February 1, 1998

The latest on 201 we have barred over the power unit and the valves etc appear to be free, cleaning of the generator is taking place. The injectors have been removed of which 5 were OK and we have reset but 3 are defective and we are in the process of obtaining replacements. So you can see we haven't all sat at home over the Christmas period!!!!!!!!

The group that owns 33201 is a group of individuals all working on the railway, 6 at Saltley, 2 at Birmingham New Street, 2 at Bescot,1 at York and 1 at London Kings Cross.When the group was first formed all the members worked in Birmingham hence the group is called "Birmingham Railwayman's Crompton Workgroup" or BRCW for short. As you may have read in the press 33201 is now at the Midland Railway Centre and much progress has been made since arriving in September from Coventry where not much progress happpened. When she was originally bought from Stewarts Lane she did not have any batteries or a bodyside door but other than a few missing bits was complete with good wheelsets and bogies.A replacment set of batteries have now been fitted and charged enabling the electrical systems to be checked. A bodyside door was
bought off the 33/1 group and fitted which was not as easy as you might think! as the fitters to remove our door had drilled the screw heads off leaving 9 studs poking out of the bodyside. Then the new door(x33115) had to be held 5 foot in the air whilst being fitted (good for building the muscles). As a matter of interest our original door is presently residing on 33019, you can tell which side because the yellow stripe does not match up.We are hoping to go for a engine start in April provided no other problems occur.