2426 Churchward Toplight Third - Restoration

The 1910 built toplight third 2426 is now resident at Bewdley. The roof has been covered and broken windows replaced. It is being converted to act as a workshop for 5043 and a varnish shop for us. It needs substantial structural repair and we have made a start on the north end. Parts are being made such as door locks and commode handles. It is mounted on 8 foot American bogies and drawings are slowly being found to aid restoration which is following on from 4786.

2426 Churchward Third Restoration Appeal - how to help return the Railway's oldest coach into service.

The mouldings being fitted to the south-end. Photo: Rob Massey.

The completed buffer forging at Somers Forge in Halesowen. Photo: Graham Gardener.

6880 Betton Grange arriving at Bewdley with the Great Western set. Photo: Rob Massey.

6880 leaving Bewdley for Bridgnorth. Photo: Rob Massey.

One of our founding members, Colin Jenkins, came over from South Africa to help fit the first compartment partition. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Working on the repairs to the second partition. Photo: Colin Jenkins.

The first corridor partition sections are now fitted permantently. Photo: Colin Jenkins.

Compartment sliding door no.1 the varnishing started. Photo: Mick Haynes.

A large delivery of T&G has arrived which will form the first 4 compartment partitions. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Partition no.4 stripped for rebuilding. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Forging of the new oval buffers for 2426. This took place at Somers Forge in Halesowen. Here the oven's open with ingot extracted for processing. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The ingot in the press with bars used for marking each section. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Rob Massey painting the new sheets. Photo: Dave Smith.

Compartment No1 door varnished. Photo: Rob Massey.

Painting of the end complete. Photo: Rob Massey.

Both south-end panels in place. Photo: Dave Smith.

Compartment door No 5 receiving stain and varnish. Photo: Dave Smith.

Corridor partition No 3 receiving its T&G. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Corridor partition number 2. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The second partition being trial fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

View from inside compartment No 2: Photo: Mick Haynes.

Ralph at work. Photo: Dave Smith.

The first south-end panel being marked out. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Two half panels sanded and primed. Photo: Mick Haynes.

More seat base progress. Photo: Dave Smith.

Mike Freeman tightening the seat bolts at Kidderminster stores. Photo: Dave Smith.

The new and repaired seat base. Photo: Dave Smith.

The new seat base assembly complete with steel angles and the spring base trial fitted. Photo: Dave Smith.

Seat base 8 needs a new frame! Photo: Dave Smith.

The new seat base no. 8 under construction. Photo: Dave Smith.

The half partition ready for T&G. Photo: Brian Oldford.

The new partition corner post. Photo: Brian Oldford.

Seat base no. 4 being worked on along with partition no. 3. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Work continuing on the haif partitions for end compartments one and eight. Photo:Mick Haynes.

Progress with the partitions and the seat bases. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Gusset plates and body brackets installed Photo: Rob Massey.

View of floor repairs and corner bracket. Photo: Rob Massey.

The corridor-side framework glued into place. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The second partition approaches completion. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The new framework on the railway-side has been dry assembled. The two lower horizontal rails need fitting and then after a little routing the section can be glued into place. Photo: Mick Haynes.

There's been good progress on the second of the corridor panels. The photo shows it assembled with the central Tongue and Groove. It now needs the lower T&G plus the centre ceiling post. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The corner post dry-fitted. Photo: Brian Oldford.

The back rail to lavatory window replaced. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The new corner post partially fitted (on the left-hand side). Photo: Mick Haynes.

Following repairs to the floor joists it has been possible to cut out buffalo board and install to form the bottom layer of flooring. Work is also progressing on the repair to the railway-side door post. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The first adjusted seat base is now complete. 15 more to go! Photo: Mick Haynes.

Part of new corner post at the south-end. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The new bottom-side section in place, south-end railway side. Photo: Gareth Price.

The new bottom-side now fitted, viewed from inside the coach. Photo: Rob Massey.

New oak has been machined for the bottom side and the old has been removed. Here the new section is being being prepared for fitting. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Work has now begun modifying the first of 16 seat bases. These require a reduction in depth as the compartments on 2426 are 5 foot 10 ½ inches instead of 6 foot the seats were made for. Photo: Dave Smith.

Decayed corner post removed. Photo: Gareth Price.

Templates for a new corner post. Photo: Gareth Price.

The new south-end, bottom side trial fitted. Photo: Rob Massey.

The bottom side being prepared for final fitting. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The corner post repair now tenoned into the bottom side. These will be bolted into place before the new sections of posts can be fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Compartment doors nos. 3 and 6 are now varnished. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Progress on the south-end frame. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The north end with most of the end steps fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The north end mouldings completed and now in black - a mix of undercoat and finishing. Photo: Rob Massey.

New top, centre and bottom hinges. A new set has been made for all 16 external doors. Photo Live Steam Models.

Washbasin fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Compartment door, the view facing corridor. Photo: Dave Massey.

The north-end with mouldings and the toilet door being trial fitted. Photo: Rob Massey.

Compartment door varnished, inside view. Photo: Dave Massey.

The new end-bar laying next to old decayed original. Photo: Rob Massey.

The end-bar in place. Photo: Rob Massey.

The new end-bar viewed from the interior. Photo: Rob Massey.

The first of the compartment doors being varnished. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Further end mouldings fitted. Photo: Rob Massey.

The north end painted ready to receive the next mouldings. Photo: Rob Massey.

The north end lavatory door, a mix of walnut and mahogany. Photo: Rob Massey.

A compartment door now fitted with blind cover.

The partition has been temporarily screwed together to enable it to be trial fitted in 2426 to confirm the exact dimensions.

Photos: Mick Haynes

The end gangway frame now attached.

The vestibule door now has its bottom 'V' channel and its plungers. It has been fully assembled including the hammered glass. Shown here upside down.

The first compartment door blind cover after machining. Photo: Brian Oldford.

The lavatory ceiling panels is complete with more corner coving added. Photo: Rob Massey.

The end mouldings installed ready for the corridor connection. Photo: Rob Massey.

The moulding above corridor connection offered up. Photo: Rob Massey.

The ceiling and corner moulding in the north end lavatory. Photo: Rob Massey.

Further end mouldings manufactured. Photo: Rob Massey.

Tongue and groove panelling trimmed to size for the partition. Photo: Brian Oldford.

We've started making new mouldings for the coach end. Photo: Rob Massey.

The north end lavatory ceiling framework nearing completion. For orientation, this is looking up from the floor to the ceiling. Photo: Rob Massey.

The south end underframe following the welding repairs. Photos: Rob Massey.

Compartment door now with latch fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Trial fitting the lavatory window bolection. Photo: Rob Massey.

Partition being routed to take tongue and groove paneling.

Old and new toilet bolections. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The lavatory base in position. Photo: Mick Haynes.

The south-end buffer and drawbar area being painted. Photo: Dave Smith.

The corridor partition in workshop for modification to toplight version.

The lavatory partition now with joggle.

One of the study oak posts for the lavatory partition. Photo: Brian Oldford.

Tongue and groove for the Lavatory wall being fitted.

One of the corridor partition from our spares stock. We have 8 of these and we will take them apart and modify then to suit 2426. The width will be reduced to suit the 5' 10 1/2" compartment, the quarter lights lowered and horizontal rail repositioned.

The polishing of all 80 blind brackets, plus 4 spares, has been completed! Photo: Dave Smith.

The oak lavatory door is now varnished. Front side. Photo: Rob Massey.

And the rear side. Work continues on the other, Mahogany, door. Photo: Rob Massey.

View of the south end with the floor, the end bar removed and the first section of the bottom-side on the compartment side. This has also exposed the top web of the headstock for repair. Photo: Rob Massey.

The old end bar and end of bottom side. The newness has definitely gone off:) Photo: Rob Massey.

One of the nine new bolections for the corridor side windows.

The first corridor side bolection installed.

Some of the mouldings removed from the south-end which will act as templates for replacements.

Door no. 16 has been removed. Its condition is reasonable.

Much work has gone on exposing the south-end framework removing bolts, screws and pins. The sides will also be prepared along to the first of the external doors as the bottom-side repairs will go up to the first doors on each side. Photo: Rob Massey.

The first vestibule door has been assembled after completing the mortices.

Dave and Mike working on the mahogany lavatory door vacant/engaged latch and its hinges.

Cleaning of the blind brackets has reached 48 out of the 80 to be done. Photos: Dave Smith.

Further blind brackets polished.

Scissors gangway frames.

John Ashton admiring the first set of scissors gangways. Photo: Dave Smith.

Blind brackets polished.

Stiles and strike posts for vestibule doors.

There is continued progress with the gangway metalwork. Timber packers has been fitted to the north end and most of the drilling for the scissors brackets is complete. Photo: Dave Smith.

The north end headstock is now fully painted. This end is also being prepared to fit the timber packing behind the corridor connection. This is in undercoat and will be fitted shortly. Photo: Dave Smith.

The compartment sliding doors progress. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Compartment sliding doors with top and bottom runners added. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Blind brackets fitted. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Internal droplights being varnished. Photo: Mick Haynes.

Buffers in undercoat. Photo: Dave Smith.

The compartment door fittings being cleaned and polished.

Cleaning painting the underframe progressing, in red primer to the right and grey undercoat to the left. Photo: Dave Smith.

The dynamo sling bracket offered up for drilling. Photo: Rob Massey.

We've almost completed the solebar cleaning apart from the sections behind the steps. Photo: Dave Smith.

The repairs to the internal droplights are complete and the first coat of varnish applied.

We've successfully removed the second north-end buffer - finally!

Compartment doors assembled and backs fitted.

Gangway door. This is from a contemporary GWR diner, dia H15 Lot 1115 no. 9526.

Five compartment sliding doors in various stages of assembly.

Sliding door assembled.

Corridor side solebar progress.

Two of the four spare lavatory doors in our possession are being stripped down and new interior panels are being cut.

A buffer guide removed from the south end to expose the strengthening plate which will be partially replaced.

Work has also begun to strip the solebar on the corridor side.

Set of parts for compartment sliding doors.

Mortices cut and cross pieces ready for trial assembly of the doors.

Photos: Mick Haynes

Vestibule handles polishing up nicely. Photo: Dave Smith.

The underframe cleaning has concentrated on the vacuum pipe. The photo shows the dynamo tensioning stay, the tie rod and the dynamo pulley. Also visible are the three holes in the underframe which will take the bolts of the dynamo bracket. On Toplights these had to be cranked to avoid the vacuum pipe. Photo: Dave Smith

The new section of reinforcing plate behind buffer shank fitted ready for welding.

The first of the four Queen posts has been stripped back and painted.

Thanks to help from Graham Phillips, the buffer has been removed and the area cleaned and primed ready for the new plate. The buffer has been cleaned and greased and the guide has also been de-rusted.

Work is continuing with the construction of 8 toplight compartment sliding doors. Six and a half BE doors have been de-constructed so far. The set of parts now awaiting paint removal has grown and cleaning off has begun.

Progress has also been made on manufacturing GWR “original style” blinds. Here's an original blind with a sample of the new material on the left side. We're very pleased with this and we will order a quantity of material to make new blinds.

More of the solebar has been cleaned off and the battery boxes and being bolted to the brackets.

The headstock is being cleaned back and primed. Some repairs will be necessary here.

Both the new battery boxes are in position although are still to be bolted in.

We've started cleaning the solebar.

Work is continuing on Churchward Third 2426 with sections of the underframe cleaned and primed.

Metalwork has been prepared to construct a new scissors gangway.

Part of the corridor side frame before work started.

A new corner post in place.

Internal paneling ready for reinstatement.

Photos: Mike Walker

Frame repairs proceeding well.

End repairs to the compartment-side northern corner.

End frame repairs complete.

New toilet flooring.

2426 Churchward Toplight Full Third was released from duties at Hampton Loade on 15th September and is seen here at Kidderminster shortly after arrival. Photo: Bob Massey.