Smokebox, eccentric sheave and tank!

 The smokebox will mostly be replaced but items such as door hinges, support brackets, dart crossbar brackets have been removed for re-use. The area around the chimney seat is about 1mm thick! The new kit of parts is due to arrive soon. The final eccentric sheave, returned from RPSI after white metalling, has been fitted to complete the motion. Further painting the injectors and oil pots in midnight blue.The tank was removed and inverted onto the wooden supports we made in April 2023 and placed on a wagon! New access points will be fitted to allow easier removal of detritus, an attempt was made to hoover out, with only partial success.

Alan using heat to loosen the nuts.

 

All bolts & countersunk rivets removed & replaced both top & bottom for now. Notice the crossbar brackets removed. See next video!

Plasma cut through 3 plates in door ring.  

The final eccentric in place.

  

RH injector with delivery pipes attached. Same on LH.

Ready for tank removal. Telehandler in position.

Looking like an engine again.

Inverted on wagon. New access points - and removal of detritus from inside should be easier.

Crossbar brackets & door hinges primed.

7 oil boxes in 20C40 Midnight Blue.

 

Brackets removed from smokebox primed.

Oil feed pipework will be one of the next jobs. There are 16 feeds from one of the mechanical lubricators and each will have numerous bends. Delicate work.

Saddle Tank measuring and injectors.

On the 4th of June Nick & I spent the day measuring the thickness of the saddle tank walls, both on the outside and on the underside next to the barrel. Only 2 areas were what would be described as needing  some attention which was very pleasing considering the age of the engine. The debris inside will need removing and this will be achieved using various methods. Both injectors are on and we trial fitted some of the delivery pipes. Alan has fitted the ejector under the running board on the RH side. More photos to follow soon. Work on retrieving parts of the smokebox.

Measurement figures on the LH side of the tank. 

Figures on the underside on the RH side.

A secure platform to take measurements underside looking back.

LH injector in midnight blue.

RH injector.

Water feed pipe & valve trial fitting. 

Alan has fitted the ejector under the running board.

Smoke box & saddle tank

Nathan wanted to trial fit the smoke box and the saddle tank to Austerity No 9 (Works No 7097) to check that everything was still in order for further work to continue on them. On the 1st of June we moved No 9 down to the bottom yard with the smoke box already in situ to where the tank had already been placed. Nathan manoeuvred the tank into place using the tele-handler and we transported No 9 back into the Shed. Some adjustment was required by Alan, using a small jemmy, to site the front end of the tank onto the studs. The LH bracket is not true and needs straightening but the RH one accepted the 6 bolts. Further investigation and work will now take place.   

 

Smoke box ready.

 

 

The saddle tank being positioned by Nathan.

 

No 9 back in the Shed.

Saddle tank down on studs!

Alan taking a bow! Jemmy resting!

Tank settled on smoke box. As Brian W commented - 
"It's a long punt to the end" 

6 bolts on RH side in place. 
 

Driver's view - something to look forward to!

                                                                

Boiler barrel angle ring, vacuum and steam heating pipework & plates.

 In the last 6 weeks the work has concentrated on vacuum and steam heating pipe connections. But a big move forward for a new part was the drilling and countersinking of the boiler barrel angle ring by Nathan - we had to check on the old one how many holes - 88. Excellent work. The vacuum & steam heating pipework around the rear sand boxes has been completed. The vacuum was taken between the sand pipe and the step avoiding the sanding rod and lever - we duplicated the steam heating on the right-hand side. The makers plates that had to be levelled, and the registration plates, are now back on No 9. The lining with Ruston gloss paint was done away from the Shed allowing "dedicated concentration" on each of the raise figures & letters in a clean and dry area - kitchen table! On the 21st May we rescued the injector pipes from the wagon and attached them temporarily. Steady progress with lots more connectios to make!

Boiler barrel angle ring drilled & countersunk.

New route for front vacuum.

Vacuum pipe into cab. X marks the spot we were going to take it up.

RH side - vacuum into cab.

Homework on kitchen table. Peace & quiet - cuppa close by!
 

Plates re-united with No 9.

Steam heating pipe in 20C40 midnight blue. Impossible to paint when in place.

Accessing the cab and avoiding the sanding gear. 

 

              A view of the steam heating pipe avoiding the sand lever & rods.

Front vacuum & steam heating bags.

 

Rear vacuum & steam heating bags.

Vacuum below - steam heating above in 20C40.

Injector pipes in place - temporarily.

Another view of injector with overflow pipe.

 

Injector pipes in cab. Steam heating one on the right. Other pipe on floor.

3 weeks of variety! More vacuum, assessing old and drilling new, and resinating stuff!

 Vacuum pipework has continued and the process of achieving it is thoughtful to say the least! We are still working on the route under the running board weaving our way past steps, sand box, injector pipes etc.The sanding box levers and handles have been partially fitted and painted and the rods are also in place. Other work has seen the old boiler barrel angle ring heated to measure the expansion and the marking out and drilling of the new one. The makers plates have had a layer of resin poured onto the back and now have a flat surface for fitting to the cabside. Highlighting the lettering and borders is ongoing - with Ruston gloss paint. I tried with Humbrol and it was too runny - filled between the letters! The ejector has been mounted on a plate - its final position has still to be decided. 

Alan aligning the elbows at each end of the pipe.

Threaded pipe and checking elbow.

Vacuum pipework under front right.

Testing the vacuum on 26th March. This will be done for each section rather than for the entire pipe.

Nathan has marked out all 88 holes on the boiler barrel angle ring for drilling.

Nathan countersinking the rivet holes.

 

  

Right hand sanding box handle.

And in finished black along with the left one drying.

 

Rear of the makers plates - a dam built and resin poured in. A level playing surface!

Painted and ready for highlighting.

First coat of "Buttercup" to lettering.

Ejector mounted on plate.

And finally for this Blog- on a cold snowy Easter Sunday - some heating on the old boiler barrel angle ring to measure expansion!