Having run on the Bluebell for 44 years, with only routine maintenance, it has been decided that it's time to replace the corroding steel panels on the lower body-side. These are fixed using coutersunk screws with a square slot in the center of the head (a 1920s' predecessor of torx?). No.1098 had this type of screw as well.
As expected, removing the panels has revealed corrosion of the knees and bolts, causing some splitting of the bottom-side timbers, and this will be dealt with as part of the intermediate overhaul. A few of the doors also need attention.
All things considered, the teak framework has stood up well to 84 years in service! Making a carriage body out of a timber which is so resistant to rot clearly pays dividends.
Above: 971 during a shunt of the works, 13 October 2007
Right: On 3rd October, the first panels had been removed, revealing a timber framework beneath in apparently good condition (both photos from Dave Clarke)
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Last updated 17 October 2007 by Richard Salmon