A decision has been taken to continue the partial restoration of No 9. On the 5th & 8th of June the two remaining wheelsets, leading and trailing (the driving wheelset having been removed in August '22) were separated from the frame. The worn tyres will be cut off and all 3 wheelsets will be sent to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland RPSI at Whitehead, Northern Ireland to be re-tyred. The Plasser & Theurer rail crane, nearing the competion of its own refurbishment, was used, lifting each end, rolling out the wheelsets, and a slave bogie reset for support.
It is hoped that work can continue on both the saddle tank and the cab. A frame has been constructed to support the inverted tank to allow for the detritus to be cleaned out! Grit blasting of both, and several layers of protective paint, will see progress in the not too distant future.
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| Trailing RH spring - pins and nuts removed. | | |
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| Ready for the lift & wheel removal. Irish coach, 26 025 & 26 002 in background. |
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Crane chains attached to lift the cylinder end. Hard hats mandatory!
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| Cylinder end raised - ready for the slave bogie to be placed under the frame. |
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| Front end on slave bogie. |
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| Footplate/Cab end raised - wheels removed - waiting on slave bogie. |
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Frame resting on slave bogies. Driving wheelset on left of bogie - tyres removed.
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Leading wheelset - springs removed.
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P & T crane in use for No 9's wheelset removal. Made in Gouda!
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Supports made for saddle tank inversion. This was done on 20th April.
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