Windcutter Project - 16T Mineral Wagon Restoration

Windcutter Project - 16T Mineral Wagon Restoration Volunteer group dedicated to the preservation and running of a rake of 16T mineral wagons on the GCR

The Windcutter Project is a group of volunteers who work with the Great Central Railway to restore to running order a set of 16T mineral wagons obtained 30 years ago through a fund raising appeal in Steam Railway magazine.

As Tim was on holiday last week skiving off in Hastings (see East Cliff funicular railway shot below) the team got on wi...
03/09/2026

As Tim was on holiday last week skiving off in Hastings (see East Cliff funicular railway shot below) the team got on with their work but didn’t send on any photos!

Last week Julian started building up the headstock where the new fixed end will attach. Later photos show progress by the end of this week.
Last week Gary also finished off the north east corner and painted the accessible side of the new fixed end.

So this week Tim was back as well as Gary, Julian and Ian.
As the shed staff were conducting a significant shunt out in the yard we were asked to work inside the shed until it was completed.
The three vacuum cylinders therefore got lots of attention with a team effort cleaning up the last of the cylinder bodies and primer painting them.

Fortified by the usual stop for lunch including Julians Cherry Bakewell tarts and Phil’s jam & custard doughnuts work recommenced with Tim fabricating a couple of lifting eye brackets to weld on to the top of the brake cylinders for the next time they have to come out!

Julian finished off the welding on one side of the headstock and Gary spurred on by painting the brake cylinders dug out the bitumen paint and started on the north end sides & floor.

By the end of the day the wagon was even starting to look like it was coming back together, in reality still plenty to do though (W-iron, final floor sheet, fixed end installation etc).

Keeps us fit and healthy and seeing the wagon finally go back into service is very satisfying.

Talking of which the Windcutter rake will be in action throughout the GCR Diesel Gala weekend this Friday 4th Sept through to Sunday 6th including the opportunity to ride along in the brake van if you book the special ticket.
Seeing the short wheelbase wagons bobbing around on the undulating track and hear them clanking and banging is quite special.

The team re-assembled this week after the heatwave and spread out across the three wagons.Gary finished off the vertical...
20/08/2026

The team re-assembled this week after the heatwave and spread out across the three wagons.

Gary finished off the vertical welding on #676 on the North West side whilst Tim started cutting out the sides from B573403 using the plasma cutter.

Agusta carried on cleaning up the brake cylinders and painting them.
Julian then arrived and ground back the headstock to clean metal where the stanchions will be welded in place so that he could add some new metal in to create an even surface before the new end panel is lifted into place.

Tim added to the growing pile of Windcutter scrap metal to recycle.

Lunchtime soon appeared and the team stripped off the overalls and jumped on the noon day train going down to Leicester North (Class 37 Cardiff Canton heading).
Forty minutes later we were back fed and watered to find Phil had arrived with his usual supply of doughnuts to finish off lunch.

In the afternoon Phil painted the North West side panel inside and out and Gary started cutting out the rot from the remaining bottom pillar repair in the North East corner.
Tim cut out another bottom section from the east side of #403 and Agusta bitumen coated the brake cylinders and the east side doors on the wagons in the yard.

At the end of the day Tim cleaned up a section of removed end panel and Julian gave some vertical weld tuition.
Having someone who can critique your technique and be able to identify what areas need improvement is invaluable as there are so many variables for a novice to try to interpret.

Bonus post, more photos from last weeks hot day working.Fixed end panel almost complete and ready to trial fit when we c...
18/08/2026

Bonus post,
more photos from last weeks hot day working.

Fixed end panel almost complete and ready to trial fit when we can get the wagon moved to under the overhead crane.

This will have to wait for the new W-iron to be delivered and fitted.

But we have a little other work to do to the wagon (bottom pillar repair & welding inside on the North West side) plus lots on the other two!

Phew what a scorcher, again!A more limited team this week as the hot weather kept some of us in doors but work still pro...
13/08/2026

Phew what a scorcher, again!

A more limited team this week as the hot weather kept some of us in doors but work still progressed.

Phil cleaned up and bitumen painted the chassis rails on #067 whilst Rob cleaned up the lamp iron for #676 and carried out more weld prep jobs.

Meanwhile, despite the heat Gary did more of the welding on the new fixed end assembly.

Work was also curtailed somewhat as the shed staff were painting the roof on visitor D123 on the adjacent No.2 road after its roof repairs.

At least the long range forecast for next week is for it to be back down to a workable 21decC max day temp.

We arrived this week and the wagons were wet!Back to workable temperatures the team cracked on with a variety of tasks.T...
06/08/2026

We arrived this week and the wagons were wet!
Back to workable temperatures the team cracked on with a variety of tasks.
The first vac cylinder was removed from B573403 by winch by Rob, Tim & Agusta from above using a beam secured across the wagon sides. The workshop elevating platform was then used to slide the cylinder out of the side at door beam height before being lowered down to the floor.

The team then discussed the end panel construction and how to mark up the top beam to install some temporary lifting eyes. After a bit of guesstimating and some trigonometry the locations were fixed and Gary and Julian drilled some 16mm dia holes using the large pillar drill.
This then allowed Julian to weld the two lengths together assisted by Rob to clamp & move & re-clamp the beam.

Meanwhile Agusta worked on cleaning up the vac cylinder and painting it and Tim needle gunned the headstock.
Phil arrived with supplies of doughnuts and painted some red oxide on bits of #676 that were finished with the welding.

A break for lunch with the shed staff and a new volunteer out front at the picnic tables with chats varying from working in a french school to regional accents and the purchase of a Ford Es**rt MK5 diesel van with only 35K on the clock.

After lunch yet more team discussions on how best to fabricate the end wall on #676 and in what order. A lot of the debate is how to deal with the slight excess of material we have on the sheet width, measure and cut to size? Or offer up, tack in place then trim in-situ? Still some way to go before this can happen (W-iron needs fitting, final floor panel welding in and wagon to bemoved to under the crane).

Finally to finish off a full day we liberated the second vac cylinder out of #403 and took it apart.

Next week we could be back up into the +30degC range so the task list may have to be reconsidered.
Who thought working outside in summer would be so difficult!

The weather continues to yo-yo between warm an scorching hot but the team tried again this week to get some work done!Ga...
02/08/2026

The weather continues to yo-yo between warm an scorching hot but the team tried again this week to get some work done!

Gary & Tim laid out the end sheet and stanchions and double checked the dimensions. Gary then tack welded the stanchions in place.
The top L section we had ordered was too big and would have needed packing out (and wouldn’t have looked right) but Rob had a good root around in our off-cuts and found two lengths of the correct section that we can join together.

Meanwhile Agusta loosened off the bolts holding the brake vacuum cylinder pivot bracket on #403 but had to hold off removing the cylinder as the scissor lift table was in use supporting a welder for the work on the roof of the Class 45 in the shed.
So helped by Tim she angle grindered and chiselled off sharp/rough remnants of the floor panels in the doorway that were posing a risk to getting in and out of the wagon safely.
And also started needle gunning the solebars clean.

Rob headed down the line to the next wagon working on the chassis prep on #067 and assessing the work requirements.

Phil arrived at lunchtime bearing gifts of doughnuts and the team stopped for a break, by this time it was around 31deg in the shade and so we called it a day at 2pm.

Work on #676 will be paced somewhat by the delivery of the new W-iron and its fitment but there is plenty to do on #403 and #067 weather permitting!

It’s two weeks now since the team assembled at Rothley (last week was just too hot again except for Rob!).Two of the wag...
23/07/2026

It’s two weeks now since the team assembled at Rothley (last week was just too hot again except for Rob!).
Two of the wagons have left being passed FTR and have been delivered back to Swithland for use by Operations on the popular goods trains.

Sharing the shed with us this week was Class 45 (45125 aka D123) having some roof work done.

The outside team of Rob, Agusta & Ian worked on B590067 & B573403, Rob removing floor plates, Agusta flatting off the peeling paint and Ian renewing all the old split pins on the various running gear nuts & bolts.
Later Tim fired up the plasma cutter to remove the final floor sheet and helped out needle gunning on the solebars whilst Julian started to remove ancillaries from the brake cylinders readying them for removal and overhaul.

Inside Tim welded in the north west floor sheet and Gary patched the south east corner so that the south end is now almost ready for the new fixed end.

Tim then helped Gary lift the north west side panel into position using wooden blocks and some leverage. Gary spent most of the afternoon welding in the sheet and did a cracking job on it. A very neat result.

The new steel stanchion sections have arrived so there was more group discussion on how the new fixed end should be assembled and hoisted into position.

With three wagons on the go there is plenty more work to do next week, fixed end measurements and sub-assembly likely to be the priority (here’s hoping the slightly “cooler” weather persists).

Supplemental post……Windcutter welders in action, despite the heat outside!Tim welds in the north west floor sheet whilst...
09/07/2026

Supplemental post……Windcutter welders in action, despite the heat outside!

Tim welds in the north west floor sheet whilst Gary prepares the curved section for installation.

Also some detailed shots of Julians extensive repair to the stanchion support and base of a pillar.

Another full team again this week despite the prospect of sweltering temperatures out in the yard.An early start for Gar...
09/07/2026

Another full team again this week despite the prospect of sweltering temperatures out in the yard.

An early start for Gary, Rob & Tim at 8:30am aimed at getting things done before the heat of the day.
Tim set up the plasma cutter and set to work cutting the loosened floor on #403 into manageable sheets. Once free Rob and later Ian helped man handle them out of the wagon and over to the scrap pile.

Gary worked inside the shed on B560676 prepping the north west corner for welding.
Julian then arrived and finished off his stanchion repair and gave some advice/tuition to Gary on vertical welding. Gary was then able to finish off the south west side panel installed last week (Tim had left the difficult bits undone!).

A site wide area power cut enforced a much needed hydration break at 10:30am as the grid went down for about 30 minutes.

Rob started cleaning out B590067 and assessing the likely work requirements in between lending a hand with #403
Inspecting the drag boxes on #403 after removing the floor revealed some severe localised corrosion which will need major work to the drag boxes and possibly a new headstock section (work on #067 may jump the queue).

As ever Phil painted more of the insides with bitumen and supplied the team with sustenance in the form of custard & jam doughnuts.

At the end of the day Gary & Tim had also installed the north west floor sheet and curved side section and tacked them in place.

Next week we may decide it is just too ****** hot to work on these wagons and take a week off.

Plenty of volunteers in attendance this week and lots of wagons to work on.Julian, Tim & Gary concentrated on welding on...
03/07/2026

Plenty of volunteers in attendance this week and lots of wagons to work on.
Julian, Tim & Gary concentrated on welding on B560676, stanchion supports, top corners and bottom of stanchion repairs.

Meanwhile Rob went out into the yard and started attacking the floor on B573403 and levering it up to break the remains of the welds. Next week the plasma cutter will be used to cut it up into manageable sections.

Tim marked up the curved repair section for the SW corner and Rob cut it to size, liberating an end section for the SE corner stanchion repair. Gary & Tim then persuaded the curved section into place and tacked it in situ.

Ian arrived briefly to use the guillotine on a “foreigner” cutting some sheet steel for a boiler cladding repair for “Boscastle” 34039.

Phil then arrived as we broke for lunch and supplied the team with lots of doughnuts.

After lunch Tim & Gary worked together to finish off the welding of the SW corner curved sheet and Julian completed the stanchion support repair allowing Gary to prep the curved repair section for the NW corner.

We were also treated to multiple passes from the Class 45 as it towed a pair of instrumented container flat wagons FFA-G carrying out some trials & testing.

A busy Windcutter scene at Rothley at present:
B560676 (floor & end overhaul)
B573403 (floor and sides overhaul)
B590067 (floor and sides overhaul)
B571604 (tyres turned ready to go)
B589204 (painting/numbering to complete)

Remaining wagons at Swithland are:
B279722 (worn tyres)
B279725 (for major overhaul)
B99163 (for major overhaul inc headstock & solebar)
B273798 (for major overhaul)

As always plenty to keep the team busy for the rest of the year!

Address

GCR Carriage & Wagon Works
Rothley
LE77LD

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