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26 November 2010

After a very slow start caused predominantly by the need to find a steel fabricator that could make new body sections to the required standard, and to a design as close to the original as we could manage, steady progress is being made, gradually removing severely corroded body pillars and stress panels and replacing them with new. Work has been concentrated on the off-side of the vehicle, where the corroded structure is probably in the worst condition, and where outer panels had been removed by metal thieves in South Africa.

NEW PARTS

42 new pillars - enough to build a bus!!!	New pillars to complete 589’s structure have been made by a precision sheet metal works in Reading to as near to original specification and cross-sectional dimensions as possible. This involved cutting and folding of over 150 metres of sheet steel, and then welding the folded sections to form the required pillar section. This involved over 300 linear metres (that’s about 30 trolleybus lengths in old Highway Code stopping distance speak!) of welding, and far too many spot welds than we can be bothered to count !
A number of the pillars needed bending to achieve the “tumbledown” for the lower deck. This proved to be quite a challenge, as the fabricated pillars were found to be very strong – just as we wanted them - and the bending required repeated rolling, undertaken after a false start elsewhere, by a different steel fabrication company.	Some of the new curved lower deck pillars, with an original (left) for comparison.
Stress stress stress! New lower deck stress panels, with the pressed rib visible and (right) the cant rail panels.	Stress panels have been made for the lower deck, which included having special tooling made to press a rib into some of them for additional strength and to reduce “drumming” in the body structure in service – all as per the original design Cant rail stress panels (for above the lower deck windows) have also been manufactured, involving folding and forming holes along their length.
New wheel arch framing has been made for the rear bogie	New wheel arch frames - one for each side. The third (rusty) frame is the offside one used as a pattern.

THE STATE OF RE-BUILDING WORK

Alarmingly, a distinct lack of anything to hold the top deck on the offside.	With the new sections to re-build the main lower deck structure to hand, careful, systematic cutting out of the old stress panels, grinding off of old rivets, and the removal of the rusted framework has commenced. Care has been taken to shore up the structure as parts have been removed, and as this has been done, it is quite apparent just how little strength there was in the original frame. Extensive corrosion around the joint between top and lower deck means that there isn’t actually much holding the two together!
Several of the new body pillars have now been temporarily bolted into place (they will be riveted once everything is proven to be “right”), and a start made on fitting the new stress panels at cant rail level.	They fit together something like this: Insert tab "A" into slot "1"....! The upper flanges of the cant rail panels provide the fixing on the lower deck to hold the upper deck in place.
Rot around the rear wheel arch and cant rail stress panels. The rearmost of these two pillars directly over the bogie was actually rusted right through, leaving very little supporting the upper deck at this point.	The off-side rear wing over the rear bogie has been removed to allow access to the frame supporting the wheel arch: this has been removed so that replacements could be made for both sides of the vehicle. The pressed wing panel itself will be passed to a specialist for repair/ replacement, with the new wheel arch framing used as a template to ensure the whole new or repaired wings fit properly. A start has also been made on a drawing to facilitate the manufacture of replacement bracketry that fits on the pillars, and mounts the wooden spars that, in turn, support the window pans and opening window mechanisms.
Effectively, a very large proportion of the body’s structural components is having to be renewed. Much care has been taken to maintain the correct dimensions, spacings and positions of the various parts within the overall body structure so as to faithfully preserve the original design. The plan is to reconstruct the complete lower-deck off-side section from behind the driver’s cab to forward of the staircase, tying it in to the existing body cross-members and ensuring thoroughly correct alignment of everything, all using temporary nut and bolt fixings, before then replacing the nuts and bolts, one by one, with rivets to form the permanent end result. The exercise will then be repeated on the near-side.	Some new cant rail stress panels trial fitted. Compare this with the photo above left.

14 May 2010

The Board of Directors of The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft has accepted a recommendation from the 589 Group to enter into a contract with Richard Bilbé of Reading for the “phase 1” restoration work on no.589 - the re-building of the steel structural framework of the vehicle. This follows a lengthy appraisal by members of the 589 Group of different options for the restoration, involving also submissions from different specialist contractors. The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft Board and the 589 Group have both strongly declared that 589’s restoration should be to the highest possible standard and historical accuracy. Progress and quality will be closely monitored and there will be regular liaison with Richard to plan ahead and resolve any problems.
Fundraising efforts continue and it is good to acknowledge receipt of many donations, including a most generous five-figure sum earlier this year from one individual ! It is now acknowledged that the total cost of the 589 project could be as much as £150,000, so all contributions, big or small, will be welcomed.

1 December 2009

The 589 Group has now received its in-depth report into the condition of 589 and how to undertake its renovation. The 12-page report, which confirms that extensive renewal of 589’s body structure will be required, is now being considered. It is likely that firms or individuals interested in undertaking the necessary restoration work will be asked to submit costed proposals for consideration.

8 September 2009

The 589 Group has commissioned an in-depth study into how restoration work on 589 should proceed, including obtaining some costings of essential body framing pars that will have to be fabricated before work can commence.

11 June 2009

589 was moved from its temporary place of storage to other under-cover accommodation today, when, once again, the Scammell Crusader did the towing.

Work will now start on renovating the body's steel framework, starting with the lower deck area of the off-side. We hope the restoration of no. 589 can be completed and the vehicle running again under power by the beginning of May 2012, but, of course, this very much depends on funding being available. Click here for details of how to make a donation to the Johannesburg 589 Fund.

24 April 2009

Johannesburg 589 has arrived in the UK!

The MV Talia, with Johannesburg 589 on board, arrived on schedule at 06.00 on Friday, 24 April 2009 at Southampton. 589 was duly taken off the ship at around 11.00 using a preserved ex-army Scammell Crusader and prepared for its journey to Berkshire.

After clearance by Customs, and paying outstanding charges to the shipping line, 589 was released to exit the port. The following tow went well, although there was a slight mishap whilst on the A31 when the nearside trolleyboom broke free despite having been securely tied down: corrosion of the boom hooks appears to have been the cause, as the hook itself broke off. Fortunately, no damage was sustained.

We would like to put on record our thanks to all who have assisted us in getting this far - most particularly our towing contractors in South Africa - Cash Towing; our shipping agents in South Africa - Compass Logistics CC and the shipping line, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, whose personnel we have had contact with have been, without exception, extremely helpful and efficient.

Number 589 is towed off the ship	Number 589 continues its journey along British roads	Arrival at temporary home near Reading

14 April 2009

Johannesburg 589 is scheduled to arrive in Britain on Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines’ “roll on – roll off” vessel MV Talia on Friday, 24 April. It is then planned to tow it to temporary storage in Berkshire pending the finalising of restoration plans.

9 April 2009

We are honoured to report that the family of the late John Gillham, the well known and well respected transport historian, have agreed that instead of flowers at his funeral, donations should be given to the Johannesburg 589 fund. John, aged 91, was extremely enthusiastic about the scheme to obtain no.589 for preservation in the UK and was keenly following developments in the planning of the project, almost wanting to be part of the party going to Durban ! Sadly, John passed away peacefully the day that John Shearman and Francis Whitehead left for Durban.

7 April 2009

Two members of the Johannesburg 589 Group, John Shearman and Francis Whitehead, flew to Durban on 22 March 2009 to undertake an initial assessment of the vehicle’s condition before deciding whether to proceed with the project and prepare 589 for its journey to the UK.

Over the next few days much remedial and tidying up work took place on 589, final arrangements for the shipping – including appointing a shipping agent –were made, agreement for us to film in the dock area was confirmed and the tow from 589’s temporary storage at a Durban City Council depot to the port was arranged.

The tow to the docks took place on Sunday morning, 29 March and was duly photographed and videoed. After some last moment “red tape” problems on the quayside the following day, 589 was finally put on board Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines’ “roll on – roll off” vessel MV Talia at about 4.00pm, ready for a scheduled departure at 2.00am the following morning.

589 stood in the South African sunshine	589 on tow	589 arrrives at the dockyard	589 is towed onto the boat

6 April 2009

Details of the dedicated bank account for the “Johannesburg 589 Fund” have now been received.

The account is with HSBC plc:

Sort Code: 40-31-06

Account Number: 32388588

Account Name: Johannesburg 589 Fund

Donations can be paid directly into this account (please include your Surname, initials, house number/name and postcode as payment reference), or cheques (made payable to “Johannesburg 589 Fund”) can be sent to:

The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
Belton Road
Sandtoft
Doncaster
North Lincolnshire
DN8 5SX.

Donors who are UK tax payers are urged to Gift Aid their contributions to enable a further 28% in tax reclaim to go towards 589’s restoration appeal. Click Here for fuller details of how to make a donation to the Johannesburg 589 Fund.

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