Supplementary Birthday Posting!

Busy day on Thursday 6th November (as always!) with the bottom bunker plates riveted to the angle iron, the hand brake shaft removed from the pillar to straighten and the first of the brake rodding going in, and lots of priming.  The riveting was done on the big table with a pipe attached to the back of the air-less jamback, supported by another bracket welded to the table. .All 12 rivets were good.The hand brake was stiff to turn and on examination the shaft had been welded just above the screw thread and was not true. This probably happened during N.C.B. days.The rough part of the weld was ground down & heat was applied. Gentle persuasion was all that needed to straighten it. With the brake blocks on we started to insert the rodding, starting at the rear. I've added some photos that were missed from previous posts - information, information etc! Again thanks to all who help and support No 9's restoration.

The cab roof crew! Others were involved!

RH lower bunker plate riveted. These were prepped & primed by Brian W.

Alan applying heat to the brake handle shaft.

Shaft straightened & primed.

Left hand brake blocks in. Nathan did most of the Work! Not light!

Nick T working on the rear brake rodding.

Even the top of the brake handle pillar has WD 7097 stamped on it!

Cab roof bolted to the locker. This area will be filled with coal. All this has still to be shot blasted and protected.

The jamback which fits on the rivet head while the rivet gun forms the flat on the other side of the join. The H beam forms the support. 

Cab locker and roof

 Happy 82nd Birthday No 9! Outshopped from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd in November 1943. It's been a month since the previous post and the bunker has been riveted to the frame and the locker and cab roof trial fitted. 4 plates have been riveted to the cab sides to hold the roof in place, along with the bunker. This riveting was done in situ and, as usual, a new piece of kit was devised. A pipe with a flat plate welded at the end to form a T-piece replaced the air powered jamback. Held on the rivet head this was pressed hard and worked well. Broad & strong shoulders needed. The piston rods have also been fitted and attached to the crossheads. All 6 brake blocks are in so brake rodding can be fitted. The coal door and guides have also been fitted - again only temporarily until the locker & roof are shot blasted etc. Again Thank You to all who work on & support the restoration of No 9!

 22 rivets done. 6 to do on other side. Still to be ground flat. Done!

Piston rods in and connected to crossheads. 1 cottar pin to be inserted.

New and existing plates to hold cab roof in place. Curved plate can be removed to aid boiler lift.

Brian W, Alan C & Nick T working on various parts. Bunker rivets primed.

Cab roof on for trial fit.

Rear View of roof.

 

Coal door and guides fitted.

Bottom bunker plates on. These will be riveted to the angle iron then welded along the join to the locker.

Bunker & white metalling.

 Another "NEW Big" move forward for No 9. The bunker arrived from Northern Fabricators Ltd in Elgin and was moved into position. To facilitate lifting John Bratchell-Hunt welded a length of square bar on (which was part of the delivery) and a trial fitting took place. A success. The bunker was primed and undercoated to protect it before any drilling of holes for the rivets. On Thursday 2nd October they were drilled using the Rotabroach attached to the mag drill. This was supported by the gantry as well as the magnet to help in positioning and safety. A video showing the drilling is on the video section. Counter sinking is next. The riveting can then be done. On the cab side the locker and coal door, original parts, need shot blasting, primed and painted and strenghtening brackets attached to complete the bunker. The last 2 eccentric straps have been white metalled and are now at RPSI for milling. The left hand con rod is now in place.  Thanks to all who are helping in her restoration!

Bunker arrives fron Northern Fabricators Ltd, Elgin

Square bar welded in to facilitate lift.

Nick T hoisting the bunker.

In place and good fit!

View from cab side.

Rotabroach ready.

Holes drilled and bolted.

Left hand con rod and crosshead in place,

Connections!

Lots of parts of No 9 have been put back onto her frame in the last number of days but the big news is that, having taken the con rods off in July 2021, this month we are beginning to put them back in. The right hand one along with the big end and crosshead was connected to the eccentric on 15th September. The left hand one will follow shortly. All 6 springs and hangers are finished. The reverser rod and the cylinder cocks rod are back on. Other items that have found there position on 7097 are the sand pipes, injector bracket and that cottar pin in the rear draw hook! Next is a variety of work involving brakes, bunker, cab roof etc and riveting! Con rods in - a big move forward! Let's start with that cottar pin. 

Rear draw hook with cottar pin fitted.

Right hand trailing axle with spring, hangers & pins.

Right hand cab front undercoated, reverser & cylinder cocks rods attached.

Left had trailing sand pipe.

 

Left hand injector bracket in place. Sand pipe went on after!

Right hand slideblocks, worked on by Nathan.

Right hand con rod & eccentric.

Crosshead & slideblocks in place.

Right hand con rod, slideblocks & crosshead in frame.

A busy 3 weeks for No 9.

 Lots of work on various parts of Austerity No 9! The big end bearings that we white metalled have been machined and are ready. The spring hangers which had given us some problems have been sorted, new bushes made by Alan French and pressed in by Nick Thompson. After a lot of trial fitting the rear draw hook has been put in which has a valute spring - in the past some inter-change has happened on the engine as the front draw hook has a conventional coil spring. Both were originally valute springs. The mechanical lubricator that Alan refurbished (see June 2024 blog) had been put on the running board. The front cab sides that were trial fitted in the last post have been rivetted to the angle iron, the rivets ground flush and primed by Brian Warrender, and will be put back on for good. Only 20 rivets this time! Brian has also been putting the finishing touches to No 9 that have been "scuffed" or missed. This will happen again as parts are put back on. The reverser frame and handle are back in place but need connecting to the other components. A very rewarding and enjoyable 3 weeks! 7097 is coming together.

Big end bearing on lathe.

 

Machined by Nathan.

Some of the spring hangers and bushes.

Alan positioning the bush in the hanger.

Nick pressing the bush into the spring hanger.

Bushes inserted.

Rear draw hook - still to have cottar pin inserted.

Mechanical lubricator - still to be raised & fixed in place.

Cab side rivetted to angle iron.

Rivets ground flush & primed. Brian grinding of the ones on the other cab side. Sparks flying!

The jigsaw puzzle!

The reverser frame & lever.

Coupling rods, handbrake and cab sides.

 After the high of the wheelsets being reunited with the frame work continued on other important parts of 7097. The handbrake handle was fitted on top of the running boards on the left side of the cab and connected to the brake shaft underneath. On the last day of July the coupling rods were trial fitted and all were good. Excellent! They were removed over the weekend of 2nd/3rd August and checked - put back on for good. The two front cab sides, having been restored, were trial fitted to the angles on the cab floor. Nick drilled the holes in the angles with the smaller of the 2 Mag Drills and they fitted well. Both the cab sides and the angles will be removed and rivetted together, much easier to do away from the engine. They will then be bolted to the frame. Another big step forward in No 9's restoration in her 81st year.

 

Nick & Alan admiring the newly installed handbrake!

The handbrake connected to the brake shaft.

LH coupling rods put on. The "Backworth" step was removed to facilitate both the rods being connected with the pin inserted from the back, near impossible to do with the step in place.

RH coupling rods on!

Mag drill, supported both by magnetism and gantry, drilling holes in the angle iron. Photo Nick Thompson.

Both cab sides trial fitted - will be removed along with the angles for rivetting.

Nick's photo - viewed from the front of the frame. 9F 92219 in the background.