Week Two

Work on 4253 this week saw a start made on fabricating the cones that will fit inside the backhead cladding infill sections around the washout plugs to keep the insulation in place.  This involved cutting out the basic shapes

before bending into a cone and welding it up 

and then seeing how the finished product fitted before going into full production.

The smokebox got rubbed down before receiving another coat of heatproof paint 

and we started modifying the ashpan washout system.  Use of this system on other locos has shown that the sudden flow of cold water through the hot pipes was leading to fractures where the pipes were welded to mounting posts welded to the sides of the ashpan.  We’ve therefore cut through the welds to release the pipes, 

and then reduced the length of the posts by grinding them back.

We then cut up some round tube into inch lengths 

which will be welded to the posts and the pipes themselves will then by supported in the loose-fitting rings to allow for expansion and contraction.

The covers for the clack delivery pipes have also been measured and cut to length.

On the 5164 bunker, the rivet holes on the underside of the floor panel have all been countersunk to allow for where the bunker sits on the loco frames, 

the inner, bottom angles have been bolted into position ready for tack welding 

and the positions on the side panels for the steps have all been measured and marked.

When going to fix the doubling plates to the floor for the injectors we found that the 4 mounting holes did not line up with the holes in the floor panel with the PCDs being 1/8” out.  Having established from the original GWR drawing which was the correct PCD, we had to weld up the incorrect holes 

and then redrill.

Week One

This week saw the delivery of the curved covers that go over the delivery pipes to the clacks and, after checking for fit (which was excellent) they were given a coat of primer and set aside.

Work on the infill cladding around the backhead corners continued and, at long last, is coming down the home straight.

Work on the 5164 bunker included reaming the holes through the lower rear panel and the internal and external angles in preparation for riveting,

and drilling through the side angles into the floor plate.

The rear angles received the same treatment but, due to the lack of room, these had to be drilled by hand rather than using the far easier Mag drill 

and, once completed, the rear panel was unbolted and lifted away.

The inner doubling plates were cut to fit round the inner side angles, bolted into position 

and then fully welded to the floor.

All the angles were then unbolted and removed so everything can be deburred and cleaned of swarf, the floor panel was turned over and a start made on countersinking the rivet holes that will need to be a flush fit to sit on the loco frames.