We now find
ourselves doing things like receiving a coal delivery, putting water in the
boiler, collecting the nameplates,and fixing a date for the lorry to take the
engine to York, so we must be getting near the end. The engine is taking shape,
and many extra hours have gone in recently to ensure that we meet our target of
appearing at “Railfest” in York on the 2nd of June.
Knights Rail have recently allowed us to work on Saturdays, and this has really
helped progress since we get people who are unable to make it during the week.
The boiler
cladding is now all fitted. This has enabled the lubrication pipes to be run
down the outsides, and also for the clacks, handrails, blower and boiler bands
to go on. In the smokebox the petticoat pipe is fitted, along with the blower
ring, concrete floor, and steam pipes. One steam pipe had to be cut and
re-welded to get it to fit the engine. The fit of the blower rod collar on the
square blower valve shaft was awful, so we chopped it off and Simon turned up a
new one.
The
“Cosmetics Dept.” have been busy, and now the cladding has been flatted, filled
, spot-primed, undercoated, and now has a 50/50 undercoat and gloss mix. The
smokebox has been taken back to bare metal, and been primed and undercoated.
The valve
gear is all up, the last items being the three die-blocks which had been
bored-out at Ropley.
The right
hand valve was found to be upside-down, and as it was turned a valve ring popped
out into the steam space. Dave managed to get the valve out without breaking the
ring, and by fitting some more plastic sheet between the valve head and the
ring, he managed to stick the ring in place and refit the valve. Unfortunately
the running plate front section had to come off along with the valve cover,
which meant this issue cost us probably 3 hours in all, something we could do
without.
The cab roof
is on, and all the cab fittings are complete. Dave Pallett and John Aplin have
put many hours in sorting out and fitting the copper lubrication pipework all
over the engine.
The engine
and tender have been coupled. The new water bags have arrived, and the staff at
Ropley made us a new elbow and nut, since the engine was missing a complete bag
assembly when we got her.
Unfortunately the short rear firebars will not arrive in time for the
steam test, so we are again going to borrow the grate from our friends at
Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society (ERPS) from their S15 loco no.828.
The brake
rigging is all up, and the brakes have been adjusted. “Beardy Weirdy” made this
possible by taking a couple of brake hangers away and making some new
bushes.
Look out for
the next Blog; it should be worth
reading…
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