First boards installed! - Brake Van Diaries #10

[@richardakajazzyamx9690]

Angle strips would be a good idea for practicality, though I might also suggest adding non-slip tape to the angle strips for wet days so anyone climbing up or down doesn't slip on wet metal.

[@WardleRestorations]

yeh non slip seems the way to go!

[@bartoncessna1]

Really impressed with this. Doing this effectively on your own is a massive project and you're acing it. Well done!

[@WardleRestorations]

Really appreciate the kind words, thank you!

[@Living_Life_RN]

Ramble or no ramble, I’m loving this new series. Maybe for features on other things around the CVR, you could offer to make some videos for a Colne Valley Railway KZbin channel, which’ll help advertise the line in its own right.

[@WardleRestorations]

One step ahead of you there, CVR KZbin revamp in the works ;)

[@Living_Life_RN]

@@WardleRestorations oo lovely! I’ll have a look now.

[@Living_Life_RN]

I’ve subscribed to the channel. Can’t wait to see what’s coming.

[@2010ditta]

Durability Ollie. They wont notice if you paint them the same colour as the wood. Another enjoyable diary Ollie. Very good. All the best.

[@WardleRestorations]

My only worry is that I’m putting out videos a bit too often at the moment! Haha

[@sodor_dan-da-man]

Add the angle metal or not. It's your brakevan to do as you see fit. I would add the metal angle trim to the steps area. Don't want to have to replace every year or 2 if it becomes damaged l

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh wood isnt cheap!

[@andywalker6]

Love this series, Really enjoy what's happening at the CVR, I think the metal strips are a good idea, you've already stepped away from an exact restoration to aid durability.

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers for watching!

[@saltleywsc]

Personally I would got durability with the angle strips ,also would love to see what's happening on the railway !

[@WardleRestorations]

I will try see what else I can film!

[@saltleywsc]

@@WardleRestorations That sounds great thanks !

[@robertward1701]

Good video today. Yes! to the metal angle for the running boards, great idea. And more time lapse!

[@WardleRestorations]

Awesome, thank you!

[@3mmnon-triang689]

Hi there. having restored a Bristol RE bus in 4 years i wish you luck with your project. I learned that you take everyones advice and then analyse it and use the ways you find best for you. Enjoy the experience.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh I have already had a wide variety of advice and feedback so its a matter of picking what will work out best for the brake van in the end!

[@TheGWR0-4-0]

I love seeing what else is happening around the line aswell as the brake van! Great video!

[@WardleRestorations]

Thank you very much!

[@colinwykes1833]

Hey Ollie this is very addictive viewing my young friend. I think adding the angle irons is a great idea and it's bound to protect the edges of the boards from wear and tear. Take care and stay safe. :) :) :)

[@WardleRestorations]

No ones ever described my videos as ‘addictive’ before, 😂😂 glad you enjoyed mate and thanks for the support from day 1!

[@royboydanny1415]

Great progress, but I wouldn’t use aluminium because it’s slippy. You can get a nonslip grip angle . Looking forward to the next update . 👍

[@WardleRestorations]

After having a browse online I can get a similar size strip but with grooves in the top to help increase grip, lots of options out there!

[@royboydanny1415]

@@WardleRestorations yes, I think that would be a lot better than smooth aluminium. 👍

[@sodor_dan-da-man]

Fantastic progress so far. Can't wait to see it running. Maybe a uk wardle road tour of the UK

[@WardleRestorations]

Ha, it would cost an arm and a leg to move, maybe one day!

[@3brail34]

Another great episode Ollie !! I agree with Chris, very addictive viewing. Good to see the progress on the brake van, but would also be keen to see footage of any of the other projects under way at CVR. That would be a great insight into the workings of CVR and also appeal to a wide section of followers with varying interests. On the angle iron front, my vote is for durability and preserving the life of the boards. Great work !!

[@WardleRestorations]

It still feels weird that people would describe my videos as ‘addictive’ 😂😂😂 I’m always trying to up the quality though without boring people to death! Glad you enjoyed & really appreciate the support

[@birtle123]

Really enjoying this series. It feels like I'm there, part of the restoration. Personally I wouldn't fit the running boards until last. You will climb in and out of your van much more whilst you're restoring it as compared to when its finally in traffic so just fit two short temporary steps until the end. In my opinion the ali angle will look more "DIY" rather than restorative.

[@WardleRestorations]

Thanks for the tips! To be honest the running boards also make excellent shelves when I'm working on the chassis haha

[@BOBPTransportVideos]

Great to see the restoration coming along already looks so much better than it did before. I reckon durability is your best bet, Keep them coming 👍

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers Lewis! Glad you enjoyed mate 🙂

[@connorjonas1055]

Brilliant episode as ever mate, and they keep getting better! I wouldn’t call your piece to camera at the start rambling, you said what needed to be done, no repetition or talking in circles, and just got in with it. As I mentioned last diary entry, I would love to see what other preservation work is occurring on the railways. I personally watch this series to get a behind the scenes look at preservation so more is always welcome, however I am invested in the story of this brakevan now so don’t ignore it for other preservation! In regards to the aluminium guards, I feel that is your decision to make. The biggest question with the whole project one must ask though is that of “Restoration vs Preservation”. Whilst both co-exist, purely restoring the brakevan would require the kick boards and no aluminium guards, historically authentic but ultimately a more expensive project. Whilst preserving would include the aluminium guards and forego the kick boards, ceasing rot and decay so that the brakevan lasts much longer for future generations to see. As always love your work, Greetings from Australia, Connor.

[@WardleRestorations]

Great to see so many Australians have started watching the channel, thank you for the kind words and appreciate you taking the time to comment!

[@richardsellers3900]

Love these videos, thanks for creating them. I vote yes on the metal strip, good idea to extend the life of the boards.

[@WardleRestorations]

Thank you for the kind words! It’s a pleasure making them when people enjoy them enough to let me know!!

[@jonny7dreamin]

A newbie to your site. Please incorporate other projects. As an old ex-railwayman all brings back fond memories,. thanks for that....👍

[@WardleRestorations]

Love comments like this! Means a lot that im able to bring back such great memories for you :)

[@robertbate5790]

Thanks for this video, it's the first I have found. As a matter of interest all the brake vans I have seen have the 'working edge' of the running boards rounded off rather than squared edged. As to accuracy and longevity, as in all things there are fors and againsts on both sides. Yer can't please all o' th' people. 👍👍

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers Robert, glad you enjoyed the video! Yeh the edges will be rounded but just trying to protect them for excessive wear and tear is the aim! All the best 🙂

[@hamshackleton]

The tree/bush thing is a buddleia, commonly called a butterfly bush, because butterflies (and bees) like the flowers! They are easy to cut.

[@WardleRestorations]

You learn something new everyday, cheers dude!

[@kineticrail]

Loving the updates. I think a look at other activities that happen at Colne would be good maybe as another series of videos instead of as part of the brake van updates.

[@WardleRestorations]

I’ll see what I can do!

[@gs425]

My suggestions.... The best saw you can buy is a plunge saw. Just a b and q or screwfix own brand is fine. You will cut dead accurate cuts and no need to route. Once you get the hang of it you will cut everything with it !. Jigsaws are only good for roughing out an inside hole before finishing. Get a bar out of the workshop and bend out the brackets first. As for kick boards, just leave a small gap and all will be fine. Personally I would use tanalised timber all round. Then it will last.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh I seem to be very unlucky with jigsaws so maybe it’s time to find a new tool 😂

[@gs425]

@@WardleRestorations 100 quid or less buys you a plunge saw with rails. Trust me...you'll thank me for it.

[@ecc84]

For what it's worth i would go for some checker plate the same width as the boards but with a 90 degree lip to cover the sides i'm sure some metalworker can knock some up for you, the reason i wouldn't go for with the aluminum strips is wet and ice your feet could possibly slip off the strip causing a serious amount of pain as you slice the first couple of layers of skin of your shin. other wise great stuff and anything you want to film is fine bur the restoration needs to come first and hold off a bit on the time lapses, everyone seems to do it and i'm weird anyway i would spend and hour just watching someone do the job in real time lol

[@WardleRestorations]

Ha appreciate the feedback! It is hard to please everyone so I am still trying to find the right formula that 99% of my audience will enjoy. I think I'm going to leave the metal strips for now to see how it comes out after the edges are curved with the routing tool!

[@wagen_3_productions]

Great seeing so much progress! Add those metal strips on the edge of the boards. That will make them last longer

[@WardleRestorations]

You have 7 more episodes to catch up on! haha

[@wagen_3_productions]

@@WardleRestorations yes. Haha

[@thescrapline4905]

In today's episode ollie goes on the rampage with a saw and cuts down the rain forest 😆 Another decent step further on the restoration, no pun lol.

[@WardleRestorations]

Sadly only the 1 bush so far 😂😂 I think that pun was fully intended 😆😆😂

[@solarbrother8886]

Absolutely delightful watching the restorations. I enjoy watching model railroading videos and I'm glad I discovered your channel just as you started this series. I've watched a few your other videos as well. I think you should include the 'Adding the Scenic Elements' to your portion of the 'Track Module' of your scale 1:1 Garden Railway. 😄 🚂🚃🚃

[@WardleRestorations]

Thank you very much, yeh this could certainly be described as a very very large garden railway! haha

[@mikeatpudhamjunction2323]

If you take some 10-12mm diameter rope make a loop from the bracket that needs straitened to the track opposite then use a peace of wood rotate it inside the loop at a 45 degrees to the rope close to the track end of the loop. When the bracket is at the right place turn the wood to 90 degrees and rest on the ground. this will hold your bracket in place till you drill your holes. That would make it a one man job. As for the tree you cut down I think you only did it to get fire wood for your fire lol. Seeing other parts of the area would be good for us that live no weir near you. lastly would it be a good idea to take the joining plat of again coat it in your rust remover then prime it back to seal it so it doesn't rust any further. Stay safe.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh that’s a fantastic comment regarding the joining plate, when I’m down there next I’m going remove the plate and treat it, then put it back on!

[@jbbumpkin]

A word of warning which no doubt many will already know! It is the middle of bird nesting season and the fines for disturbing wild birds that are nesting are considerable. Removal on any vegetation must be done with extreme care be it in bramble or even on the ground. Quite honestly, the best practice is to leave such vegetation until the end of the season which is the start of September.

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

I believe the period for hedge trimming etc is September through to end of February. The fines are imposed if there is a nesting bird in the tree or hedge being cut. It is an offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, or to intentionally kill, injure or take chicks or adults, or intentionally take or destroy any eggs. The problem is that if you have started cutting trees or hedges and then discover a nest that is no excuse as you need to ensure the area in question is not being used BEFORE you start....

[@zaklex3165]

@@MalcolmCrabbe And people complain about the environmental laws in the States...over on this side of the Atlantic, if it's on private property and it's not in a tree that requires a permit to cut down...we just move the nest to safe location.

[@WardleRestorations]

Right, firstly, no nests were in this small bush, secondly there are separate laws for railways and because the bushes are within a certain distance of the line among many other reasons there is no reason as to why they can't be removed, I understand your worry however this isn't a preservation area, there are no birds nesting here and the shrubs and bushes need to be removed anyway. I just thought it was something people might like to see documented but maybe not if it will cause an uproar!

[@WardleRestorations]

^see my other reply :)

[@pooch467]

It’s only a buddleia bush. Network rail are never done chopping them down. They’re a bloody nuisance to railway work as they grow like wildfire!

[@mels4796]

wonderful video and your very welcome Wardle Road

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers Mels!

[@modelrailwaynoob]

You're having some great weather for it m8. You are doing a good job

[@WardleRestorations]

We’ve been very fortunate with a nice week or so of sun and warm weather! Glad you enjoyed mate!

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi Ollie - I am enjoying this series and some other videos on what happens on the CVR . And well done to the mini chainsaw 😀 Cheers Kev

[@WardleRestorations]

Glad you enjoyed Kev, great to see you in the comments! 👍👍 hope you’re well mate !

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

All good thanks Ollie 👍🏾

[@bootsnall8996]

Hi Ollie, Can you attach a come along or chain block to the rail behind you, then around the bent step posts, and pull them straight.

[@WardleRestorations]

We had thought about this but we were also worried that doing that and leaving it for a period of time may cause the bolts to snap

[@mikewhitchurch387]

Loving your optimism with the spirit level, have you levelled the track in both planes and checked the van is sitting all square on it's springs? :-J

[@WardleRestorations]

Well whether it’s level or not they will both be the same amount of wonky 👍

[@Flymochairman1]

Good to see the wooden runner boards going on. Maybe right enough with the kick-boards holding water and leaving them off. They can't all look the same anyway, dare say. I'd have had the wire-brush and grinder in to clean up the area of frame above the boards first and see if the bracket nuts would come off for cleaning, m'self, but there's getting it done, getting the wood on and treated, and there's getting it 'ex-works'. If it ain't broke...paint it! (Try a bit of stress or a pull out the way from the bottom and give the first bend a tap or three, to see if that'll straighten the two board hangers that are a bit bent, then repaint as required.) Edging the boards are fine if made with the right steel plate, bent over. The aluminium bit you had there is usable but liable to wear or tear at the fixing-holes in the pieces. It's a slip-hazard too. Talk to the Carriages and Wagons Manager(ess) or the bloke with the other brake van and see if there's restrictions on putting those edges on the runner-boards. I thought those little saws were the 'bit of a joke' but they are serious little saws! They look cute but there's a fair bit of force turning that chain over. That was one of the best uses of the little saw that I've seen yet...taking the Buddleia down! Damned weed! Might be good for the butterflies and moths but there's plenty of it elsewhere! A nice amount of progress there, Ollie...especially the Buddleia!(A Pet Hate of mine). Plenty to do yet on the runner boards though. The Metal of the Valances next? Onwards and upwards, sir. Cheers! (That TPO Van looked like a 'must see', too!)

[@WardleRestorations]

There’s so many small and large tasks I sometimes stand there and stare at the brake van and think ‘what on earth am I going to do next’ but hopefully over time the tasks gradually get less and less, well that’s the plan anyway!

[@Flymochairman1]

@@WardleRestorations Heh! Sorry about the essay! You're doing fine, sir. Catch up soon. Cheers Ollie!

[@GWRailFan]

go for Durability at the end of the day adding those metal bars in the long run like you said Protects it and also saves you a nit of money as you wont need to buy a whole new peace of wood, i would love to see the other Activity's going on :) e.g. the track extension on those Buffers

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh I’m going to try and film as much of the track extension work as possible when things are happening while I’m there!

[@ModelTrainOutsider]

Nice progress and walkthrough! This is a great series!

[@WardleRestorations]

Very kind of you to say mate, glad you enjoyed!

[@ThePCPitStopInc]

hey man really cool you get to be apart of owning a piece of history like that Brake Van I think for future proofing I definitely think putting the angle metal will be good for durability as well as safety in the long run I would put a grip like material or something on the metal part of the step to help grip your footing and to prevent slippage when going up into the Brake Van can't wait to see what else you got in mind and would be cool if you could name it like steam engines haha could be the "Spiteful 20T Brakevan" Cheers to you man keep going 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃

[@WardleRestorations]

Hi Chris, thanks for the kind words! Yeh I think most people have said if I am to use the right angle stuff then I should definitely use some type of grip like material! Yeh the brake van will have a name just undecided yet!

[@SteveSmithRailways]

The trials and tribulations of a BR Brake Van wagon owner eh! I feel your pain with the jigsaw. Hate the damn things as like you, never seem to get that straight cut you want no matter what you do. Re the square washers, will you be painting those for added protection? Regarding the 90 degree aluminium section you had and questioned would it be worth having that where the steps go. Would it not be better to have a steel plate right across the step rather than just the edge? You can get those ones with the tread patterns on (or whatever they are called...think they are called checker plates. They have a pattern in them to try and eliviate slipping). That may be a better solution to protect that whole area of wood when climbing in. Saw a video of the HST launch, that looked great and well attended, so good news for the railway. Steve

[@WardleRestorations]

You will see in a later episode I actually ditch the square washers in an attempt to fix the brackets! My new jigsaw is much better but not perfect, I'm thinking of perhaps getting a circular saw but unsure yet! I have a HST launch video dropping in the next few days! Hope youve enjoyed the series so far!

[@paulsheward3325]

If you want non slip steps when you paint them sprinkle grit on it whilst wet!

[@WardleRestorations]

It wasnt so much the grip, it was about protecting the edges of the boards!

[@michael42158]

Great work. I would go for the metal strips.

[@WardleRestorations]

Glad you enjoyed dude!

[@mosherlad]

Angle pieces do sound practical to me might be worth looking at a few operational examples and seeing what damage actually occurs In the step areas to see if it’s necessary coming on nicely

[@WardleRestorations]

Excellent idea :)

[@peterfarrow7319]

Just one small criticism, I thought it would of made sense painting the sacffold boards with the preservative, on the back-edge/under-side BEFORE permanent fixing in situ. Just a thought...

[@WardleRestorations]

They are not permanently fixed though, they need to come off anyway for the chassis to be sand blasted 👍

[@ThePhosphater]

Yes to the Melal strip makes sense.

[@hermitageroad4713]

love this series would like to see more of the railway

[@WardleRestorations]

I’ll see what I can do!

[@roberthopper1872]

Great video! If I were you then I would fit the metal angle strips. I doubt that the athestics would be altered that much and it would give you so uch more use out of the wood.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh I’m going to find something slightly more grippy as it’s been mentioned that the smooth right angle may be a tad slippy!

[@zaklex3165]

I've seen properly preserved wood last a few decades sitting in water...there's no reason you couldn't do the same with the kickboards. I presume they go behind the step board, in which case the small gap between the two would allow the water to mostly drain away, and it would dry out in the sun...but the way kick boards are installed over there might be different then they are over here in the States.

[@WardleRestorations]

The kick boards that were on it before were butted right up to the main running board so water would sit there, we also might not have as much warm weather as you guys so 70% of the year it’s not as warm😂

[@UndergroundEric]

There were a family of nesting sparrows in that bush. Steve told me not to cut it down because of it.

[@WardleRestorations]

ffs

[@UndergroundEric]

@@WardleRestorations you shouldnt just go at all these habitats with your new chainsaw you could kill a whole ecosystem im going to tell the authorities 😂

[@WardleRestorations]

ok thank four watching layout updat stay safe lee

[@garygeorge7035]

good on you gives a bit more insight to the other projects going on at CVR from australia it makes it more interesting to see

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers Gary! Seems to be a few Australians starting to watch the channel which is cool to see!

[@shopdog831]

Might be a good idea to cut off the carriage bolts which are too long so you dont snag you clothing on them ir bang your on them when peaking underneath

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh this will be done when everything is perfectly in place, nothing worse than cutting them all short and realising they need to be moved about etc!

[@47606odin]

Well, it’s great to see you trying to look after this piece of railway history. Okay, being brutally honest here, before you speak you need to think about what you want to say and break up the sentences and lose a lot of the Er’s. Shorter sentences with a pause in between if necessary and edit them together, and if necessary, retake the shot. That will make your videos easier to listen to. It’s just practice and most of us were the same. Regarding angle iron on the step, no. You don’t need it. When your mate trims the boards with his router, round the top edge off, this will stop the splintering under foot. The boards will rot through before they wear out if you do this, so don’t waste time fitting the angle. If you slip climbing up, the last thing you want to do is catch your shin on a sharp piece of angle. So keep it up, and watching your progress 👍

[@WardleRestorations]

Thanks for the advice regarding the right angle, perhaps I will hold off until the edges are routed before I add anything on top of that. Regarding the speaking, I spend enough time at the railway filming without doing 10 takes of every shot. End of the day, the brake van comes first and the video is an afterthought but appreciate the honesty.

[@47606odin]

@@WardleRestorations that’s fine, it was just a suggestion 👍

[@barriemothersele9510]

Good progress. Content very good keep it coming

[@WardleRestorations]

Cheers Barrie appreciate it!

[@courtybellaroadmodelrailwa1906]

Personally I’d go for reduced maintenance, and added durability over accuracy. Do you really want to be replacing foot boards every few years? I did notice in the GCR video their CAR van had them on the foot steps looked okay to me.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh and with the prices of wood slowly going up & up I’m not keen to have to replace it every 5 mins!

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Ooh Durability wins all day but perhaps put some non slip material on it .😀

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

Excellent video... To be honest you haven't followed the line of authenticity in repairing other parts, such as using bolts to join the wood on "porch" area rather than using mortise and tenon joints as per the original build, so it doesn't matter if you add aluminium angle to the stepping area on the running boards. If you were restoring this authentically then yes it would matter, but then it may be the case that the running boards were made from a harder wood? With regards to the landscaping... as others have said, and I have commented below, you need to check that no birds are making nest or currently nesting in any of the undergrowth before you start to clear the area.

[@WardleRestorations]

In a sense I actually have! I’m remodelling this wagon back to its 1990s look in civil engineers grey so they were already using coach bolts at that point, so in effect I’ve replaced their old ones with new ones when adding the new railing! And yeh don’t worry the tree had no nests in it at all!

[@EmperorsPath]

go for durability, protect your investment! but echoing others, make sure you maybe rubberise or use non slip strips!

[@WardleRestorations]

Not sure my other half sees it as an investment!

[@michaelbottomley2520]

Don’t put those metal pieces on don’t forget somebody’s got a climb in the air when it’s raining so they will slip on that aluminium

[@matthewsnowdenshunterguy3352]

Add the metal trim 👍🏻

[@WardleRestorations]

Seems to be a popular opinion!

[@warnz9701]

The reason metal angles are not fitted is because they are a slip hazard. But it's your van.

[@WardleRestorations]

You can get metal trim with grip on them but just seeing what’s out there at the moment!

[@3mmnon-triang689]

invest in a socket set with long sockets which will make your life easier.

[@WardleRestorations]

I will at some point but as you can imagine I have invested a small fortune already!

[@3mmnon-triang689]

@@WardleRestorations Having spent £20,000 on restoring a Bristol RELL bus 10 years ago i understand what you are saying.

[@3mmnon-triang689]

do what is going to save you having to replace it in the future so yes use the aluminium.

[@WardleRestorations]

Very true!

[@AlecDenholm]

Durability, because a) no one cares that much, and b) you can always remove them if you change your mind. Hard to do that if the wood's already ruined. I guess paint the wood first then add them.

[@WardleRestorations]

Yeh for sure, thank you for the advice

[@paulsheward3325]

Not authentic and scaffold boards are quite tough.

[@WardleRestorations]

Ok

[@Intentgolf1916]

durability.

[@WardleRestorations]

Seems to be the most popular answer!

[@gordonpayne4220]

You have asked us to open a can of worms here but my personal view is that "Preservation/Conservation" conserves that which is extant in whatever condition it is, it mearly stops the decay. "Restoration" returns the object to Usable condition. By replacing those running boards you have undertaken "Restoration" and in adopting the use of the metric fasteners you have, you have alredy exepted "Modification". Preservation/Conservation will only return a corroded and rotten wreck of a brake van while Restoration/Modification will return a usefull vehicle likely to last and still have a usefull role to perform into the future. As long as you maintain the character of the Brake van go ahead and fit those kick plates, but please, paint them white not natuiral metal. To my critics. That is my personal view and yours may vary. If it does that is your personal view and you are as entitled to have and to express it as I am with my view. please be polite and constructive in your criticism.

[@johnbaker2910]

I actually agree with your points Gordon. And it's good that Wardle is thinking long term for his brake van in terms of usage and longevity. This way he won't have to keep replacing the wood on the running boards every four to five years when rot starts setting in. My thought on the brackets though, perhaps he should add slightly longer brackets and maybe some grip tape on the corners where people will put their feet so they don't slip and fall when embarking/disembarking the brake van, especially during wet weather. I know that volunteers will mostly be using this brake van during operational days, and they know to be careful, but visitors may not have that same luck, and we all know it just takes one slip for a bigger problem to emerge. That's just me though.

[@WardleRestorations]

I didn't mean to open a can of worms but thank you for clearing up the differences. I don't think you'll get any critics regarding your comments, at the end of the day I've asked for feedback and that's what you have given!