OVERHAUL 2015 - 2022
Notes from information supplied by Darrin Crone, Locomotive Engineer. Clicking on the images will display a larger
version. April to June 2017. 25 June 2017 The safety valves have now been inspected, reassembled and returned to store. The superheater header end plugs were removed this week. They allow access for expanding the outer rows of superheater elements into the header. The plugs were seal welded in and drilling through them started last week. This was continued this week and the rest were drilled through, then using the oxy-burning gear the plugs were burnt out. The holes have been enlarged over the years to repair the threads for the plugs and they are now too large to repair in the same way, so now new material will have to be added and the holes remade. The air pump governor was reassembled with new seals this week. It will not be fitted to the loco yet as we plan to reposition it to improve its accessibility in traffic. The wasted studs have now been removed from the regulator stuffing box. Not an easy job to do when the studs are of steel in a bronze casting. As the studs are harder than the bronze it is very easy to damage the stuffing box casting. The studs that fasten the side gland followers have also been removed and the casting and cover have been cleaned to enable a closer inspection. We have decided to replace our clackboxes. They have given us good service and look to be originals but they are showing signs of wear and do carry evidence of previous repairs. This week I collected the patterns from their owners and transport to the foundry is now being organised. On the loco frames spotfacing continued on the combined spring and brakeshaft bracket, with another hole completed and a further hole prepared for a final cut. This will be the last hole requiring spotfacing. Up in the saddle the Engineering Team has been patiently working on the bolt holes used to fasten the saddle and middle cylinder castings together. Progress has been frustratingly slow as scale and corrosion has had to be removed from the hidden lower face to allow clearance for an adequate bolting face. Undercoat was applied to the outside of the frames this week in preparation for applying gloss. The reverser shaft is now also finish painted and painting is continuing on the underside of the footplating.
18 June 2017 On Tuesday the air brake components, voltage regulator and dynamo removed from the coach were collected by Rampart, our coach chassis overhaul contractors. It is planned that the coach will follow in early July. The air brake distributor mounting manifold and the fittings recovered from the other air brake components were refitted to the coach and were sealed with duct tape. The loco brakeshafts were dye penetrant inspected this week and no faults were found. We have now received the final documentation for the new copper tubeplate so it can leave Crewe. Llangollen Railway Engineering is now organising collection and delivery to its works. At Llangollen the stays have been removed from the throat plate and backhead where sections of plate above the foundation ring was found to be grooved and was removed. The steam supply pipe from the backhead to the internal manifold has also been removed to repair the joint in the backhead pad. This had been a source of problems in the past so the joint will be refurbished. The combustion chamber and back corner stays we decided to renew at this overhaul have now all been removed and the holes will now be reamed. Work continues on the loco bogie stretcher with removal of the loco bogie side bearers that stop excessive rolling of the loco. The side bearers are in need of refurbishment and will require new bolts. The cleaning of the underneath of the stretcher continued this week and was completed after some needle gunning under the left hand cylinder before the Painting Team were sufficiently satisfied with the level of cleanliness. The top of the stretcher also saw the needle gun this week and the final traces of scale being removed. Above the loco bogie stretcher work continues on the bolt holes that go through the saddle and middle cylinder. The top of the the holes are finished but the bottoms, hidden under a flange require attention. We need to spotface these holes however the location and proximity to the side of the casting is giving us problems. Areas receiving top coats of paint this week included inside the space between the front bufferbeam and cylinders. The reversing shaft is now up to undercoat. The air pump reassembly continued this week with the addition of the high pressure air cylinder and end covers. The pump was laid on the surface table so that the mounting brackets on the steam cylinder and low pressure air cylinder could be accurately aligned. The air pump was lifted in to position on Thursday and fits very well on to the mounting plate in the frames without the use of shims previously used under the mounting brackets. The air pump steam inlet flange required new studs and these we made and fitted this week. An order has been placed for new loco and bogie spring hanger bolts and material has now arrived at our contractors and we have received the material certification. The outside crankpins in our centre coupled wheels have now been removed at Buckfastliegh. The wheelset has been put on the "quartering" machine and the machining of the crankpin holes is underway. The material for the crankpins has been cut and machining of the pins has started. The safety valves have now been stripped and inspected. The rear valve sees little use as the leading valve is set to blow at a lower pressure. As the leading valve does by far the most work it has worn and we think it's time to replace it. The trailing valve, apart from some external marking, is in very good condition, though will require a new spring. The hose connectors to the leading vacuum cylinders were retrieved from store this week and trial fitted to the cylinders. When tried in place it was found that their mounting flanges were not flat, probably from being clamped on to thick soft seals. They were skillfully hand fitted this week and they are now sit flat on to the cylinders. Another part retrieved from store and receiving attention is the regulator stuffing box which sits on the boiler backhead in the cab. It takes the shaft that runs between the regulator handles and encloses the joint between the shaft and the rod that goes in to the boiler to the regulator valve. A start has been made on the removal of the life expired studs. The final journal centre dimensions have been taken from the coupled wheel axleboxes. All six boxes have been done so that they can now be transported to our contractors for remetalling. We plan to dispatch the superheater header for refurbishment on the road transport that returns our pistons. We have carried out some work on the header, as the more we do using the Engineering Team the less there will be for the contractor, and this will reduce the cost. This week we began to remove the seal welded plugs in the ends of the header. The plugs give access to enable expanding the outer rows of superheater element tubes. The Engineering Team started the removal by drilling through the plug centres.
11 June 2017 The steam cylinder off the air pump was finish machined last week but the bore still needed to be cleaned, so it was polished and honed this week and reassembled to the low pressure air cylinder with the piston rod and pistons in place. The rod that controls the admission of steam to either side of the steam piston was trial fitted with the top end cover in place to check the travel of the pistons and rod. All seems to be in order. Last week a start was made on the spotfacing of the right hand leading combined brake shaft and spring bracket mounting holes using burrs to remove the first material. This week the the spotfacing tool was applied and two holes were finished. Cleaning of the coach dynamo continued this week. The BR instruction says that it should be wire brushed and another coat of bitumen applied. Having been subject to this regime the coating was coming off in thick pieces with the surface of the dynamo showing surface corrosion, so it was decided to take it back to a sound surface and give it a coat of primer. We didn't want to apply bitumen while it has to be manipulated during overhaul and testing. This week the stripping was finished and a coat of primer applied. The seal under the domed end cover was also cleaned out so that we are sure of a good weatherproof seal. All the parts off the coach that are going separately for overhaul have now been prepared, and collection has been organised with the contractor. The reverser shaft key has now been repaired and fitted. It now is a good fit in both the shaft and the reverser lock sheaves. The special eyebolt that fastens the reverser spring to the vacuum clutch frame stretcher has now been refurbished. The reverser spring is fractured so a new one is needed. A number of specialist spring manufactures has been contacted and quotes are awaited. At Llangollen we had a very productive meeting with our insurers, the body responsible for our mainline certification and Llangollen engineering. The method of preparation for the fitting of the new tubeplate has been agreed which involves the refurbishment of the combustion chamber plates. We also measured the combustion chamber opening to assess how much distortion, and therefore the amount of movement that would be required from the plates to contact the new tubeplate. We were pleased that there is sufficient room to get the new tubeplate in comfortably without a lot of movement required from the old plates. This should give us the best possible fit. The roof stays were also examined with our own endoscope. We had a good look round and what we saw indicated that the majority of the roof stays will be suitable for further service. However, we agreed that some stays be removed and then we will asses their condition. We also agreed that the outer rows of side stays be ultrasonically tested to ensure there are no undiscovered fractured stays in these areas. After our visit to Llangollen we went on to Crewe to inspect the new copper firebox tubeplate. It is a very good piece of work and corresponds to drawing and our instructions issued during the placing of the contract. When we receive the final documentation for the plate we will organise transport to Llangollen. Work between the frames on the lubrication piping continued this week with some finishing touches to the axlebox lubrication system. On Wednesday the cylinder lubrication pipework was retrieved from store. It was then flushed through and the pipes cleaned. They are now ready for annealing and fitting. Work off site on the cylinder lubricator continues. The refurbishment of the pistons was completed this week and were inspected at our suppliers. They are now ready to be returned to York. Work continued on the loco's bogie stretcher this week with further cleaning and the removal of most of the paint. This will allow detailed inspection. The lubrication fittings have now been removed from the stretcher and it apears that water has been passing one of the fittings. This would find its way on to the bearing surfaces between the loco and bogie. We think this explains the uneven wear we have found. The uneven wear could not be explained by uneven loading as the positions of the bearing surfaces relative to each other have been measured and all seems to be in order. We have now agreed a plan for refurbishment of the bearing surfaces.
4 June 2017 The overhauled vacuum clutch that holds the reverser shaft was refitted to the loco this week, and the remaining pipework refitted, so the compete pipework from clutch to the Cartazzi frames is now in place. The fit of the clutch sheaves on the shaft has been checked. To ensure no movement on the shaft the sheaves are keyed and we thought the fit could be improved so the key was rebuilt and will be tightly fitted in to the shaft. The air pump governor was retrieved from store this week and its overhaul has began. The repaired air pump steam cylinder end flanges have now been faced and the flange holes drilled and tapped where the cylinder was welded. The cylinder bore requires polishing and then the pump will be ready for reassembly. The pistons are now in the process of repair with the left completed and the right, by the end of the week, on the lathe at the works of K D Flavell with the ring grooves being machined. At Llangollen the roof stays have been examined more closely now that the sling stays have been removed. It apears that the main body of roof stays are in good condition and it may be possible to retain these. The outer wrapper plate on the left has now received its final adjustments and has been finally fitted in place. The plate on the right side has now been offered up and tack welded in position. On the South Devon Railway the wheelset re-tyring has now been completed. As the refurbishment of the wheelsets has been straight forward and has not incurred any substantial unexpected expense it has been decided to replace the driving crankpins on the crank axle. We knew they were getting toward minimum size but wear on them is very slow over time, however as insurance against having to skim them below scrapping size during the next period in traffic, and the possible time out of service that would result in, we have decided to replace them now. The spotfacing of the top of the bolt holes between the saddle and middle cylinders was completed this week. We are now considering ways of spotfacing the other end of the bolt holes. The outside cylinder flange holes received their final honing this week and a start made on spotfacing and countersinking the holes in the back of the recently replaced combined brake and spring bracket. From the public's point of view the biggest change in the workshop this week was the shunting of the tender to next to the loco. On Tuesday afternoon we cleared the last of our components from the space needed for the tender and refitted the drawbar so that the tender could be shunted. The shunt was completed after the museum closed with the Engineering Team shunting Rocket by hand while the NRM diesel shunter moved our tender. Next day the draw bar components were removed from the tender. This week the Engineering Team began the overhaul of the support coach and started by removing the air brake components that we will be sending away for overhaul. On Thursday all the air brake components we need off the coach were removed, including both air brake cylinders, auxiliary reservoir tank, strainer check valve unit and distributor. We are also refurbishing the dynamo and voltage regulator and these have also now been removed. The removed air brake parts have been put on pallets and will be collected by contractors. The dynamo has been cleaned and stripped, though there is more work to be done on this. The loco's bogie stretcher had another shift of cleaning, but there is more to do yet. The bogie and the bogie centre casting have received detailed inspection this week. The centre casting was put up on the workshop marking out table and then measured.
20 May 2017 We started the week with the lifting of the loco and the removal of the accommodation bogie. It had been planned to move the bogie clear of the front of the frames, however we finally decided to move the bogie in to the trailing bogie wheel cut out in the frames, just to the rear of the cylinders. This meant that we didn't have to lift the frames so high, we don't use up valuable space in front of the loco and when packing is added to the top of the accommodation bogie it will act as an additional support. The available space was measured to make sure it would fit and it would not hinder work on the frames. So the team lifted the engine using jacks on the front bufferbeam while ensuring we had a level lift, and followed the lift with the screw jacks. When lifted sufficiently high to clear the spigot on the loco's bogie stretcher the bogie was pushed back and then the loco was lowered and the frames levelled. We can now access the bogie stretcher all round so cleaning has begun. There is still some time to be spent on this then the paint will be striped off and the stretcher will be examined. The stretcher does not only load the bogie but also ties the outside cylinders and frames together. Painting continued on the loco bogie with top coats now being applied and the expansion link brackets received their first top coats. We are painting these brackets as when the reversing shaft is refitted they won't be so accessible. The reversing shaft has now been thoroughly cleaned with all paint removed by needle gun. The end threads and key ways were degreased and di-pen inspection has now been completed. After painting the shaft will be ready for reuse. The brake shafts have also now been finish cleaned and await inspection. The loco brake hangers were also removed from the loco after trial fitting and have been cleaned and needle gunned prior to refurbishment. The new seals for the brake cylinders have arrived and await refitting. The seals under the piston rod cover plates were replaced this week. The leading cylinder mounting brackets were retrieved from store and their fit on the leading cylinder mounting trunnions examined. There is noticeable heavy wear on the trunnions and the centre bracket which will require repair. New cylinder cover studs were fitted to the middle cylinder this week, the old ones being removed as life expired. Some of these studs go in to steam spaces so they were sealed in. All studs now run out of thread on their shanks as previously some of the old ones bottomed out. Work on the refurbished combined brake and spring bracket continued with reaming of the fixing holes. All holes have now seen the reamer, though a couple still need some further work. A plan for spotfacing and countersinking the back of the bracket has been devised and tooling is now being sought. The boring of the leading top cylinder mounting holes has been completed and the last two holes that could not be accessed by a reamer have been honed. The job has now been reviewed and impressed by the honed finish it has been decided that another day should be spent with the hone to clean up the other holes then they will be measured for new fitted bolts. The last axlebox hard pipe was annealed and fitted this week and work then moved on to start the refurbishment and refitting of the vacuum clutch pipework. Progress on the boiler at Llangollen has now started with the removal of stays in the back corners of the firebox. They have not caused us any problems but are to be replaced as a precautionary measure due to age and they are known to be in a stressed area. The leading, sling stays that support the firebox crown have been removed to enable the new tubeplate to be fitted. The new tubeplate is now complete and is ready for our inspection at LNWR Crewe.
14 May 2017 The reverser clutch has been under overhaul over the last few weeks and has received new brake linings. This week we received the new rubber diaphragm. To keep production costs down the diaphragms are supplied without holes so these have to be punched through. This was done and then the clutch was reassembled. It can now be refitted to the loco. A spare diaphragm was also obtained and this has also been punched and it will be put in store. The clutch grips on to the reversing shaft. The shaft was put up on trestles this week and removal of the paint and general cleaning was began prior to inspection. The end journals were inspected and are round and parallel and show little wear. The bearings in the brackets on the loco were also inspected. These are in a satisfactory condition and will not require replacement. The regulator valve overhaul continued this week with the valve seat lapped using a special tool brought from our Grosmont store. The valve and pilot valve were both skimmed by Danny Holmes of the NRM to restore their faces, the pilot valve showing the most wear. The pilot valve was then used to lap the pilot seat in the top of the regulator valve. Inside the valve there are rings that run in an internal bore. This bore was cleaned and the unit reassembled. On the bench the travel of the valve was measured and compared to the LNER drawing. The movement of the operating lever connected to the regulator lever in the cab, was confirmed to produce the correct lift of the regulator valve. During the valve rebuild the brackets that support the valve in the boiler and the operating half shafts were di-pin inspected and no defects were found. New bolting is required then the regulator valve overhaul is complete and it can be refitted to the boiler. Painting this week continued on the loco frames inside, behind the bufferbeam, and on the bogie. The cylinder ends received their first coats of high temperature black. The bogie by the end of the week was receiving undercoat. Before painting began on the top of the bogie Alan Pitt di-pen inspected the welds around the sections added to the bogie centre casting and to an old weld repair. No faults were found. The bogie centre casting that sits between the bogie stretcher on the loco and the centre casting in the bogie frames received di-pen inspection this week. There is more to do on this item and it will need a comprehensive dimensional inspection to determain why it shows uneven wear. Our CME completed his dimension inspection of the bogie frames this week. The position of the refurbished combined spring and brake shaft bracket was confirmed on Tuesday, just to make sure before new fixing holes were drilled through. After last week's disappointment with the breaking of the cutter on the first hole it was not without trepidation that the mag-drill was started and the cutter entered its first hole. However the drilling went well and the same cutter managed to drill all the fitted bolt holes. In addition to the bolt holes there are two smaller sized rivet holes that were drilled through in stages using standard drills. Four of the old fitted bolts were machined as clearance bolts and have been used to clamp the bracket in place. The bolt holes will need reaming and new bolts making, but before this the back of the bracket will require countersinking for the rivets and spotfacing for bolting where the holes are near to the welds. The loco brake shafts, of which there are two, were moved to near the bogie for inspection and refurbishment. Whilst taking the paint off the trailing shaft it was discovered that it is marked 4901. There was an A4 numbered 4901 and named Capercaillie, which became BR 60005 Sir Charles Newton. Reinstalling pipework between the frames continued this week with the refitting the couplings that connect the axlebox lubrication hard pipes to the hoses that are connected to the coupled wheel axlebox underkeeps. The steam sands steam supply pipe was cleaned, annealed and refitted between the tee on the stretcher between the sand boxes and the Cartazzi frames. The pipes to the vacuum clutch were also retrieved from store this week and the last remaining copper pipe for the axlebox lubrication system. Cleaning and annealing of these pipes has begun. The boring of the cylinder mounting holes continued this week but as the job gets harder the progress slows. After a number of modifications to the jig the last and most inaccessible hole has been bored through. Before work stopped last Thursday the last finishing cut was just short of breaking through. We are planning to remove the accommodation bogie and support the front of the loco frames on our new screw jacks. This will enable the loco bogie stretcher and lower outside cylinder bolts and studs to be examined. To use the jacks we need a beam for them to stand on as we are over a pit and the distance over the frames is within rail gauge. We were given surplus steel beam by Simon Holroyd and two lengths were cut to size. Some steel packing was required to make them level with the rail head and this was cut to size, and then the assembly was welded together. After grinding to ensure a good fit between the rails the beam assembly was lowered in to position with the crane. The jacks were then put in position ready for the lift. The bogie pivot pin was also removed so that the frames don't have to be lifted so high to clear the accommodation bogie. The valve chests that require new liners have now been measured by the supplier and the liners will now be finish machined. When they are finished, fitting will be organised.
7 May 2017 The bogie side control springs were fitted this week. When in position they are compressed to a load of 4 tons and they need to be compressed more than this to get them in to the bogie. A spring compressor was made by the NRM for doing this job and they allowed us to use it. So after some hard work both springs were refitted. With the springs in place and the bottom of the bogie painting completed we could then turn it over. To give us a bit more room we decided that we needed to move Rocket's boiler. With the permission of Simon Holroyd the workshop manager we lifted the boiler on to the wheel drop. Then on forklift trucks we moved the bogie under the crane and turned the bogie over. Once the right way up we put the bogie back where it has been, behind our tender, then put Rocket's boiler back. With the bogie righted, work began on preparing the top surfaces for inspection and painting. The separate bogie centre casting that accepts the pivot pin fixed on the loco was retrieved and inspection of this item has began. Inspection and refurbishment of loco and boiler fittings is now well under way and continued this week with the regulator valve put up on the bench and stripped down. After spending ten years in the boiler it was reluctant to come apart but by the end of the week we had got the valve in to its components parts. The valve was inspected and it apears to be in good condition. Down stream of the regulator in the smokebox are the steel, main steam pipes and these have been inspected for thickness. They have now been approved for continued use. Work on the manifold continued this week with the copper seal between the manifold shut off valve and the manifold body being annealed and refitted. The stuffing box was repacked and it has been reassembled in to the manifold. The new diaphragm for the reverser vacuum clutch was delivered this week. The diaphragm holes were punched through and then trial reassembled in the clutch. The repaired air pump steam cylinder was also returned this week. Painting continued this week with gloss applied to the front sections of the Cartazzi frame by the Painting Team. Painting also continued inside the front section of frames behind the bufferbeam. Work continued on the bolt holes between the rear flange of the saddle casting and middle cylinder. The holes were cleaned up by drilling through and reaming to produce a consistent hole diameter. We need this so that we can use our spotfacing tool. On Saturday work continued with the spotfacer and the first hole was completed and is now ready for bolting. The boring of the cylinder flange holes continued this week with the penultimate hole bored. This is by far the most difficult hole to get in to and it has required a number of modifications to the alignment jig. As it is too tight to get a reamer in to finish the hole it is planned to finish the hole by honing. The final fitted bolt was fitted to the horn castings this week to the leading side of the right driving horn. To get the nut and spanner on the new bolt 2 of the vertical hornstay bolts had to be removed. After torquing the new bolt the hornstay bolts were refitted. The brake hangers were trial mounted on the loco some time ago for inspection and this has now been done. The hangers have worn where they carry the brake blocks. As the brake hangers wear and the clearance between hanger and brake block increases the brake block position is not controlled as well as it should be, and due to the slope of the tyre profile the brake block begins to contact the tyre further to the outside of the wheel. This wear is to be expected and some do show signs of being rebuild with weld in the past. It is now necessary to rebuild the hangers again. The trailing two hangers were removed on Saturday by the 007 Gang, our junior volunteers and were given a clean and needle gunned in preparation for repair. The rebuilt combined right hand leading spring and brake shaft bracket was refitted this week. The fit of the bracket was improved by further dressing of the frame bottom to match the flatness of the machined surface on the bracket. When finally positioned it was clamped in place and held by jacks. It was then planned to drill through a couple of holes and bolt through to fix its location, however the hole cutter broke on the first hole, so we will have to get a new cutter and try again. The screw jacks given to us last week were brought in and were stripped and inspected. They are in good condition and have now been prime painted. As soon as they are finished they will be used to support the front of the loco and the accommodation bogie will be removed.
1 May 2017 The coupled wheel springs, secured to pallets, were moved to the workshop doors to be collected on Tuesday. However the carrier turned up a day late and collected on Wednesday. Fortunately Simon Holroyd was around and drove the forklift and skillfully got them in to the rather small van that turned up to collect them. We had been expecting a truck. They are now gone for contractor refurbishment. We were offered some surplus screw jacks that we can stand the frames on. These were retrieved from a North Yorkshire location this week. I believe they needed cutting out of the undergrowth, so thanks to the dedicated Engineering Team volunteers who rescued them. However, we will need to clean them up and assess their condition before we can use them. We need additional jacks to support the front of the loco when we remove the accommodation bogie so that we can work on the bogie stretcher and lower outside cylinder flanges. The brackets that carry the unions between the copper pipe and axlebox flexible lubrication pipes were fitted to the frames this week. They have been painted in undercoat and will be glossed whist on the frames. Painting of various brackets has continued inside the frames. Painting continued on the bogie this week with undercoating completed on the underside of the bogie. By the end of the week the underside of the bogie had been finish glossed and now awaits the fitting of the side control springs. It will then be turned back the right way up. Removal of the paint from the Cartazzi axle continued this week and by the end of the week it had been given a couple of coats of primer. Undercoat has now been applied to the front sections of the Cartazzi frames. The manifold overhaul continued this week with di-pen inspection and the refurbishment of the manifold shut off valve. The faces that the manifold valves seat on were quite marked so these have now been carefully dressed and the marking removed. Di-pen inspection was also carried out on some of the draw gear components this week. The front hook, intermediate drawbar, tender eyebolt and main loco pin were completed. The right hand combined brake shaft and spring bracket was set up on the horizontal borer this week and the trailing edge skimmed where it was fouling the hornstay when trial fitted. The newly machined section was deburred and the bottom of the frame where the bracket fits dressed, as there was still some traces of old weld. The edge of the frame was chamfered to ensure that the bracket will fit tight to the frame. The mechanical lubricator returned to York last week was fitted this week and progress was made in the refitting of the lubrication pipe work to the axleboxes. A new fitted bolt is required for one of the right hand horn castings, however as with the other loose bolts we have found in the horns the face under the nut is poor. So this week the hole was spot faced until a continuous face was produced. A good result was finally produced. Work also continued this week on the cylinder flange holes with only 1 hole finished this week. This was reamed out and a start was made on the boring of one of the final two holes. The vacuum brake cylinders components were laid out this week for further cleaning and inspection. Some of the parts where fit is important have now been measured and the piston rods were di-penned.
24 April 2017 With the footplate riveting finished, paint has now been applied around the riveted areas. This has enabled the two large oil boxes to the rear of the saddle casting to be fitted on freshly painted brackets. These were earlier retried from store and given a finish clean and some minor attention to the connection threads. Earlier in the week all the axlebox mechanical lubricator copper piping was retrieved from store. The pipework, as usual, was given a further clean through and is now going through the process of inspection, repair and annealing. The Mechanical lubricator has now been returned from overhaul, which has been carried out by our CME. The brackets that support the unions between the flexi pipes that run from the axlebox lubricator copper pipes, have been stripped down and are currently being painted. I was going to fit them to the loco and have them painted in-situ but the painting team vetoed that decision as a better job can be done on the bench. The unions themselves have received cleaning and repairs to some damaged threads. The trial fitting of the leading right hand combined spring and brake bracket has required some dimensional investigation to ensure that when left and right brakeshaft bearings are placed on the same centre line that the right hand bracket positions the centre of the spring under the centre of the axlebox. In addition we have to ensure that there is sufficient clearance for the spring to move while in traffic. To achieve the common bearing centre line still requires the removal of some material from the trailing edge of the bracket for final fitting as when trialed it was very near the hornstay. Work on the manifold assembly continued this week with attention turning to the manifold casting itself. All the valves have now been refurbished except for the manifold shut off valve which is an integral part of the manifold casting. Work started by removing wasted studs, then cleaning and carefully abrasive blasting the surface. This will allow a detailed inspection of the surface. The bogie frames inspection was completed this week, and no time was wasted by the Painting Team as by the end of the week undercoat was being applied. We are concentrating on painting the underside of the bogie before we turn it back up the right way and these areas cease to be easily accessible. The side control springs, to be fitted before turning the bogie frames, were finished painted this week. The spring cups, spacers and other parts were painted some time go. The bogie axleboxes have been closely examined and measured by our CME, however this week to ensure their soundness we di-pen inspected the flanges of the axleboxes to ensure there are no cracks. All are defect free. Cylinder and saddle bolt boring continued this week with the boring of the first of the really challenging holes. This hole was bored through and partially reamed before work ended this week. There are only two holes left and these are the really - really challenging ones. At the trailing end of the saddle the last of the life expired bolts that fasten the saddle to the middle cylinder casting were removed this week. The holes were then cleaned out to remove corrosion. Work began this week on the Cartazzi refurbishment with paint being removed from the wheelset axle. A bit of a challenge with it still in position the Engineering Team coped very well, as to be expected. The Team also continued the examination of the vacuum cylinders with the piston rods examined for wear and distortion. The loco drawbar gear has been removed and measured over the last few weeks and work continued this week on these parts with them receiving a good clean before they receive their crack detection examinations.
16 April 2017 New linings were fitted to the reverser clutch this week. This involved heating them in an oven to make them pliable then bending them to the correct curve to fit in the recesses in the clutch. The linings are screwed in place and the screws were replaced as it apears some of the old screws were not of the correct thread type so were found to be damaged upon removal. The complete clutch was then assembled on the bench and the reverser shaft sheaves were used to test the fit. The linings certainly get a good grip. The overhaul of boiler fittings and valves continued this week with the blower valve striped and inspected. The valve seat lapping was completed and the valve repacked and reassembled. The valve is now ready for reuse. Work has now started on the overhaul of the manifold valves. Some see very little use in traffic, such as the shut off valve for the boiler pressure gauge, however others, such as the steam heat valve don't live such a quiet life and the wear is considerable. Upon inspection of this valve it apears to be life expired and will require replacement. The new stud for the displaced thrust in the right driving axlebox was made and fitted this week. All the axleboxes are now ready for re-metaling, though we still await the dimensions of the finished journals. The painters have been busy again with the first primer coats being applied to the inside of the saddle, after a final coat of the needle gun. The Painting Team have been itching to get it painted for weeks. Inspection of the bogie continued this week with the examination of the front and rear stretchers and all around the horns. The outside central sections of the frame plates are all that remains to be done. By the end of the week the first coat of primer was applied to the underside. The overhaul of the vacuum brake cylinders began this week with their dismantling. There are three in total, two smaller ones mounted side by side toward the front of the loco with the larger one mounted further back between the frames. The brake hangers and cross beams were mounted on the loco by the 007 Gang of junior volunteers last week, and this week the inspection of these components began. The outside cylinder bolt hole refurbishment continued this week. Only three remain to be done, all others having now being bored and finish reamed. The jig used so far to ensure accurate alignment will now require modification to access the remaining holes. Inspection and assessment of the loco draw gear continued this week with the removal of the tender eyebolt and its rubber spring. The eyebolt passes through the front tender dragbox and the intermediate main drawbar is pinned in to it. This has now been measured and its current dimensions will be compared to drawing and permissible wear limits. It can then be decided if it requires any repairs or replacement. Measurement of the front drawhook shows it to be fit for further use, in fact it is surprising how little wear there is on the hook, however until the last ten years, it spent most of its time on the mainline so the front hook probably didn't get much use. The right hand leading combined brake shaft and spring bracket returned from repair this week. It was trial fitted to the frames on Saturday. Measurements were taken of the trial position and compared to the position of the existing left hand side. As to be expected from a hand built 1930s locomotive that has seen a long active life things are not exactly to drawing so a certain amount of fitting is still required before finally locating the bracket. A cutter has been obtained and a set up devised that will accurately drill mounting holes in the bracket to match the holes already in the frames. The final rivets were put in to the right hand footplating this week. The last ones went into the slide bar bracket. Attention then turned to putting in the last rivet in the left hand side footplate bracket. Shortly after completing the riveting of the outside slidebar brackets the footplating received its first coats of primer in preparation of refitting the oilbox brackets that sit on the footplate in this area.
9 April 2017 The installation of the coupled wheel horn lubricating pipes was completed this week. The trailing set were fitted last week. The remaining mechanical lubricator bleed valves were also cleaned, inspected and refitted this week. While between the frames the combined control reservoir and the air pump exhaust silencer box were also refitted. The tee that splits the steam supply to the steam sands to both sides of the loco has also been fitted. The overhaul of boiler fittings and valves continued this week with the retrieval from store of the blower valve and the valve that was used to isolate the steam chest pressure signal to the exhaust steam injector, when that was fitted, but is now used to isolate the steam chest pressure gauge. The blower valve was dismantled and the valve was skimmed to return it to its correct profile. The seat was then ground but there are still a couple of marks that will have to be removed. The steam chest isolation valve does not see much operation so was in good condition. When lapped with a little fine abrasive paste it almost immediately showed continuous contact. The last remaining corners behind the front bufferbeam were needle gunned and primed this week, leaving just the area around the Cartazzi and the bogie stretcher to do. Alan had previously finished stripping and descaling the underside of the bogie and this week its detailed inspection began. The bogie centre casting was di-pen inspected this week. The bogie frame rivets and fitted bolts were also examined and all have proved to be tight. This week representatives of the Engineering Team visited Llangollen to see progress with the boiler. As reported previously the left hand side out wrapper sheet has be welded in place and work continues on its fitting to the outer door plate and foundation ring. Work has begun on the removal of the combustion chamber stays on both sides, and there is a plasma cutter on site and it is now being used for the removal of the copper tubeplate. The new copper tubeplate being supplied by Crewe is now being machined so we are expecting completion of this in the next couple of weeks. The inspection and measurement of the loco drawgear continued this week with the front draw hook and coupling shackle. The tender "eyebolt" that the intermediate draw bar is pinned into is the only remaining item that requires inspection but first we have to find a spanner to fit the large nut that fastens it in place. We had another riveting session on Friday and the team got on very well. Unfortunately the old rivets on the leading left hand footplate bracket had come loose over last weekend, due to the clamping of the new rivets we put in. So these had to be removed and new rivets put in. By the end of the day all the left hand footplating had been riveted, except for one hole. When inspected the next day all were tight. We are still trying to work out how to get a rivet in to this last hole. On Saturday the 007 Gang, our Junior Volunteers, retrieved the brake hangers and beams from store and refitted them to the loco. They did very well to refit these heavy parts on the loco. They have been refitted as we plan to measure their positions prior to refurbishment. After they completed this task they then started to descale under the tender front dragbox. The boring and reaming of the outside cylinder holes is going well with more that half the holes bored and approximately half the holes finish reamed. A number of bolts are life expired where the saddle casting and middle cylinder are fastened together. On Saturday we began the process of replacement by drilling and then punching out the first two.
2 April 2017 The brass oil boxes for lubricating the coupled wheel horns were fitted last week and the oil pipes were retrieved from store and cleaned. This week they were annealed and then the set for the trailing set of horns fitted. The remainder are ready to install. Also this week the bleed valves that are in the lubricating lines from the mechanical lubricator to the coupled wheel under keeps were were also retrieved from store. They were dismantled and cleaned out and all apear in good condition. A start was made on fitting them on their brackets at the top of the frames. The combined control reservoir that, with the DV2 valve, allows vacuum brake application to be controlled when the loco is operating an air braked train was retrieved from store this week. It was pressure tested and examined and will be suitable for further use. By the end of the week it had been repainted and is now ready for refitting. A lot of time was spent last week painting the numerous individual small brackets between the frames that clamp pipework in position. Fitting the lubrication clips that are fastened under the splasher frame bracket bolts was completed this week. The coupled wheel axleboxes have bronze thrusts on the horizontal diameters. These are kept in place by headless screws, however one screw is missing and the thrust has moved slightly. This was carefully repositioned and the thread cleaned up. A new screw will be made and fitted. The inspection of the intermediate drawgear continued this week, with the main drawbar being measured and compared to the LNER/BR drawing and the permissible wear allowances. The loco drawbar pins, main and safety link, also received this attention. The reassembly of the air pump started this week. It cannot be completed yet as we are waiting for the return of the steam cylinder and new springs for the non-return valves. The Air Pump refurbishment team have now turned their attention to the reversing shaft vacuum clutch. This clamps tight to the reversing shaft to secure the valve gear cut off position. The clutch has now been stripped and inspected. The clutch operates through the application of vacuum on a rubber diaphragm and this diaphragm will be replaced. The grip on the shaft is achieved with brake linings, and these also require replacement. One interesting find was the marking on the clutch of 2510 and 15, both numbers carried by A4 60015 Quicksilver. The needle gunning of the upturned bogie was completed this week. The bottom of the bogie structure can now be di-pen NDT examined. Last week the hole for a new fitted bolt was prepared on the right leading coupled wheel horn and this week the new bolt was machined and fitted. Work on the repair of the cylinder flange holes continued with some holes bored and another completed by reaming through. We finally got back on to riveting this week with both front footplate sections being riveted on to the brackets over the 2 to 1 link cut outs. The right hand side required four out of five rivets replacing whereas the left required two replacing. On Friday the combined spring and brake bracket was receiving its last attention at the works of K D Flavell with the groove for the Spenser spring box being cut. At Buckfastleigh all the coupled wheel tyres have now been finished profiled and journals and thrust faces are now being measured and skimmed where required.
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