NDT and protect!

 Grit blasting the frame, after extensive cleaning, was completed on the 4th of September. Non destructive testing was successful and a coat of red oxide was applied to the wheelsets and the frame. Another coat of RO may be applied to the frame as further protection. We moved the gantry into place on the 14th to allow for the removal of the buffers and the completion of the frame clean-up. What lies behind them...............!

 

Alan in the space suit on grit blasting duties.

Expendable abrasive! Blasting shed would be an advantage!

 NDT paint around horn guides. All good.

NDT spray - all wheels passed.

Frame in Shed ready for RO. 5025 as backdrop!

Wheelsets protected.

Side frames painted. Photo from pit on 3 road!

Inside & out with red oxide.

 Frame protection and start of buffer removal - next blog!

Removing the tyres from the leading & trailing wheelsets.

 21st August - A great way to start the week! 

A ring of fire, designed to heat the tyres on No 9 's wheelsets to about 260°c +, constructed by Alan French, was used for the first time and proved ideal for the job - of course! The expansion of the tyres allow them to be removed, with some persuasion! The wheel centres never got more than 35°c. See video section for more action. All 4 tyres were removed during Monday - a job well done!

The eccentics were removed from the driving set the previous Saturday.

Eccentrics removed for cleaning, grit blasting and protecting.

The ring of fire being tested. 110 small holes drilled on the tube.

A nice even flame on the tyre.

The first tyre is off the wheel!

Axle up ended and 2nd tyre being heated.

Both tyres removed.

All 4 tyres removed. 

Nick Thompson, Roddie McRae, Alan French & Brian Thomson.  Nathan Lightowler on 5th hammer!.

Frame washing, parts removal & grit blasting.

 The 1st half of August saw No 9's frames hot washed (and the washers!) running boards and shafts removed & all 3 wheels sets grit blasted. Next to NDT the wheels and protect with red oxide.The tyres will be removed inhouse at The Shed before being sent to RPSI. The frames will now get grit blasted and protected.

Frame on 2 road ready for washing. 5025 as a backdrop!

Hot washed frames. All 4 Shed doors creosoted by Alan.

RH running board - will be needed as template for new one.

Wayshaft on telehandler with Alan & Nathan.

Wayshaft removed.

Brake shaft stropped for lift.

Brake shaft removed.

Grit blaster being loaded & ready to go.

Nick Thompson all suited & hooded! Cleaning the inside of LH trailing wheelset. Air is pumped into hood.

All 3 wheelsets grit blasted.

Crank axles blasted along with wheels.

 LH side of all 3 sets grit blasted. Passenger set being stabled for night in background.

Removal of axle boxes.

But first a bit of digging - this was required to remove packed in dirt on the rails to roll the sets into the Shed as this road is not connected at present to the yard. This made life a lot easier on the back. It's amazing what you find - washers, bolts, nails, stones, and earth of course! No surprise really. The wheelsets were moved onto 1 road to allow the 6 axle boxes to be removed from the journals. Using a jacking trolley to support them, the pins were pushed out and freed. All parts were then re-united and marked for future re-assembling. The thrust plates and journals were greased by Nick and, along with Alan, Denzo tape was applied to protect the moving surfaces. Nick then started to clean the driving set with the hot wash, uncovering some blue paint. Dave McNicoll (in a separate communication) said it could be the first time of painting at the railway in Prussian Blue. I contacted Roy Lambeth to see if he had any photos of this but unfortunately not. It would have been nice to think it was original NCB blue.

The wheelsets will be cleaned, grit blasted, NDT'd and repainted for protection. They will be sent to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland at Whitehead for new tyres.

All 3 sets on 1 road. a bit of digging had to be done to allow the tyres to engage with the rail.

Wheelsets ready to have the axle boxes removed.

4 of the axle boxes removed, ready for cleaning and marked for future work.

Nick Thompson greasing the journal and thrust plate.

All 6 axle boxes removed from wheelsets. Tyres removed from driving set previously by John Hunt.

New denzo tape applied and the start of the high pressure cleaning underway!

Some blue colour appearing during the cleaning. See text above.

The leading and trailing wheelsets.

And as an extra - one wheelset was used as a test for the Plasser & Theurer crane by John Sinclair.

June 2023 update

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.

Trailing RH spring - pins and nuts removed.

 

 

Ready for the lift & wheel removal. Irish coach, 26 025 & 26 002 in background.

Crane chains attached to lift the cylinder end. Hard hats mandatory!

Cylinder end raised - ready for the slave bogie to be placed under the frame.

Front end on slave bogie.

Footplate/Cab end raised - wheels removed - waiting on slave bogie.

Frame resting on slave bogies. Driving wheelset on left of bogie - tyres removed.

Leading wheelset - springs removed.

P & T crane in use for No 9's wheelset removal. Made in Gouda!

Supports made for saddle tank inversion. This was done on 20th April.

End of 2022 report.

A final post for 2022 with a photo of No 9's boiler barrel and steam dome having been given a protective coating of red oxide. Whilst there is no other progress with her restoration at present, the Strathspey Railway Association raffle this year was exactly for that, and £5,400 was raised. A good start!

 

Steam dome and barrel with a protective coating of red oxide.

A further update on Austerity No 9.

 Work continued to remove the side wrappers and the foundation ring from the copper firebox during October. But after removing the rivets attaching the firebox to the foundation ring more problems were encountered and that has led to the restoration on No 9 being put on hold at present. A large part of the firebox and the crown sheet will need replacing. All parts are being stored for the future.

The blog will continue to be updated when more news is available, 

 

 RH lower wrapper burned free from firebox.

Firebox inverted to work on the foundation ring. 17th Oct.

Chassis covered well but back out in the cold. New ashpan is under the tarpaulin.

Foundation ring removed.

Firebox with foundation ring removed.

Rivet holes distorted on bottom of copper firebox.

Different sizes of stays.

Copper gleaming.

Firebox lifted for removal for further examination and safe keeping.

All that remains after lift.