4253 Locomotive Company Limited

1 week ago

This week we completed many and varied tasks in the 3 days working on 4253.The good news is now all the crinolines are completed and fitted we now can move onto the cladding sheets starting from the firebox end first.The cladding sheets were removed from stock we had them rolled up a few months ago then taken into the shed and the first one put up on the firebox then the marking out started.When the first cladding sheet was marked out it was cut to size and put up on the loco.Work was Gervase was continuing with the roof section having a rub down and then undercoated the coal bunker was being rubbed down and primed along with the reassembly of the refurbished vacuum brake valve.The vacuum pipe from the brake ejector on to the train pipe on 4253 was refitted after its modification.The pipework for the front-end lubrication was being bent to fit the shut off valves on the smoke box side. While all of that was happening, we also removed the cab for 42 from the top of the old tender for 541 and put it on trestles for work to commence on the cab.Also, the 4253-formation smokebox door carrying team were in action as well moving the door to a new position in the outside workshop and this was just Tuesday.Friday. the team stripped down the Lobo staging and move it out to allow us to get the front cladding sheets into position to fit on the smokebox.We spent the afternoon tweaking the cladding sheets by rolling them to match the curve of the firebox sides along with cutting more sheets. The roof sheet from Gervase was top coated and now can go back outside.The main steam pipes had the ends machined and had prep put on the ends ready for welding.Sunday. the team started to trial fit the boiler barrel cladding sheets starting from the smokebox end by the end of the day we have trial fitted 4 of the sheets and cut 2 to fit.The painting team took full advantage of the fine weather and stripped and repainted lots of bits on Gervase and they removed the front section around the engine this was taken to our vast outside workshop for de-greasing and preparing for repainting.The side panel was rubbed down getting for its new colour scheme and painted in undercoat.Both injectors had the outstanding pipework completed and fitted from the steam valves then joined and brazed to the pipes coming up from the injectors this was all done in situ on the footplate. The back head is now starting that very full of pipes look as most G W locos do.We had a very productive day indeed.Thanks to everyone who helped this week on 4253. ... See MoreSee Less

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4253 Locomotive Company

2 weeks ago

This week we continued with more of the same keeping things moving along on 4253.Monday the extension forks had the final coat of vivid yellow paint this allows finding them when stored in long grass.Tuesday, we came into a broken leg not on Peter who tripped and knocked over our storage cupboard and the wheel came off so repairs ensued.This contained the very light bolts, studs, and nuts all for fixing the smokebox down and fitting all the important bits within it all had to be unloaded as we could not get the 36-ton brake down crane in to lift it up before it was repaired and strengthened.We took the opportunity to move some very heavy bits into the shed for 4253 including the safety valve unit and the regulator box getting them off the floor.We then filled the repaired unit up with the bits waiting to go back on 4253 including the reversing quadrant, all the cylinder cladding front covers and tank fixings were included and the last of 541 bits that go back with the new tender that we are not fitting to it.While this was going on the crinoline team were continuing their quest towards completion. The pipework continued we ran the pipe from the vacuum tank to the duplex gauge this was not the easiest pipe run for access but it’s all in now.Friday. work carried on the refurbishment of the vacuum brake application valve for Gervase and a second coat of gloss for the cab roof section.The front holding bracket for the water tanks from 4253 had a topcoat of black paint.The pipework for the lubrication for the front end of the loco was slid under the crinolines and bent accordingly to get it all to fit correctly on the front shut off valves on the smokebox side.The crinoline team finished their mammoth task today and now they are going to remove everything and paint it all bet it comes off quicker than it went up.The rubbing the cab paintwork on Gervase down and priming it all to stop it rusting up while its outside in the yard.More work on the footplate of 42 we put up all the jockey valve linkage and regulator handle to make sure we don’t have pipes in the wrong place.Sunday. the team took another giant step forward with cutting the holes in the side of the smokebox for the main steam pipes and then cutting the pipes to length then a trial fit.The first flange was machined for the D/S injector then it was brazed on to the end and bolted onto the injector body under the cab floor. While this was happening the F/S flange was being machined this to was brazed on and attached to the injector.The second injector pipe was being heated and bent to shape then trial fitted, some of the smaller pipework from the lubricator to the condensing coil was being bent to shape as well ready to fit.Work on the back head sheet carried on heading towards completion.Thanks to everyone who came to keep the impossible happening this week . ... See MoreSee Less

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LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY LIMITED

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