Spring 2026
1002's bogies were sent south to LS Engineering for overhaul at the beginning of 2026. The bogies were stripped down, the springs removed and tested, components ultrasonically tested, then the whole affair was re-assembled and painted up. The bogies arrived back at Bo'ness at the beginning of May 2026.
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Most of the LNER door locks on the teak stock were quite worn and required overhaul. The obvious sign of wear was the handle not settling in the "3 o'clock" position when the door was closed, but in the "4 o'clock" position. Three of the team went south to the Severn Valley Railway in 2025 for a lock overhaul course run by High McQuade. This proved invaluable. All 12 of 1002's door locks required attention and the project is ongoing at the time of writing. Some problems were also encountered with the opening and closing of the external doors which then required a bit of hinge fettling.
The gangway plates had been in storage for a very long time, and as the vehicle was due to be shunted in the near future, it was felt necessary to remount these using our recently certified 5T hoist in the RCB. The first plate to be fitted was the east end one as the stored plate was already in the RCB and moving it to the carriage was fairly straightforward. After hoisting it to the right height, the 2 top "prongs" were threaded into their recepticles and the springs threaded on to the shafts. The lower bolts were then fitted (nuts to the top) and the top plungers fitted with retaining washers and split pins. Some fettling of spacers is required to get the lower fixings "just right".
Please don't forget the Gresley TK appeal - every penny counts!