty) pin
removed from the van.
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Cleaning and painting the framing
of IVAN is a difficult and time consuming job. Firstly loose rust is knocked
off with an air chisel, and then the surface is cleaned up with rotary
wire brushes. Finally, primer is applied. It's difficult even to get a
brush into this confined space!
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Not so difficult to reach, but still
as difficult to clean, are the bottom of the ballast tanks. On the left
is the unemptied seaside tank. On the right a cleaned and painted section
of the emptied out landside tank can be seen. Jobs like this are made much
easier by the van being over a pit, lying in puddles is no longer required!
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Mark is using "Hammerite" on these
less exposed surfaces.
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The exterior of the van is being
painted more thoroughly. Two coats of primer, one of undercoat and one
of topcoat should keep the rust at bay for a good while.
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James has been preparing a detailed
wood specification for the brake van. Here are some of the samples of wood
he removed for measurement.
Firstly, one of the massive floor timbers,
roughly eight inches long by two and a half inches deep. We are reliably
informed that this wood is in fact oak!
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This section forms one edge
of the roof. It is secured to the van by large countersunk coach screws
while tongue and groove timbers are nailed into the top.
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