Riveting stuff!

 The "48 Club" tackled the riveting of both running boards and cab footplate floor to the frame of No 9. 229 rivets in all. This was done by using a jamback (of various lengths) to hold the rivets firmly in place under the frame, put in by the "Rivet Boy", whilst the rivet gun forms the flat top. This has been helped by Alan French's stabilising tube welded to a plate (see photo) keeping the head of the gun in place and not allowing any lateral movement. In all, only 4 rivets went rogue and were replaced. To keep the rivets hot the furnace had to be between the frames as anywhere else would have allowed them to cool too quickly. William from the Rudolf Steiner school also helped being "Rivet boy" on a visit. Nathan has been working hard on the axleboxes making sure all is correct. The next stage - the frame will be rolled out to the C&W shed in due course where it will be lowered onto the wheelsets. Thanks to all who participated in this big move forward.

1st rivet in! To be ground flush.

Stabilizing tube and jamback. 

100 rivets on left-hand running board.

Under the front left with 6 rivets in place. Shorter jamback needed due to bracket. 

 

Left side rivets ground flush and plates primed by Brian Warrender.

Confined space under footplate. Furnace needed to be close at hand.

29 rivets in cab footplate.

Under footplate - awkward things brackets & brake cylinders!

Nathan & Rory working on axlebox, springs & horn stays.

Nick having a rest between gunning!

The "48 Club" riveting squad!

The furnace.

The last 2 "rogue" rivets. No space here for a jamback - lever with dolly on end.

Riveting completed.

Running boards and eccentric straps.

 Over the last month all the old running boards were used as templates for the new ones and countless holes for rivets were drilled. Other holes for pipework were also cut using hole cutters and the plasma cutter was used to make the sandbox holes. The rivet holes were all countersunk. The plates were put on the engine to check for alignment and bolted down. They were then taken off, cleaned and primed on the underside, and will be placed back on the engine for riveting. The 3 eccentric straps that were originally on the engine are back on and the 4th one, which was purchased, will be white metalled before it joins them. The smokebox ring and the throatplate have been removed from the boiler barrel, both to be replaced. Riveting next!

The rear left hand plate being lowered into position.

Underside of same plate primed.

Front of cab floor showing holes for pipework and damper levers cut out.

All new plates trial-fitted in place. Will be primed underneath.

Cab floor primed by Dave Griffiths.

3 of the 4 eccentric straps in place.

Boiler barrel with throat plate and smokebox ring still in place.

Boiler barrel less ring and throatplate.

New steel!

 Further progress in the shape of steel plates for the new running boards for No 9 arrived from Northern Fabricators of Elgin and we will make use of  the old ones as templates. We have started with the cab floor, clamped to the old one, and drilled out the rivet holes and various other openings for pipe work with still some to do when its on the engine. The angle irons along the 26' 9" length of the frame are on and straight as a die! Meanwhile some of the cylinder drain cock rods have been put in and the plates under the block are now in black! Big end connecting rod straps have been cleaned, primed and painted top coat. Lots of drilling and riveting to be getting on with! And one more piece of news the firebox outer wrapper was rolled on the 7th April. Excellent!

The plate under the cylinder block is Black!

 

Big end connecting rod straps primed. Undercoat of edinburgh madder and 2 coats signal red applied.

Cylinder drain cocks lever up from shaft.

Brian W putting together the cylinder & steam drain cocks levers & rods.

LH angle iron on the frame. Straight as a die. Photo Nick Thompson.

 

Steel plate from Northern Fabricators of Elgin.

                                                                             
                                                                               

Checking old cab floor plate on frame.

                                                                               

Old and new clamped for drilling.

                                                                            

Nick drilling out rivet holes in new plate.

Cab and bunker floor in place. Excellent fit.

                                                                               

View from cab floor along No 9's frame. 

Old running board laid out.

Cylinder drain cocks and oil pot tops cleaned with glass grit. Edinburgh madder undercoat on strap.

Reverser links, cylinder cocks, sheaves and blast pipe!

 We have completed the connection between the reverser and the valve connecting rods and attached the 2nd plate under the cylinder block. This still has to have a finishing coat of paint - colour to be decided. It's black. The cylinder cocks shaft has also been fitted. The eccentric sheaves have been painted in signal red but 1 original set was damaged and we managed to get a replacement. This is getting some remedial attention as you can see from the photos. The long bolts required heat to extract them and the ones in the damaged set, which are good, will be used. A replacement blast pipe has also been aquired. Both big ends are ready for grit blasting, tinning and white metalling.

Lifting links in place, attached to the reverser weigh shaft.

 

Lifting links secured after the long pin was put in the wrong way initially.

Top view of lifting links in place attached to the reverser weigh shaft.

Reverser weigh shaft lever with key and pin in place.

Cylinder cock shaft drying and cylinder & steam chest operating pull rods ready for grey. 

Cylinder cocks shaft in place a week later.

Tapping the bolt holes next to the frame. Tight!

2nd plate inserted. A paint job next but what colour? Turns out it's black!

Eccentric sheaves in signal red.

Alan applying heat to the stubborn bolt in the replacement sheave.

It can't deny Alan & Nick! It came out.

Both big end bearings ready for the next phase.

The "new" blast pipe.

Valve connecting rods

 After publishing an update yesterday I thought this very important move forward deserved its own page! The valve connecting rods, along with the radius links were put into the frame on the 30th January and is the first part of the motion that will make No 9 a living, breathing engine. A lot more connecting to do but a big step in her restoration. Also a photo of the cottar pins securing the slide bars, each one a different size. Well done Alan!

Cottar pins securing the left hand slide bars.

Nick raising the RH valve connecting rod.

Alan positioning the RH valve connecting rod into the guide.

Both rods in place in the guides.

RH radius link in place. LH connecting rod turned to allow the link to be inserted more easily.

Both radius links in place.

The valve connecting rods through the guides.

Viewed towards the rear of the cylinder block.