Final Week

An extra day was worked on Monday this week with 4253’s cab and fireman’s side tank removed 

so a few rivet heads could be dressed back to prevent contact 

after which the tank and cab went back on.  On Tuesday, the steam manifold was lifted into place so the position of the opening required in the cab front plate for the whistle valves to pass through could be measured and marked out.

The driver’s side tank was given a wet and dry rub down while others were drilling the pilot holes for the diagonal line of rivets on the fireman’s side corner piece of 5164’s bunker.

On Friday, the smokebox received its first coat of heat-resistant black paint after a quick rub down

and lots of measuring was undertaken in the cab to establish the position for the plinths on which the gauges will be fixed.

Sunday started with the hole in the front of the cab that had been marked out earlier being cut out and dressed and the manifold and whistle valves fitted to check the fit.

On 5164’s bunker, the second corner piece was offered up, marked and taken down for trimming of the edges and this was repeated a few times until the fit was satisfactory.  

It was then clamped into position and some of the rivet holes drilled through the doubling plates from the inside followed by bolting up to gradually pull the panel into position.

Also, the upper coal floor had the access hole lid retaining squares fully welded into position and dressed as necessary.

Week Four

Tuesday started with rubbing down the tanks and smokebox with wet and dry 

and cleaning out the tank fixing holes so the retaining bolts will fit smoothly.  Various bits were taken out of storage to trial fit with the boiler and tanks now in position and this shot is of the injector pipes that run up thought the tanks to the clacks having the bolt threads cleaned out.

The sections of handrail between smokebox and the front of the tanks were also offered up to check the fit.

We are not 100% happy with the fit of the fireman’s side tank so that will require removal and a little fettling to get it right.  

On Friday, we made and fitted a temporary floor for the cab to give easier access to all the fittings.

Both the smokebox and the cladding sheets received a second coast of primer 

and the steam manifold was measured 

to check that there was sufficient clearance for it around the cab front panel which revealed a little more trimming to be required.

Also, the front holding bracket for the tanks was taken down again as that requires a little remedial work to achieve a better fit.

Meanwhile, work continues on the 5164 bunker with the last of the holes tapped in the holding plates for the access hatch panels after which they were bolted into place ready for welding and the edges of the holes trimmed to match.

The last of the holes were drilled in the upper rear panel 

and the template was bolted to the fireman’s side corner piece so that we could mark through the holes pre-drilled in it so as to match the line of the diagonal rivets.

Once done, the template was taken down again and the holes will be drilled during next week.

Week Three

This week saw the final pieces of the lower firebox cladding completed which involved bending them to shape using bits of angle iron, a vice, G clamps and brute force.  

Once correct they were fitted 

and then all the sheets and retaining bands were rubbed down and given a coat of primer 

At the front end, the chimney was bolted permanently into place with a mastic seal, the smokebox was rubbed down in preparation for painting, the smokebox door ring received its first coat of heat-resistant paint 

and the door itself has hung.  

Sunday’s work was to haul 4253 out of the shed and trial fit the tanks and cab to check that everything fitted around the new cladding.  First the driver’s side tank was lifted, 

manoeuvred into place with no trouble and secured with some holding bolts.  This was followed by the fireman’s side tank 

where we found it was a bit too friendly with the expansion bracket so a little fettling will be required there.  Once that was in position plus the front retaining strap across the top of the boiler, the cab was lifted and dropped into place with just a minimal amount of barring required.

This was followed by a quick tow up the yard for a photo opportunity.

This is the most complete she’s been since entering Barry in 1963.

The 5164 bunker had the upper coal floor retaining strip marked and drilled ready to be welded on 

and the second access hatch had the holes drilled and tapped for the retaining bolts.

Week Two

This week, just for a change, some of the cladding sheets were taken  down again but just so that a number of the fixing holes could be enlarged to make fitting easier.  

Once completed, all the Lobo platforms were taken down and the loco was pulled out of the shed so that it could be swapped around with the Yank, No 65 in preparation for trial fitting of the tanks in due course.  Before moving it, all the motion was cleaned down of the muck that had accumulated during the work  and everything was oiled up.

Once out in the open it gave an opportunity to properly see all the work that’s gone into the cladding without all the platforms etc in the way.

The plywood template that had been made of the top of the firebox was used to mark the position of the hole that needs cutting in the cab’s front panel 

and a further template was made of the side of the boiler barrel as the front panel of the water tanks will also need cutting back to match.

On Sunday, it was out with the plasma cutter to cut out the cab’s front panel 

followed by doing the same to the first of the tanks.

The 5164 bunker had the remainder of the fixing holes in the first corner piece drilled and bolted up 

and then it was the turn of the upper coal floor.  The original, single access hatch was deemed too small at 14” square to had its width increased by 8” and, additionally,  a second hatch is to be installed in the other end of the floor.  Having received the new platework, we drilled the extra fixing holes in one end 

and, having already cut out the second opening, all the fixing holes for that one.  The doubling plates that fit underneath the floor had a start made on tapping a thread into all the holes to accept the retaining bolts for the hatch covers.

The second rear corner piece has also been hoisted into position so a start can be made on trimming it to fit.

Week One

This week involved the final trimming of the boiler barrel cladding sheets 

which were then put up for the five hundredth time, the holding bands were positioned and tightened and the temporary ratchet straps removed so we could check how it all looked. 

Goodness knows how many man hours it took but the end product was worth the effort.  The ‘elephant’s ears’ that join the boiler and firebox cladding sections have now been ordered and the backhead cladding guys have been trimming and fitting the washout plug hole ferrules into position.

The next bit to be made is the cladding sheet for the front of the firebox which has been measured and marked out 

followed by being cut to shape.

Meanwhile, the main external steam pipes have been cut to length 

and a start made on fabricating the covers.

Work on the 5164 bunker has seen the completion of the refurbishment of the rear ducket section and associated beading after which it was given a coat of primer.

Also, the fireman’s side rear corner piece was trial fitted which involved a fair amount of trimming of the edges before an acceptable fit was achieved.  

It just needs one final line of holes drilled which will be done next week.  The last couple of holes were drilled in the driver’s side panel which will now enable us to start fitting that side’s corner piece.

Finally, the pieces of angle for the inside floor to side and rear panels was cut and given a coat of primer.