2000 - Present Day
Over the weekend of Saturday 24th / Sunday 25th June 2000 , 31108 was the star attraction at the MRC Diesel Gala and made her first passenger runs since restoration. Large numbers of ' Goyle ' fans there to witness the event and all went very smoothly with no problems whatsoever.......just as well really as we were still ' tinkering ' with 108 until 0200 on the Saturday morning.......! 31108's first turn was the 1130 Hammersmith - Butterley which then formed the 1145 Butterley - Riddings and return. A further 3 round trips were successfully completed. The Sunday followed a similar pattern but 31163 , in safe storage at MRC was used in multi on some trips.....which at least proved the newly installed jumpers......! A superb weekend.....!
Her first day in traffic , 31108 runs light engine to Hammersmith....24/06/00. photo S Harvey
Her next engagement would be the KWVR Gala , but 31108 required tyre - turning. A UAT and fitness to run were carried out in readiness for movement over the ' big ' railway and arrangements made at Toton for tyre - turning to be carried out. As part of the agreements for 31108 visiting the Old Oak Common Open Weekend in August , EWS kindly sponsered the haulage from Butterley to Toton and 108 was duly moved to the nearby depot. The tyres were turned on 13th July and on Friday 21st July , the day before the KWVR ' Do ' , 20904 & 20906 arived from Butterley hauling 50007 , collected 108 and tripped them both up to Keighley and on to Haworth. A report of the KWVR event can be found here .
31108 stands on Toton Depot following tyre-turning...20/07/00.
31108 has performed outstandingly at this and all other events she has attended and sometimes it is difficult to imagine the state she was in when first moved to Swanwick. A big thank you to all who has been involved........!
The missing vent on No 1 end roof was replaced during May 2001 and all tappets and pump settings were checked following running in. A new set of Injectors were fitted ( replacing the good set borrowed from 31271 ) and a new fuel filter fitted . 31108 has been an incredibly reliable locomotive , in fact the only major problem other than a couple of sticking horn valves ( renewed ) and a sticking emergency plunger on a brake valve ( cleaned ) has been a dodgy ' new ' set of batteries fitted during late 2004. They gradually got worse and worse until finally giving up the ghost in the evening prior to an operating day.......Even though they'd been on charge for a week and all gave excellent readings , they wouldn't even turn the engine over......! It transpires they were not as ' new ' as first thought and 31108 unfortunately was failed for Sunday 17th April 2005. The batteries were therefore borrowed from 31162 at NNR to fulfill engagements .31162's batteries were soon returned , another set fitted to 108 and the ' dodgy ' set following much attention , scrapped.
In late 2005 it was noticed ' B Bank ' exhaust was emitting a small amount of oil , so in March 2006 , B3 cylinder head ( which was oily around the exhaust side ) was removed along with the piston , rod & liner. The top compression ring was found broken and a score found in the liner. A 'new' liner was fitted and a new rings fitted together with a newly overhauled cylinder head. 31108 is now bedding in these new parts. Whilst out of service , the decision was taken to remove corroded steelwork around the front ends and replate. The loco was then rubbed down ( been here before ! ) and prepared for a repaint back into railfreight livery. It soon comes around ......!
B3 Piston & Rod is lowered into 31108's Power Unit inside Swanwick shed...29/04/06.
Body repairs completed , 31108 in undercoat prior to top-coating ...Swanwick..01/04/07. photo M Skidmore.
|
