M50517 Restoration (1997-2004)

The bulk of 1998 included much interior and exterior work. Externally, the solebars, bogies and underfloor electrical boxes had their BR "rubber" paint burned/scraped off, primed and painted in chassis black. The buffers were removed, straightened and the cab end ones replaced by the original "sprung" type as opposed to the OLEO type the vehicle arrived with. The roof vents were also refitted to return the roof to its original appearance, although the vents would be "dummies" (except in the first class) to prevent future water ingress.

Bodywork included the removal of all the windows and the replacement of several rotten window bottoms with new steel.

In 1999, bodywork was still in progress with more window repairs and the cab rebuild still to complete.

Internally, the rear saloon saw the heater ducting repaired and refitted. The interior ceilings were replaced, the vehicle rewired (in the roof area), the wooden window surrounds repaired/replaced, the cab interior stripped (for the welding repairs) and the cab controls taken off site for refurbishment.

M50517 finally left the shed in 1999 after the two year bodywork project was completed. During 1999 the remaining rotten framework was replaced and the bodysides rubbed down and filled, emerging nice and smooth in green primer.

Whilst this was going on, the cab rebuild was tackled with new metalwork forming a new corner for the vehicle.

With the windows refitted, the vehicle was made watertight and moved back outside for the rest of the restoration to continue.

Due to space constraints at Cheddleton, M50517 was moved to Oakamoor Sand Sidings in Autumn 2000 for restoration to continue.

The vehicle was marshalled with M59137 & M50455. The former vehicle was an un-restored centre car which was used as a workshop/storage area for M50517 and the latter vehicle was
also under restoration by this time.

By 2001, the internal saloon veneered bulkheads had been stripped and re-varnished, the cab desk refitted and the cab rewired.

The main control air tank was also replaced as it had found to be leaking, following a test that was made coupling M50517 with M50455 and seeing if all the vacuum and air systems were still functioning. This was also an opportunity to test out the new cab wiring.

Other progress on the vehicle was taking a backseat during this period, as by this time partner vehicle M50455 was being restored in parallel, and valuable shed space (for bodywork on this vehicle) meant volunteer time was spent on this project for much of the year, to bring M50455’s bodywork to a similar condition to M50517’s.

The big news for summer 2002 was the gloss painting and lining of M50517, completed in the shed at Oakamoor, which brought the external restoration of the vehicle to a close. The repaint was made possible following a final 3-week marathon of sanding and filling during May, and also after the final cleaning and painting of the roof.

In other areas, the reupholstered drivers and secondmans seats were refitted, along with the remaining fittings (and leftovers from the rewire) in the cab.

The exhaust pipes were also repaired, as several sections were rotten, particularly around the 90 degree bend where they emerge from under the vehicle at the rear and head skywards. These repairs were aided by components available from the truck industry.

During the diesel gala in September 2002, the vehicle was instead put on static display showing off its brand new paint scheme. The access to water was also taken advantage of and the coolant systems filled.

Inside the vehicle, the new veneered panelling had arrived and was being fitted over the winter, in preparation for the “home straight” of seat fitting.

Summer 2003 saw the completion of the project start to seem within our grasp. Internally, the saloon lighting had been installed completing the ceiling area ready for service. The seat frames were also stripped and painted black. The luggage racks were collected and missing examples (from the rear saloon) made up by cutting up bits of electric multiple unit luggage racks, examples of which were being scrapped near Sheffield at the time. The internal wooden window surrounds had also been completed, along with the veneered panelling. The luggage racks were also refitted.

The footboards had also been completed and refitted after being painted gloss black. Miscellaneous work on the mechanics and running gear was also ongoing to clear the list of mechanical restoration faults/jobs prior to traffic.

By winter the seating had returned from the reupholsters and been refitted in the vehicle in an attempt to debut at the 2003 diesel gala. Sadly, this wasn’t to be.

The fire detection relays were tested and deemed operational, and the windscreen wipers were made operational again. More repairs to the air system were made and during the winter the vehicle finally satisfactorily built up and held control air and vacuum.

Internally, the toilet was rebuilt with refurbished Formica panelling, the porcelain sink and pan fitted, and a myriad of wooden and alloy fittings restored and refitted.

Mechanically, all the oils and filters were changed on the vehicle and the brake rigging cleaned and oiled, as it was still in good (albeit ex-BR) condition having seen no preservation use or wear.

The unit also moved as a 2-car set at Cheddleton properly for the first time with all systems working.

Soon after, a series of test runs were made along the line during the week between public running days, which flagged up a series of issues which were quickly attended to.

Other finishing touches included the fitting of the brass grab handles for the doors.

Eight years after the start of the restoration project, during the last weekend of September 2004, the two car unit (including M50517) was launched into traffic.

The event the unit was to carry its first preservation era passengers was the Swansong of Steam event, which also saw the commissioning on the railway’s passing loop, enabling two train running for the first time as well. This role as the “second train” was to become the main use for M50517.

M50517 was not spared many expenses, as whenever items were reused for M50455, M50517’s tended to be replaced. For that reason, M50517 shone just a little brighter than M50455 and so M50517 became our flagship vehicle and was the group's most thorough restoration, until M59137 was tackled that is…