Wickham Trolleys - October 2009
1st November 2009 - thanks to Jonathan Flood for this article

Wickham news from the last few months...
Type 4B (Works No. 6872) 68050 is undergoing a ground up rebuild in the Midlands. Pictures of the restoration can be found on the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
Type 4B (Works No. 6901) 68051 has been rumoured to be a runner at Peak Rail for almost a year now, having had a replacement engine fitted. If anyone has photos, video clips or restoration updates from the last year I would be very interested to hear from them. Please contact me via the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
The restoration of the oldest surviving Wickham Trolley in the UK, Type 17 Works No. 497 (DE900332), continues at a private site. The engine has been fully overhauled and tested on a rig. It is hoped that 497 should be ready for its first runs in early 2010.
Type 17A (Works No. 4139) PWM2222 has recently been sold to a new owner but is to remain at the Mid Suffolk Light Railway. The new owner is planning to complete the restoration to running order by fitting a replacement engine but he is missing the following parts for the drive system: Bearings for the splined shaft and the cam, Friction fly wheel, the lever for the friction wheel and also the lever for the clutch. If anyone can help, please contact the owner via the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
Type 17A (Works No. 7073) 68011 is reported as stored awaiting repairs at the Wensleydale Railway. No current forecast for the required works has been advised.
Marsh Trackworks’ Type 17A DsmT (Works No. 7574) has been overhauled and rebuilt and is now based at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester alongside Marsh’s Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 8196) 9036. If anyone has any pictures of this DsmT at MOSI in its new form, I would be very interested to see them either on this site or via the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
A posting on YouTube in May 2009 (click here) stated that part of The Shillingstone Station Project plans for 2009 (supported by the North Dorset Railway Trust) include rebuilding the Wickham Trolley hut at the down north platform ramp in order that they can relocate their Wickham Trolley from a private site at Clutton to the station. This is Type 17A (Works No. 8267) TP57P.
It is reported that Type 18A (Works No. 4254) PWM5643 is being actively restored at the Dean Forest Railway. If anyone has photos, video clips or restoration updates from the last year I would be very interested to hear from them. Please contact me via the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
Recent pictures of Type 18 Mk X (Works No 10180) 68002 show that this Wickham is deteriorating fast in open store at the now almost emptied Minnivey site. The Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group’s second Type 18 Mk X (Works No. 10179) 68003 is currently stored in their shed at Dunaskin. This pair are the only Type 18 Mk X surviving in the UK today having been delivered to BR (ScR) at Invernessin March 1968 fitted with Deutz F4L812 engines.
At the K&ESR the overhaul / restoration of Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 6603) C101 continues well. The plan is to have the engine reinstalled, wiring loom fitted and engine running by the end of October 2009.
Andrew Briddon owned Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 6607) which was stored at a private site in Yorkshire has now been moved on loan to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway where it is now being actively restored to full running order.
Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 6643) 68065 has been confirmed as privately owned and not in the care of the Cambrian Railway Society. It is currently stored on a contractor’s site at Nantmawr.
Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 6944) PWM3959 has been sold by the Bluebell Railway to a member of the Spa Valley Railway. It has now been fully stripped down at the Spa Valley Railway and pictures of its restoration can be found here.
Type 27A Mk III (Works No. 7514) 68058 has now been moved from Rippingale Station to a private site in Lincolnshire by its new owner. It is now being restored to working order for eventual use at the Rutland Railway Museum.
Type 27 Mk III (Works No. 8085) 9021 is reported as in regular use by the Bewdley Permanent Way team on the Severn Valley Railway. It has regular maintenance and has to pass an “MOT” each summer.
Type 27 Mk III (Works No. 8089) 9031 based on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway is to be overhauled / restored / updated by its current owner once he has completed the overhaul of a diesel shunter. The Wickham is likely to be fitted with a more modern diesel engine and automatic transmission having already had its original Ford Sidevalve engine replaced during its MOD career. It will also be fitted with hydraulic disc brakes.
A quick appeal here for sightings of Wickham parts anywhere in the UK as I am trying to put together a list of any parts that might be of interest to Wickham owners / restorers. Obviously any items are of interest but the most common items tend to be chassis, wheelsets & wheels. If anyone has any details of any of these or any other Wickham news, please let me know via the Wickham of Ware Yahoo! Group.
For anyone interested in buying a Wickham as a restoration project, please regularly check both this & the WickhamOfWare mailing list.
Many thanks
Jonathan
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Andrew Waldron
Posted: 3 March 2010, 22:22
Wkm ex BNM C 18 Wkm number 4808 built 1948, rebuilt by RPSI in 2009 is now up and running at the old Mullanbouys Station on 200yards of 3ft gauge track. Its first sojurn was on the 31-12-2009 to mark 50 years to the day that the CDR closed. Go to CDRRL .com and log in and you can see this type 4BB at work.
Cheers Andrew.