02/07/2026
'ษช สแดแดส แดสแด 'แดษชสแดแดษชแด สสแดแดแดแดส' แดษดแด
๊ฑแดแด
แด
แดษดสส แดสแด แดแดษดษชแด แดแดแดแด๊ฑ แดแด,
แดสแด ๊ฑแดแดษดแด
๊ฑแด แดแดษชษดแดแด๊ฑสส แดแดแดสษชษดษข แดสสแดแดษขส แดสแด ๊ฑษชสแดษดแดแด ษช แดแดษดษดแดแด แดแดแด แด,
ษช'แด ๊ฑแดแดษดแด
ษชษดษข ษดแดแดส แดษดแด
๊ฐสแดแดขแดษด แดแดแดษดษข แดสแด แดสษชษดษข ษช สแดแด แด ๊ฑแด แด
แดแดสสส,
แดสแด แด
แด๊ฑแด, แดสแด ๊ฑแดแดแด, แดสแด สแดแด แดส๊ฑแดส แดษดแด
แดสแด แดxแดแดแดแดแดแดษชแดษด แด๊ฐ แดสแด๊ฑ๊ฑแดสแด, สแดสแด แดแด...'
-042's take on 'Visitors' by ABBA ๐ถ. I keep thinking I'll run out of these musical openers but each time another finds me. ๐
'๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ง๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ'. Let me explain.
'& ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐' was always my mantra in competitive motorsport and is being applied to 042-especially these last few months in-between other demands on my time.
However the trouble with 042 is I don't really know the condition of the loco & what lies ahead. I've a hunch it's a good loco & I'm steadily making substantive progress.
๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง
With the water pumps fitted & after building it up in stages to 20 min runs we're probably close to over 3 hours running now & ๐ง๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ. This is of course a massive milestone.
To refresh the water pumps were removed for a complicated rebuild way back at the start of this madness in early '24 where we blanked off the fittings & filled it with water & it held. Of course this was a surprise to all.
Running with the water pumps on pressurises the system as it pumps water round. Yes I was expecting some leaks & there were some dribbles but the loco sorted them out itself. Result. That's been at least 5 weeks now.
๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ง๐จ
Again these were a concern & especially the top one (3vc50) as it had a 'tight' spot after all the years sitting but I went in & satisfied myself on suitability to run & spent enough time freeing them off to introduce power.
Please remember 37's are all new to me as are all loco's (I had zero loco experience prior to 2022 but of course a background in club motorsport) & I'll always be grateful for this opportunity to take this one on but I was looking at these compressors thinking this is slightly odd. Essentially the caps were missing ! Obviously removed at some point by someone.
This however, at the back of my mind was favourable as I was keen to let them run again without loading up.
These caps are 'unobtainable', a thread size that makes no sense & nobody had any spares. Thankfully the currently 'dead' 31459 st Wolsingham had 6 of these caps & after a bit going round in circles I took them to another useful contact I have, a name long term followers may remember- Mark at DD Fabrications in Carlisle.
Their machinist has made the most beautiful caps & it's a pleasure to screw then onto the pump insert.
It's so much better to have stuff like this made on your doorstep where you can pop in & check on progress.
๐๐ช๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ & ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ.
Amusingly when it was at the previous location I only entered from the no 2 end & the gauge showed empty. With it being at Weardale it's turned round now & when I enter from the no1 end I was looking at a fuel tank that showed 1/4.
Further investigation revealed both tanks still connected & each a 1/4 full. I took a scientific approach & filled some coke bottles to assess with. Thankfully no sediment nor Black Death sludge you get with modern fuel.
Yes I've heard all the 'need to drain the tank & replace with fresh' & of course it'll not be as cetane rich but the harsh reality is the loco runs on it & if anything is getting better. I was in a similar situation with the 26 a few years ago.
I've a bottle of its diesel outside in the garden here that I'm keeping a long term eye on & again I'm pleased. This isn't my first rodeo with fuel & real world experience counts when you (or G) is footing the bills.
๐ฝ๐ง๐๐ ๐ '๐๐ฎ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐จ' & ๐ฝ๐๐ก๐ฏ๐ค๐ฃ๐.
Further to the 'now we push' approach I picked up on removing the 'A' side cylinders & having them honed. We also had a useful site visit from the Belzona rep, Sid who showed us how to approach them. So these are currently waiting on me finding time here in Carlisle to work on. Amusingly or not at the time I managed to misplace one of these. Not once but twice.
I feel it best to give some recognition to Derek at Engine Resources, Dundee who has done this honing for us. Top bloke. He used to do my engine machining for me back in the good old uncomplicated days pre loco's.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ '๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ'.
As the musical intro references we've had an unpleasant return from the electrical gremlins.
I'll explain more on the pics but I was prepared to update with the news that I couldn't get 042 to run at the moment.
I've been running the loco longer as described above. Like any form of testing or development there are areas where you're pleased & those where you aren't. Sadly the loco was starting to play up. It was dropping its idle right back, not wanting to idle. The AVR (battery charging) was erratic & without pattern then of course the final insult-throwing the circuit breaker.
Again I looked at the multi working at the no 1 end & isolated it hoping it was the issue but it wasn't. More detail in the pics as I've got the loco running again yesterday so the pressure is off a bit but I'm not 'out the woods yet' .
Today it fired & ran nicely so I reckon I'm on the right trajectory.
๐๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ข ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐.
As suggested I've been going forwards, sadly backwards but now forward I guess.
Again more detail in the comments but although the brake cylinder are here not at the loco I've blanked the pipes to see if they'll take air.
Some of you will already have sussed that I'm on the cusp of building air & seeing if the loco will take power. All I'm looking for is a slight movement of the ammeter. I've been on the cusp of this for about 4 weeks or at least I thought I was. I've over 14 chocks for it & I'll only connect up 2 TM's.
The plan was to run it for much longer with the pumps fitted & see if it'll bring in the missing 'pots' as it bleeds itself but we're looking at opening these non running pumps in situ to see what we can find. There are other pumps up at 37674 & G's requested these be sent down should I need them.
Of course it's a massive ask to try & build air in a loco that hasn't for 17 years & see if it'll take power but that's where we are. Really.
It was a massive ask to hold water after all these years but so far it is.
I'm sacrificing a lot of my own world atm for this loco. Any words of support is always appreciated.
26040
Of course I knew when the 37 was moving & I always thought I'll give it a right go to start with but this was always at the expense of working on 040. Going forward I'll have time for both, 3 including the brake van but I've had & still have a massive black cloud hanging over me in that I've been emptying my shed 2 hours away but thankfully that is finally done.
I'm waking a tight rope here & my back up vehicle is currently my Moggie Minor ! However being about Carlisle more & more is proving good & I'm getting through my backlog of priorities.
There'll be more on the 26 next time. I have a plan & now hopefully some time.
๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ?
I don't often link it anymore as I know the world is tough for a lot of people but if you like this page & the journey we're on any financial help would be appreciated. I know some of you do already (thanks). Scarily my liability insurance has increased 60% to nearly 4 figures.
Thanks.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iain0
https://paypal.me/26040travellingcosts?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ
This has turned into a massive update but like our cat that has just walked past with its tail up in the air, maybe we're the same with 042 this month. Of course assuming loco's had a tail.
Speak soon.
I.
