----- Original Message -----
From: Albert
To: 1198@...
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 7:15 PM
Subject: [1198] Thank You Thank You Thank You


3CEP 1198 worked over 200 miles this past weekend at the Dartmoor
Railway Diesel gala. It had light and heat, was painted in green and
ran without any problems the whole time.

This was why it was bought; not as a museum piece, but as a
functioning unit. I am sure that it will continue to see many more
miles service in this, it's next stage of life; not dreaming of the
past, but looking forward and doing what it was built to do.

It is now my pleasant task to go through a list of names and to
personally thank them all publiclly. Without these people nothing
would have happened.

The problem is how to do this, alphabetically? chronologically?
Another problem is my [sometimes dodgy after a few pints] memory; who
did what and when? Hopefully I have included everyone in this, if
not, my sincere apologies.

I am also posting this to every group I am a member of. If it gets me
moderated or banned, so be it. These people need recognition for
their work and my personal thanks!

It may be best to start at the beginning; the first ever team that
was [and some still are] interested in buying and working on 1589's
coaches at Meldon, 61742 and 61743, we have the team that included
Gareth Crowther and his Leyland National bus, Steve Wright, Stewart
Watt and his Astra van [they can take an inwards opening CEP door
diagonally, and there is room for someone in the back as well!] plus
Rob Davidson and Dave Burbage, who's CEP DMS at Coventry donated
doors for 61742.

Thanks around this time to Dave Payne and Bob Austin of the Dartmoor
Railway who welcomed us to the line, and who were later to be
instrumental in allowing 1198 to move there.
Also thanks to John Hummel and Steve Goodwin of the Dartmoor Railway
for their support in this venture.
These wonderful people were to help us and continue to do so to this
day

Also I have Julian Pope and Paul Ferbrache to thank for their huge
efforts, often the grubbiest jobs fell to those who went there the
most, and Jules and Paul were certainly among the highest attendees!
The night before 1198 entered service it was these two, along with
myself and two new members who were dealing with a last minute
problem. We weren't finished
until 1am!

Others who were on the early team were Matt Forbes, Tom Corcoran
[who, along with Julian and myself stumped up amongst the first
donations] and Richard Power.

Instrumental in the sale of 1198, and also later on of 2311 and 2315
was Porterbrook's Steve Jaques. It was a great pleasure doing
business with Steve, and with Alex Wood at Derby. Thank you. I walked
out of Porterbrook's offices owner of a CEP and two thumpers, got to
be a first?

Thanks also to SWT's Frank Clark for the helpful advice. Both 1198,
2311, 2315 and 1393 are benefitting as a result of this.

Mark Brinton has provided much useful advice, and we will be putting
it to good use when we fit 1699's disabled sliding door in the TBC.

Moving on to the arrival of 1198, the GBRf guys who were so helpful,
Ian Kapur and 'Paul'. Again, Dave Payne's name gets a mention here,
as the only available date for the move after a mix-up at Fratton
involved lifting a possession to allow the unit through. Dave agreed
to this happening.

After the arrival, we have other names. Dave Slater, who met me as I
was getting off a Wessex Trains DMU at Exeter St Davids with three
huge boxes of the service histories of 2311, 2315 and 1399 and helped
prevent them falling onto the track under the train, has been helpful
in painting and the website, all at the same time as a lot of work
upheaval and moving house.

Martyn Hewitson Griffiths is a name that should carry respect when
people talk about preserved EMUs. As well as saving 2311 and 2315,
getting the MLVs 9003 and 9005 to such a condition that they were
able to haul both CEPs the 6 miles from Appleby to Warcop with plenty
of charge left, has been a huge help with the recent ETH fitting to
1198's DMSA. Without that, the gala would have been in darkness

We next turn to Immingham; Yes we would have liked to save all the
units, but we couldn't. Maybe some of those enthusiasts who demand
these things could have achieved it? I don't know.
Units 2316, 2317, 1512, 1697, 1699 and the 'lobotomised' 1505 all
surrendered parts much needed to keep not just 1198 but also other
units going. 1410 was to provide windows for the GCR, the idea being
to 'retrofit' the CEP TSO so it would look more similar to the rest
of the rake, some veps were also to provide parts for a 308 project.
Richard from that group and his son were to be a huge help in the
window removal there.

Names of note here are Dave Oxley, whose advice and assistance has
been absolutely invaluable, and the gent with the forklift who stayed
on past his time while we loaded a transit.

Tom Winter found us a brilliant driver, [Tony] who bent over
backwards helping us [and a less brilliant van hire company 'Chimp
Van Hire' we called it], Phil Roy, a mate who I had known for ages
appeared around this time on the team and has gone on to be a
mainstay of the group. Also helping at Immingham over several visits
have been: Chris Thorne who helped remove the sliding door in 1699,
Rob Davidson who helped remove a buckeye and shed supply cabling
from 1512 and drive the second van, [provided by RMS's Richard Bull,
who, thanks to Steve Goodwin, allowed us to store parts at their now
closed Dewsbury site].
Also helping with other of these moves were Coventry's Graeme
Gleaves, Matt Hannam and Mark Bowman. And of course, Julian Pope. The
EPB de-icers [now scrapped] surrendered grids for the Tyneside EPB.

The 501 coach which is to go to Coventry has held both EMUPS and AC
EMU spares, Thanks to Coventry for this.

Turning to work on 1198 at Meldon, painting wasa the main job, and
the names that stand forward here are Paul and Julian, as well
as 'Rabbit' and Jon Wright who helped a few times. Others who have
played a part, include Andy Mills, [who was to also drive a vanload
of parts across Sussex one morning] and Graeme Gleaves, plus of
course Dave Slater. Thanks to Tom Winter, for not scraping the paint
drips off the windows wrong.
Coming in at the end, the day before entering service, Wrightsie put
almost the last paint on the unit, doing the cant rail orange in the
platform prior to the test runs on the Friday. The final paint to go
on was after midnight, when I went round with the white paint sorting
out grab handles, stepboard ends etc.

However, it wasn't just painting; one member, prior to organising the
cleaning of the ceiling by Paul [who had brought a floor cleaner
down,] had steamcleaned all the seating and made a start on the
sliding doors in the TBC. Thanks to that member. The entertainment
value of our discussions still makes me chuckle.

When Stuart Farmer became Dartmoor Railway General Manager we were
told that 1198 had to be painted green and have light and heat. We
had a definite deadline of the Gala, and finally got the spec for the
paint. Worked stepped up a gear. Also helping out breifly with the
painting was Felton Vowler of the Bideford group.
Dave Clegg of the Freinds of Dartmoor Rly found us a volunteer, Sue
LeWorthy, who, with another volunteer Andre Farmar were to do great
things towards the end of the works. Most of the work had been
outdoor, painting, ETH etc, so the interior had become somewhat
grubby!

Light and heat we gave to Martyn Hewitson Griffiths to sort out, and
he has excelled. The 47's dropped down 800v ETH has been working the
TC set for ages, and now it works in 1198. The work under Martyn's
direction involved myself, Paul, Julian, Phil and recent new member,
Nathan Whitington. Recovering the ETH from a motorail carriage in
Okehampton station and fitting it left all of us looking like coal
miners, but the satisfaction when we tripped the Aux on 1198 and the
lights in the guards compartment and the lights and heat came on for
the first time in nearly two years was FANTASTIC!

Most recent members include Robert Burch who has donated a heap of
batteries, and whos' suggestions involve a CEP running on batteries
only are worthy of consideration. Pobert's freinds, Allan and Norman
who with Paul and Robert, ended up spending most of the gala
stewarding at Meldon Quarry get a special thank You. Also for the
help into the small hours fixing that last problem, and bringing back
the chinese takeaways!

The team on the ground at Meldon, Steve Goodwin and more recently
Leigh Bowen have been most helpful, and again, have our heartfelt
thanks.

The organiser, Steve ellis, also deserves thanks.

The next question is What next? I first asked this when the last
carriage of 2325 arrived and got a different reply to the one held
amongst EMUPS members recently....
...Amongst the projects discussed are a 309, A60, 456, possibly work
on a 139x CIG or re-marshalling a REP???

Whatever, with the team we have at EMUPS, it ain't going to be
boring! There are a few more 1198 jobs to do in any event, for
example, the aly trim is a nuisance as it expands differently to the
steel sides and pops rivets; this will need work, and we will follow
the EVR CEPs with this. Then there is the topcoating...

To all those mentioned, my personal Thank You, and to those who I
have forgotten my sincerest apologies.

If you would like to join us then please get in touch. There is
plenty to do!

Kind Regards
Albert Mutton
Chairman EMUPS