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July - October 2008
The restoration of the roof is now complete, the coach having taken pride of place in the newly commissioned heavy overhaul workshop. All tank fillers and inspection panels have been removed for restoration. While in the workshop rotten metalwork has been cut away from the end vestibules, taking care to measure and draw all metalwork profiles in order so that new profiles can be pressed.
The external doors have been removed for renovation.
The main water tanks and hot water boiler have been lifted out and the boiler pipe work dismantled.
End Vestibule Stripped down to the frame:
Corrosion on the main frame.
Fortunately plenty of sound metal still remains as shown above.
Vestibule with doors removed for renovation.
Hot water systems prior to restoration.
Wagon-Lits coaches had to be self contained as the many Wagon-Lits express sleeping car trains exchanged coaches to different locations along the way. This could involve a coach waiting some time before being collected by the next express.
The coach, of course, contained an attendant (conductor) who kept the coach warm by keeping the boiler stoked with coal from the hoppers on the vestibule ends. The hot water was heated in the same way, in a small boiler on top of the main boiler. In the summer, this small boiler was stoked independently, but in the winter, heat from the main boiler also heated the small one.
Corroded roof sheet removed:
Below are some more pictures from the time the coach spent inside the new heavy overhaul shed:
3916 being shunted into the new shed
The small electricity box next to the battery boxes and the step into the coach with manufacturing details.
Two shots of the far end Vestibule where work has not yet commenced.
The end product of a winters work; the roof almost completely restored. First photo still in the shed and the second after removal the following spring.