The Winter Maintenance Programme is in full swing at the moment. Main PW task so far has been checking and greasing fishplates on the main running line – a dirty and thankless task, but very necessary, Next week, the team move on to the glamorous task of sleeper changes – they can hardly wait. Meanwhile, in the workshops, Motor Rail 21520 is having an engine squeezed in. The loco came missing its engine; it had most recently had a Deutz air cooled unit fitted, replacing the as-built Dorman during its industrial career. The owner has located a replacement engine, built by Alsthom. Alsthom are better known in the UK for power electrical engineering, but it seems their French activities included small IC engines. The Owner would be very keen to hear from anyone with data on these engines. “Squeezed” is an apt choice of words, as the space in which the engine has to fit is small, and the Alsthom engine is larger than its German predecessor. There is currently a paper-thin clearance between a belt pulley and the frame. Watch this (very small) space.
