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.