The restoration of 629/729

Face lift

2009-11-02T00:17:00.000-08:00

During its 46 year life the 629/729 has undergone several makeovers to keep it on track with the changing railway regimes.

As introduced to service the 2 car diesel train wore a livery of Indian red relieved with yellow lining, whiskers and end of car "eyes". This attractive livery served for 3/4's of its in service life with the only change being the removal of the above window side line.

Escaping the "reverse"era, the 629/729 was painted in the Belbin designed "Candy" livery during the mid 1980's. This bright livery which is still loved by many certainly brightened the fleet but was not to last long.

During an attempt to cheaply give the Newcastle railcar fleet a makeover several sets including the 629/729 were treated to a coat of all over brown with a single orange waist band line. Unfortunately due to the poor quality paint used these sets faded quickly and locally became known as "turds".

With commuter complaints being received about old trains in service and a shortage of funds to replace them, the remaining sets in service at Newcastle were treated to the Cityrail "Prong"livery which attempted to make them look more like their modern "Endeavour" stable mates. It was this livery that the 629/729 wore when she finished her public service career.

With restoration well advanced the painting team has now commenced the next face lift to restore the 629/729 to her original livery.

With the lower end completely covered in 2 coast of yellow 729 briefly looks like the long fallen North West railcar 403!

The original line work on the ends of the cars was extensive and so careful planning with picture and drawing references was made to ensure that the final product is correct. Greg Edwards excellent "Datasheets" drawings work well to produce 12 inch to the foot gauge models too!

The side lines are carefully measured, checked and remeasured to make sure they're in the right spot, evenly spaced and parallel.

To prevent overspray the cab windows are masked again....

While the signwriter tends to the intricate curves of the eyes and whiskers.

At the end of a tiring day the effort looks great and ready for the Indian red to be sprayed but what will the final result look like??????

Details

2009-11-01T05:16:00.001-08:00

While some may call it rivet counting, and others may curse at the extra time it takes, the attention to detail with the restoration of the 729 / 629 will ensure that the result is historicly correct and preserves the look of an era of train travel now past.
With the speckle and other paint finishes in place the saloon areas of 729 are looking like new and now require only final touch ups and the refitting of lights, overhead ribbed rack carpet and rubber before its ready for the floor covering and seats to be reinstated.

As reported previously, the iced drinking water unit has been included in the restoration program and with the fitting of original signage plates (thanks Andy) its ready for a second service career.

Even the waxed cups are back in place.

The lights in the vestibules were changed in later days with simple rectangle units being installed.

Fortunately a supply of early round fittings with original domed glass have been obtained which Bob took no time to install.

All they need now is a lick of ceiling white paint and it will be like they never left.

Left till last, the toilet cubicles in the centre of the trailer car are now at the head of the queue for a tidy up. Stripping the doors of labelling and fittings allows a thorough clean prior to painting......

....but has also revealed some labelling of the locking fittings that proves that what went into workshops didnt always come out in the same configuration.

Several components bearing other numbers including that from DEB set cars 902 & 954 have been discovered to date but the most common numbers by far are 629 & 729. The restoration team anxiously awaits finding a component off 3805.

More detail not seen for many years being prepared to be added to the outside of the cars are replica builders plates.

The counting continues........

Speckle reproduction

2009-10-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

The restoration of 629/729 is planned to incorporate the reinstatement of as many original fittings and features as possible to tell the story of the sets early years of service.
A distinctive feature of the 600/700 & 620/720 class railcar interiors was the use of a distinctive "speckle" paint on the lower internal walls. This decorative paint finish incorporated a beige/brown base colour covered by a random mixture of stringy paint speckles to produce a durable and attractive wall coating.

To prepare the wall a base coat is applied throughout the lower car.

Experimentation has derived that a special brew of 2 different "Camfleck" speckle paint mixes achieves the right colour balance. The application of the final coat is certainly not delicate being made by using a 3mm tip!

The final paint finish looks great and just like the original....

...and is only bettered when the upper walls are also painted and the dividing aluminium trim repositioned.

The painter is in.

2009-09-23T03:18:00.001-07:00

To suit servicing requirements 629/729 has been moved undercover temporarily and currently enjoys the shade alongside class leaders 621/721.

Whilst in the workshop area the opportunity has been taken to reinstate the Countrynet Satellite antenna which was removed when the set was retired.

The holes for the old securing bolts and cable were diligently covered by the techs when the antenna went and now makes replacement easy.

After a scrape clean of the surface and some Mastic for a good seal the antenna is back in place.

With the floor down the painter has been busy in 729.

White ceilings and the Alpine green upper walls are quickly taking shape with Pete rolling the big surfaces...

and then cutting in the detail bits and panels with a brush.

A nice surprise has been the discovery of the Iced water unit which was never removed, just plated over.

Watch this space for the next installment.

Progress at Paterson

2009-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Clear skies and warm days have resulted in good progress with trailer 729 at Paterson.

Body preparation works have almost finished and with the undercoat applied the top coat is being sprayed onto some panels.

Everyone is looking forward to an original liveried set again but theres much less enthusiasm about the job of applying the lining!

At least on the car sides the task will be easier.

Inside our contracted carpenter has completed the first stages of the floor reinstatement.

The new timber is down, secured and ready for a sand to prepare for the floor covering.

Even the vestibule tread plate drains have been restored to their correct position, the first time in many years!

A lot of old damp and rotten timber has been removed....

... and tell tale signs of past variations identified.

Now its back to preping the walls, adding the trims and more painting......

The brown vinyl mission

2009-06-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Whilst the visible restoration works progress at Paterson much effort continues in the background assembling the components and materials required to complete the desired end product that will be the restored 629/729.
Recently the opportunity to secure some seats covered with original brown vinyl presented itself and with the help of many oldmates including the usual Eveleigh brigade, Mario the train mover, Tony Tilt and our new mates at Valley Heights the mission was successful.
A former running mate 670/770 was the donor of the seats which have weathered many years since entering service in the early 1950's.

A walk through of the car revealed many original features including the class divider, signs and even the magic black line with its famous smoke repelling ability!

Unfortunately many of the windows had been smashed some time previously and many of the seats have suffered from water damage.

Despite the casulaties, enough seats to equip a car were salvagable and so the removal process began.

Once unfixed the oldmates removed the booty and secured them in the temporary storage container.

Here we see an oldmate resting in the early afternoon (13:50Hrs) and thinking through both the days efforts and the many years of service that the seats have provided.

A full container means a goods days effort and a lot less needle work for Matty in the future.

Not knowing when the next meeting will be with this old girl, the team takes a minute to ponder the destinations previously visited and where it will head next.
Thanks to our newmates at Valley Heights and all the very best with your ongoing excellent efforts to preserve this heritage precinct.

Long live 610/710 - 670/770!

Small steps

2009-06-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

While the marathon of body restoration works continues on cars 729 & 629 other small tasks are also being completed as time permits.
Recent reports have confirmed that the selection of 629/729 for preservation was a sound choice and it appears that the 2 engines are in good order and are not suffering like its preserved sister sets. To ensure the ongoing health of the engines a coolant concentration test has been completed with excellent results measured. To celebrate both engines were turned over with ease and the No 2 motor run for a short time. Its heartening to know that not only are the engines well but the batteries are in good order too!

The jumper recepatacles on the ends of the cars have obviously had a very hard life with the lids and casing badly cracked and damaged.

To support future multiple unit operations the decision was made to overhaul or replace them and so our oldmates at New Macey were again approached to work their magic.

The before and after shot clearly shows the excellent work that Rick and his team deliver with the rebuilt units looking like new.

With the first overhauled unit remounted in place theres a sense that its all starting to come together.

Painting progress

2009-05-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

Despite other priorities and distractions progress continues on many aspects of 629/729's restoration, most noticably being its exterior preparation and painting.
Having had its initial sand and prep painting, works are now being focussed on the filling of the many "battle scars" received whilst in service.....

....whilst also tidying up the holes left from the removal and relocation of newer body features.

The roof having been previously inspected and sealed is now receiving its final silver coat as well as the repainting of the black gutter strip to lift its appearance and the interest of the restorers.

On the rear of the car a sample section of Indian Red has now been sprayed to confirm the results of the preparation efforts and the body colour selection.

It wont happen over night but it is happening...........

Preparation is the key.

2009-03-31T07:08:00.001-07:00

Work on the 629/729 continues at a steady and methodical pace with preparations being made to ready the set for repainting into an authentic livery.

Many days of work have already been focussed on the inside of the trailer car and the exteriors of both cars with the following pics recording some of the recent prep and paint efforts to get 629 into primer.

The fog lights fitted to some cars in recent years have been removed for later repositioning and to help restore the set to a more original appearance.

Removal of the external bar saddles has revealed minor corrosion in some areas and is progressively being sanded, treated and primed to arrest further deterioration.

With prepworks complete the windows are masked.....

....a good base coat of primer applied to seal the skin.

The even finish of the grey provides a great canvass to highlight any imperfections and need for additional works.

With 629 sealed up its back to the waiting trailer car for more of the same.

New jumpers - think New Macey!

2009-02-22T04:42:00.001-08:00

For the majority of their years in service the 620/720 class railcars were equipped with Wilco multiple unit jumper cables and receptacles which were coded Red and yellow to distinguish roles.

In the late 1990's when the installation of the door and fire suppression system required additional and more reliable circuits the yellow jumpers were replaced with a higher capacity jumper system which used heads that were square in shape. These receptacles were coloured grey.

Prior to Goodwin Alco taking possession of 629/729 it was unfortunately involved in a shunting mishap which saw a "grey" jumper receptacle ripped from its mounts due to the jumper not being removed prior to uncoupling the cars.

Fortunately for Goodwin Alco, company New Macey based at Tomago near Newcastle offered to help with the repair of the jumper, cabling and connection. New Macey are electrical connection specialists and supply couplings, connectors and jumper cables for rollingstock including the RailCorp XPT & OSCAR fleets.

After cleaning up the old head....

...the continuity of the new wiring and pins was checked....

...and the wires retaged ready for installation on trailer 729.

The jumper cables also recieved the attention of an overhaul with both green and yellow type jumpers being cleaned up, repinned and tested to bring them back to " as new" condition.

Thanks guys for a great job.
If you ever need a relaible and secure electical connection contact New Macey:

http://www.newmacey.com/pages/index.php

New year attack.

2009-01-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

New Year, same job.
2009 has arrived and work has recommenced mostly continuing from where we left off - floor & body tidy ups but some roof progress has been made as well!
Bob started the day tidying up the rough edges, screws etc that were still in the floor inhibiting the progress.

The removal of the rotten floor continued and we decided that the best way forward was to take out the bottom section of the vestibule wall. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

With the lower partition section out the vestibule lino was lifted and there were no doubts that the entire floor needed to be replaced. The under wall joist in this section was some of the worst found so far.

To replace the floor joists top grade kiln dried hardwood machined to 34mm to match that taken out was ordered. After measuring up Steve makes the first cut to get the replacement floor underway.

Starting with the hard jobs is usually a sound approach. Here Steves measures the cuts required to fit in the vestibule wall joist which had to fit around remaining joists and conduits.

The first section of joists are in and the bolts test fitted down through the frame of the car.

Once finally fitted the joists were removed and given a coat of blackjack to help protect them from future water ingress. Uncle Bob demonstrated the technique....

...and then Jack took over.

The result was coated timber that should last another 45 years at least!

With the joists ready the specialists moved in to cut the flooring. After surveying the sheet requirements, the best cut strategy was determined so to minimise the wastage of the Marine grade ply wood. After marking out, the saw was again in action.

With so many obstacles the vestibule area sheets are the trickiest to cut and fit.

With the floor up and the "wood butchers" working out their cuts attention turned to the doorway entrances and tread plates.
With the flooring gone the silicone was picked out of the screw and drain holes to remove the brass tread plates......

....and the tread pulled clear of the supporting timber.

With the tread up and the timber out the old rusted bolts were removed - eventually!

Throughout the car some rivets have been found to be loose so the decision was made to drill out and replace the angle mounting section around the entrance doors.

With the metal work completed the wood men can return.

The new year attack was a 2 day effort and accommodation was booked at the nearby Court House Hotel. A "bonus" of this location was the rooms being located in former NSWGR 600/700 class railcars - the forerunners of the 620/720 sets.

Despite being "grounded" the cars still feature many original fittings and provided a comfortable bed for the night. These self contained rooms provide an ideal overnight stay. 4 rooms are available, the hotel can be contacted on (02)49385122.

Next day Kingy arrived early (!) and full of enthusiasm to tidy up the car exteriors. First the blisters got the disc treatment.....

....then the tidy up with a fine sand......

...and finally a coat of etch primer to treat the surface.

The blisters arnt extensive all over but theres still a few to do up and down the cars.

Also on the outside of the car, Bob prepared the side sheeting for painting by removing the various stickers.

After heating, peeling, scraping, peeling, polishing, peeling, scratching, peeling...... the L7 logos were removed. These were put on with good glue!

The roofs of the cars were silver throughout their lives and various colour schemes until the introduction of the Cityrail "prong" colour scheme when they were painted grey.

An inspection of the roof reveals that the CountryNet radio Satellite Dome antenna has been removed but the GPS & UHF antennas are in place.

In preparation for the full heritage repaint and to seal the roof to prevent leaking during outdoor storage Pete has now applied a coat of roofing silver. First the edges and joints get a touch up from the brush....

... and then the trusty rollers finish the job. The outcome is a gleaming, shiney roof. Lets hope it cools the car interiors down too!

This before & after shot shows the difference. 629 has now been done too.

The car end canopys are fibreglass mouldings and have suffered with the outer surface badly worn, possibly from tree damage.
To ensure they continue to serve for many years they have been given a quick buff to remove the flaking and rough edges......

....and then coated with prep and sealer coats to protect the fibreglass.

After the treatment it looks like it should be on the commissioners train.

At the end of another work attack the cars are again closer to being ready for their next move. Its amazing what a few oldmates can achieve with planning and team work. Thanks guys.

A rotten lot

2008-12-29T02:00:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of the restoration task dawned clear and bright but that was about to change.
The exterior of 629/729 is clad in aluminium sheeting which like all things exposed to the elements, has deteriorated in some areas. Fortunately the corrosion is not extensive and appears as blistering patches.

The "Clean & strip wheel" (a weapon of choice from previous restoration projects)easily cleans up the surface corrosion to reveal a shiny flat surface again.

With a quick clean up from a fine sanding disk the sheet is ready for a coat of primer and eventual painting.

Rain soon stopped our external play so works moved to inside trailer car 729 to make a start on the rotten flooring.

Previous examination had highlighted some wet areas of flooring but we soon discovered that the joists below the plywood floor were in some cases in worse condition than the timber above.

To be able to do a complete assessment the "Cityrail" lino was taken up....

...and the seat plates which had extensive rust and/or seized bots removed.

On the surface most of the plates look good but underneath is a different story.

In recent times damaged floor plates were replaced by stainless steel examples. A great initiative to avoid future problems and one we're keen to continue.

By poking and proding the worst areas of flooring were identified and so the cutting of sections commenced. In some cases complete panels have been sacrificed.

With the panels cut back to sound timber the old panels are lifted....

...to reveal the dark secrets underneath. Years of road dirt, sound deadening insulation and moisture make for a pretty grusome environment for timber. With the water held by the sponge like insulation the timber is continually wet and of course rots to the point were it breaks up with a scraper.

Not only will some floor panels need replacing but many joists will also be renewed.

Another advantage of lifting the lino is that we are learning whats underneath. The lines of the cars electrical conduit run can clearly be seen staggering their way along the car from side to middle to side.

Having cleaned out the problem underfloor areas another rain storm conveniently revealed the main cause of the water problem.

On close examination it was found that the water didnt leak through the windows as we thought. It enters behind the external upper window strip and then channels down through the body pillars, and emerging at the base of the car side, leaking directly onto the underfloor aluminium sheeting.

Now we know the problem our next task is to fix it!

A journey of discovery.

2008-12-23T02:28:00.000-08:00

Railcar set 629/729 was purchased by Goodwin Alco Pty Ltd from RailCorp on November 14, 2008, nearly 45 years after it ran its first trial trip to Katoomba & return on 26/11/63.
During its years of service throughout NSW 629/729 has undergone several changes of configuration and colours. It is Goodwin Alco's intention to authenticly restore 629/729 to an appearance reflecting its early days of service.
When received from RailCorp both cars were painted in the Cityrail "Prong" livery which included safety yellow ends and window bars to limit limb movement outside the car windows.

Inside, the cars have also been heavily "Cityrailed" with a light grey colour throughout on the walls and the vinyl seats painted blue.

Fortunately the batteries fitted to 629 are in good order and have already supported the starting of both traction engines.
To minimise movement and potential damage, some timber packing has now been added to stabilise the batteries within the battery boxs.

Electricly the cars seem to be in good order too however one of the newer type jumper receptacles requires repairs having apparently been damaged in a shunting accident.

To make restoration works more comfortable, the metal brackets which had been screwed to the window frames to restrict movement have been removed. Air flow within the cars is now considerabley improved.

It was decided early on that the blue seats "must go"! Restoration works are beginning with the trailer car so the removal of the seats has been completed.

Without the seats fitted, the car interior suddenly becomes considerably more spacious however their absense also highlights a few issues that lurk below.

In readiness for ceiling cleaning and painting the remaining original fittings are being removed or masked ready for spraying.

On the edge of the saloon luggage racks the rubber trip has been damaged and in some places disappeared. The strip has all now been removed and we're on the lookout for a supplier of the original material.

Most internal fittings are in place although a few of the saloon cooling fans will need to be replaced or rebuilt.

Due to the ingress of water some areas of the floor have been found to be in poor condition.
To keep the cars in service and the seats securely fastened, ply wood patches have been used in some areas to hold the seats in place.

The worst areas for rot are along under the windows and near vestibule doors.

The seats bolt into base plates which are secured to the floor. Unfortunately once the water gets in the metal starts to rust!

The floor outside the toilet area has rotted particularly badly - we suspect from a leaking pipe.

Near the doors the vestibule walls are subject to regular exposure to rain water, the results of which can be seen.

The upper and lower panels of the interior saloons were bordered by a aluminium cover strip.

With this strip off some earlier colours can be identified and samples prepared.