| | Newsletter - April 2003
Appeal
Donations to the fund have slowed over the winter months, but with the new
season starting it is hoped that things will pick up shortly. Driver for a Fiver
has restarted over Easter and has provided a boost in income. It is unfortunate
that the problems with the shed roof prevent access to the workshop viewing
gallery which as well as allowing the public a closer look at the work going on,
also provides a regular stream of donations.
The time is approaching when we will need to spend some significant amounts
of money on new materials for the E1's boiler. We are still hoping that someone
will step forward to take on the job of fund raising to ensure that the job is
not delayed by lack of funds.
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A job which boosted the appeal fund at the end of last year
was the overhaul of pistons, crosshead and slide bars for a loco at the
Swindon and Cricklade Railway. The pistons were originally fitted with
some unusual piston rings but finding new ones to the same design would
have been very difficult. Conventional square section rings were obtained
from the Severn Valley and to support them some special spacers were
machined and nickel plated. Here a piston is being drilled to enable the
spacers to be fixed in postion. |
GWR 56xx
No. 5637
| The main task in the Workshop over the winter has been
completing the retube of the 56 in time for the new season. At the same
time the safety valves have been repaired and 10 stays replaced as part of
the 14 month boiler inspection.
The picture shows Jeff using the gas axe to cut out some tube ends in
the smoke box. The six larger superheater flues at the top of the picture
did not need to be replaced. |
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To ease the job of expanding the 218 small tubes, normally
laboriously wound up by hand, we used an air wrench. Dave is using it in
the 56's firebox.
One tube, shown ringed with chalk, is slightly larger than all the
others. This is not a mistake! But is to allow easier removal of stubborn
tubes. |
| Since the air tool doesn't give much of an idea of when the
tube has been expanded far enough, final expansion is completed by hand.
Here Jerry is expanding the bottom tubes in the smokebox.
Working in the smokebox is particularly uncomfortable as it often
involves kneeling amongst studs and other obstructions. The blast pipe and
steam pipe holes were covered with wooden boards to prevent dirt and
debris entering the valves and cylinders. |
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LB&SCR E1
No.110
Recently all the attention has been on the 56 and 30075 but work on the E1
has still managed to move forward slowly. The task to replace the horn guide
bolts is nearing completion and the springs will be overhauled next. When the
springs have been refitted the loco will once again be mobile and can come off
the jacks which it has been sitting on for the last few months.
USA
Tank No.30075
| The boiler has been moved from the loco shed into the
workshops which provides much better working conditions.
The long task of removing the firebox stays is nearing completion. The
picture shows the left hand side of the boiler with all the stays removed.
Every hole will be subjected to ultra-sonic crack detection and repaired
as necessary before fitting the new stays. The boiler inspector has agreed
that it will not be necessary to weld in inserts to reduce the size of the
holes, which will save a lot of work |
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Work on the frames has continued. The saddle has had some
weld repairs and been given a coat of primer as shown in the picture. |
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