Final Week A lot of work has gone into the front running plate this week with the pony truck cover’s holding ring receiving it’s final fettling before fitting properly, further adjustment of the pipes from the oil box and the reaming out of the fixing holes. It has taken many hours of labour to get all these components fitting happily … Read More
Final Week This week, the front rear panel for 5668’s tank was painted, bolted on and reamed ready for riveting and a start made on refurbishing the maker’s name plate from the turntable at Robertsbridge. Work continued on assembling the all new components of the front and rear draw hooks and screw couplings and, as the fixing nut for the … Read More
Week Four On Tuesday, the rear panels for 5668’s second water tank were delivered and painted, 4253’s crank pin nut spanner was finished and we also painted most of the cladding sheets for loco 65 to help the overhaul on its way. Friday saw completion of the machining of the new intermediate rod which was delivered to Rolvenden on Saturday whereupon, … Read More
Week Four Main activity this week has been mocking up the damper door operating rods for 4253’s ashpan. The original levers had the ends cut off and new ones welded on so that we had round holes to attach to the bell cranks rather than the worn, oval ones. The rod brackets made last week were riveted to the damper doors, jigs … Read More
Final Week This week, the repairs on the rear ducket for 5668’s bunker were completed and it received its first undercoat. The support brackets were too corroded to reuse so new ones were shaped and drilled. The new casting for the water gauge arrived but, sadly, it had a couple of cracks and wasn’t actually the right one anyway! 4253’s new blast … Read More
Final Week This week, on 4253, the cylinder covers fitted last week have been cleaned up and painted, the regulator rod was welded back together following the building up and machining back of the section that passes through the packing gland and work continued on checking out and finishing off work already done under the loco. Work on 5668’s second … Read More
Week Three Due to the number of clocks we sold last weekend, most of the team were pressed into producing new ones on Tuesday. The flue tube sections were cleaned of scale, the legs cut from round bar, welded on, cleaned up again and then given their first coat of paint. On Friday, the clock bodies were given a final coat … Read More
Week Four Tuesday saw most of the team spending the day drilling holes in the tank top panels plus drilling and tapping the stud holes for the side inspection plate. All the baffle angle pieces were bolted into place for the final time and all the holes reamed ready for riveting. The Railway’s apprentice, George, started machining some bolts for 4253’s … Read More
Final Week During the week work continued on making the various parts for the water level gauge. We are missing a section of top trim for the tank so a start was made on making that and the regulator boss was cleaned up and, after a lot of effort, the studs for the packing gland were removed as being too … Read More
