BIRMINGHAM RAILCAR WORKGROUP

RESTORATION

In summer 2008 the descision was taken to give 56182 a quick repaint and examine the air and vacuum system to allow it to be hauled by a diesel locomotive during a gala, recreating its days as a Sandite vehicle. This looked great in photographs, but the work was limited and M56182 was returned to storage shortly afterwards to await full restoration.

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In February 2014, a full rebuild including reversing its departmental modifications back to original condition was started. It was to be a large task lasting many years. The remainder of 2014 was spent restoring small components such as interior woodwork as we were unable to extract the vehicle itself from storage at the time.

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In 2015 the vehicle was relocated to the North Norfolk Railway where restoration could start in earnest. Further small components were restored during the year, including a proportion of the cab interior and control components. The wooden internal sliding doors were also restored.

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During 2016 the six exterior doors were removed, dismantled and fully 

overhauled. Bodywork on the vehicle itself was also started as M56182 was finally moved into a position where services could allow restoration on the main structure to commence, which started with the cab and first class saloon area (phase 1).

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In 2017 the welding repairs to the First Class saloon were completed and the cab front was dismantled for similar repair. Sadly the front end was in a much worse condition and far more replacement material was needed. The two fibreglass cab roof domes (inner/outer) were stripped back, repaired and repainted ready for refitting. During the year, all of the passenger seating was dismantled, and required repairs to cushions made and then the whole coach reupholstered. The first 1/3rd of the roof was stripped down, repainted and the original roof vents returned. The First Class ceilings and windows were also restored.

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In 2018 exterior progress included the rebuilding of all of the doors and complete stripping and repainting of the underframe structure between the two bogies, whilst more interior work was completed to the first class area.

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In 2019 the interior of the first class was brought almost to completion with the repairs to the floor, refitting of ceilings, side panelling and heater ducting. A big push was had on the exterior of the front 1/3rd of the vehicle with a brand new cab front fitted, the roof dome reinstalled, cab doors fitted, and completion of the body reparation and painting work on the bodysides along that section. At the end of the year, the vehicle was moved along its small restoration shed, phase 1 (of 3) being complete. This allowed works to the middle (centre) saloon area to commence in earnest.

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2020 was to prove an extremely strange year, in which 56182 profited massively. An eight month period of furlough for the restoration's team leader allowed full time restoration to progress for the first time, after the initial "lockdown" period of the Covid-19 pandemic had passed. This allowed an estimated two years worth of restoration to be completed in just a few months. The three main areas of attention were the cab, middle passenger saloon and underframe. The cab was almost completely fitted out to completion, with the fibreglass ceiling and wall panelling being restored and fitted, following which reconstruction of the desk allowed all the drivers instruments and controls to be fitted out. The wiring up of the cab kick-started the long-awaited rewire of the vehicle. This was originally to be done in many stages, but the opportunity was taken to continue and progress the heater, power supply, underframe and multiple working wiring in one go. By December the entire vehicle had been completed, at long last reversing the devastating effects of the copper thieving ten years earlier. Meanwhile the middle passenger saloon received all of its replacement metalwork, both skin and framework, where required. Missing rear bulkheads were returned to place and all the bulkheads in that area restored. The ceilings were also dropped, renewed, refitted and populated with the required fittings (lights, grills etc). The original plywood floor was removed and completely replaced after being found to be more rotten than first thought. The year of advanced progress was brought nicely to a close with a period inside the railway's main shed, where 56182 was lifted for the first time in preservation allowing the bogies to be rolled out to give access for the areas of underframe above them to be needle gunned to bare metal and fully repainted (the underframe between the bogies had been so treated back in 2018). This was achieved at the same time as the rewire allowing the trunking and various pipes to be painted, colour coded. The announcement of a second national lockdown in November further extended M56182's stay inside the shed, as the railway had little use for that particular spot with so many staff and volunteers not present on site.

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The increased progress rate (and shed space) continued into 2021. Progress was so swift that the previous mantra of undertaking 56182's restoration in three distinct phases was collapsed and instead the renewed aim was to bring the whole vehicle to the same level as the front end. The previous exterior bodywork on the middle saloon was repeated for the rear section and the remaining 2/3rds was grit-blasted (in July), sanded, filled and repainted into gloss green to match the front third. The two bogies were fully stripped down, overhauled and repainted which included tyre turning and replacement coil springs on the front bogie. Internally, the rear saloon (previously untouched) was completely stripped out allowing for the middle and rear saloons to receive replacement flooring. The inside of the rear saloon was cleaned up, repainted and insulated. By the autumn the space in the shed was coming to an end so window glass and the remaining doors were swiftly refitted allowing the vehicle to return outside in the October.

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Early 2022 saw many of the last removed interior components restored inside the shed during the colder months. A salvaged corridor connection from a Class 101 was also stripped down, rebushed and repainted ready for reuse. Work continued on the interior with the second class veneered wall panelling and window surrounds being fitted along with the rear saloon ceilings and light fittings. Mechanical work continued with a new set of batteries being fitted and the air and vacuum system completed.

In March 2022 a milestone was reached when the restoration had advanced to the stage where 56182 undertook its first test runs paired with Class 101 51188, the intended future partner for 56182. The rest of the year saw the interior reconstruction of the toilet brought to completion, which became the very first area of the interior ready to receive passengers. Other paneling work in the vestibules was completed with new veneered wooden door cards being fitted to the internal faces of the doors.

2023 would prove to be the final restoration year and the last push to completion. Externally the route indicator box and footboards were fitted along with new pipework for the fuel tank and heaters. A final coat of varnish was applied to the interior and then the lino flooring and carpets were laid. With flooring down, all of the components which fix to the floor which had been waiting in storage were all fitted into place including sliding doors, heater duct covers and of course the passenger seating. It was an exciting time with new components seemingly being fitted into place weekly. There was a myriad of smaller items, too many to list individually, fitted and tested to bring the vehicle to a state of mature assembly. By July the mechanics and interior were all but complete and 56182 was moved back into the railway's main sheds for the final time in order to apply the final coats of gloss varnish and of course lining and lettering.

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56182 was launched into passenger service in September 2023 at a dedicated event at the North Norfolk Railway.