Bank holiday weekend and it was time for attention to be returned to the Matisa…
Saturday 23rd August
Mark J made the long trek up from Ely on friday, bringing with him a newly fabricated dash panel for the Matisa, and the replacement instruments, switches and warning lights. He has spent the day working on wiring these items in.
The usual team also removed the front door from DX98706. This will be going to a colleagues’ workshop for repair, and at the same time measurements will be made to work out how to fabricate new units (we require one each for 702 & 707). The top dash plate had been removed earlier, and a replacement for this is also in hand, so Baz has been redrawing the wiring diagram, and also a “pin, out” diagram to help with replacement (partly as new switch gear will be used).
98707 was started today, using it’s own pair of batteries, and ran okay. A couple of the solenoid valves are sticking and we are working our way through them tripping them down, cleaning and refitting. This may be part of the problem with getting it to move freely.
Sunday 24th August
Mark J continued fitting and wiring in the switches, lights, etc on the dash panel in the Matisa. He left at approx 13:00 in order to get back home at a reasonable hour.
Craig O and myself were up from around 12:00 and I have placed the two heavy duty batteries back into the battery box on the Matisa. A few wires and terminals have been checked and cleaned up to give better contact. The main Isolation switch has been removed to be checked over and bench tested.
All the remaining instruments, etc. are now in safe storage at Longhoughton ready to be refitted in the near future.
After a period of stagnation – things are now looking up for this machine too – with moves afoot to get it usable soon.
This coming weekend (30th/31st) will see attention focus on preparations for ALCo 801 arriving into the yard, but rest assured we are planning further work on the plant machines very soon.