From Grime to Progress: 143601 Starts to Shine at the TVLR

Our latest visit to the Tanat Valley Light Railway was one of those trips that really reminded us what preservation is all about.

It was dirty, tiring, frustrating in places, but also incredibly rewarding. We arrived with 143601 looking every bit like a unit that had been stood for a long time, and by the end of the visit there were clear signs that the work had made a difference. It was not perfect, and there is still a huge amount to do, but for the first time in a while, 601 really started to feel like an active restoration project.

The main focus of the visit was Class 143 No. 143601, with a proper start made on cleaning the unit inside and out. We also spent time looking further into 143616’s throttle issue, which is still one of the faults we are working through carefully. Away from the units themselves, HTP has also taken a big step forward by joining HOPS, which will now help us manage competencies, safety records, volunteer details and training as the group continues to grow.

It was a week of cleaning, fault-finding, learning, making notes, finding surprises, and getting more of the foundations in place for the future.

That might not always sound glamorous, but that is preservation.

143601 – Where the Real Work Begins

The main focus of this visit was 143601.

For us, 601 is a very important unit. It is not just another Pacer in preservation; it is the pioneer Class 143, and that makes it a particularly special vehicle to be looking after. However, being historically important does not mean it comes to us looking clean, tidy or ready to go. The reality is that 601 has been stood for some time, and it very much shows.

The outside of the unit had collected years of dirt, algae, staining and general weathering. The windows were heavily marked, the bodyside panels were tired, the yellow cab ends were grubby, and the areas around the doors, window frames and panel joins had built up a serious amount of grime. It is the sort of dirt that does not just wipe away in five minutes. It takes time, effort and a fair bit of patience.

Inside, the cab areas told the same story. There was dust, mould spotting, dirty panels and that stale feeling you get from a railway vehicle that has been out of regular use for a long time. The driver’s desk, controls, windows, side panels and fittings all needed attention, and it was clear straight away that this was going to be more than a quick tidy up.

It would be easy to look at a unit in that condition and feel overwhelmed. There is a huge amount to do, and once you start cleaning one area, you quickly notice another ten jobs waiting nearby. But the only way to make progress is to start somewhere, do it properly, and keep going.

Not Just a Quick Wash

This was not a quick clean for the sake of getting a few nice photos.

The cleaning work on 601 is one of the first proper steps in bringing the unit back to a condition where it can be assessed, worked on safely, and eventually presented properly. Before we can get further into the restoration, the unit needs to be a cleaner, safer and more practical place for volunteers to work.

There is no point pretending preservation is all big mechanical jobs, exciting announcements and dramatic moments. A lot of the time, the first job is simply cleaning years of muck off something. It might not sound exciting, but it is one of the jobs that makes everything else possible.

With 601, the windows were one of the first areas where the difference really started to show. Some of the glass was so marked that you could barely see through it properly. Once the cleaning started, you could see the grime slowly lifting away. It was not instant, and it needed repeated work, scrubbing, wiping and going back over the same areas again, but the difference was clear.

The same applied to the bodysides. The Transport for Wales livery is still there, but in places it has been hidden under years of algae, dirt and staining. Around the window edges, door pockets and panel seams, the build-up was especially bad. These are the areas that make a unit look forgotten when left alone, but they are also the areas that make the biggest difference once they start coming clean.

One of the most satisfying parts of the visit was seeing small sections of the unit begin to come back. You clean one window, then a panel, then part of a cab side, and suddenly the whole thing starts to feel different. It begins to look less like something abandoned and more like something being cared for again..

That change makes a real difference. It gives the volunteers doing the work a boost, it shows supporters that progress is being made, and it helps us properly see what condition the unit is actually in underneath all the dirt.

The Cab – Dirty, Tired, but Full of Potential

The cab areas on 601 were another big part of the visit.

Looking inside, the condition is obvious. The desk is dirty, the windows are marked, the panels have grime and mould spotting, and there are plenty of areas that need careful cleaning before any serious presentation work can begin. It is not a cab that looks ready for use, but it is a cab with a lot of character.

Even in its current state, there is something brilliant about it. The large front window, the power and brake controls, the buttons, gauges, radio equipment, side windows, old labels and worn panels all tell the story of a unit that spent years doing exactly what it was built to do.

Pacers are easy for people to dismiss, mostly because they were so familiar for so long. They were everyday trains, and that is exactly why they matter. They carried real passengers on real services, in all weathers, for decades. They were not glamorous, but they were part of daily railway life for thousands of people.

Standing in 601’s cab, even with the dirt and dust, you can still picture it in service. You can imagine the view out of that wide front window, the controls being used day after day, and the unit working around the Valley Lines and beyond.

A Small Find from 601’s Working Life

During the work, we also found an old driver’s key tucked away in the coupler bulkhead board area. It was heavily rusted and had clearly been there for a long time, but finds like that are always interesting.

At some point in the unit’s working life, that key ended up hidden away and forgotten. It may have been left during maintenance, tucked away by a member of staff, or simply lost in a place nobody thought to check again. Whatever the reason, it sat there through the unit’s later life, withdrawal, storage and arrival into preservation.

Little finds like that are part of what makes this work so fascinating. They remind you that these vehicles were not built to be museum pieces. They were working trains, used every day by drivers, guards, fitters, cleaners and passengers. Every worn label, marked panel, old fitting and forgotten item adds another small piece to the story.

HOPS – Getting Ourselves Set Up Properly

Away from the work on the units, we have also made a big move behind the scenes by joining HOPS.

It might not be the most exciting thing to talk about compared with cleaning 601 or trying to get to the bottom of 616’s throttle fault, but it is a really important step for HTP. As we grow, we need to make sure things are being done properly and recorded properly. It is no good having people keen to help if we do not have a clear way of managing training, competencies, documents and who is signed off to do what.

HOPS gives us one place to manage all of that. It will be used for volunteer records, competencies, assessments, safety documents and the general paperwork that comes with running a preservation group. It also means volunteers will have a clearer route into different roles, rather than everything being spread across messages, folders and loose conversations.

We want HTP to grow, but we want it to grow in the right way. Looking after the trains is the part everyone sees, but having the right structure behind the scenes is just as important if we want this to last.

The Road Ahead

There is still a long way to go with both units.

143601 needs a lot more cleaning, further assessment and plenty of mechanical and electrical work in the future. The cab areas, saloons, windows, bodywork and interior panels all need more attention, and this visit was only the start of that process.

143616 will also continue to be worked through properly, with the throttle fault remaining one of the main things to investigate. We want to understand the issue properly and work towards a reliable fix, rather than rushing into assumptions and hoping for the best.

HTP is also continuing to develop as an organisation. The practical work on the units is only one part of the story. The other part is making sure we have the right training, records, competencies and systems in place to support the people doing the work. HOPS will be a big part of that.

Thank You

A huge thank you goes to everyone who helped during this visit, whether that was cleaning, fault-finding, supporting the work, offering advice or just keeping morale going. These units will not look after themselves, and every bit of time and effort helps move them forward.

143601 is starting to come back into view, 143616 continues to get the attention it needs, and HTP is getting more organised behind the scenes.

There is still a lot to do, but this visit felt like a proper step in the right direction.

601 is starting to shine again, and we are only just getting started.

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The HTP Team