Week Four

During the week, the main focus was progressing the current project which involved finishing the hole drilling, stripping the majority of it apart again so that all the burrs round the drilled holes could be cleaned off

prior to the mating surfaces being coated with mastic

after which it was all realigned and bolted together again in preparation for riveting up.

Meanwhile work continued on checking all the fittings under 4253 plus we helped out Carriage & Wagon by stripping off the end panels on a Mk1 BCK coach purchased a few months ago so that an inspection could be carried out.

On Sunday it was back to the project with many components being welded together,

the welds ground back flush and then bolting further bits together again.

We are fairly well ready to start riveting now.

The boiler work at HBSS continues to progress with the expansion brackets trial fitted to their newly installed studs

while this shot, taken from in the firebox facing forward, shows the fitted longitudinal stays three of which are just visible through the larger flue tube holes plus all the new copper stays at front and sides.

Week Three

This week saw us finish the last of the hole drilling in No. 65’s new smokebox

after which it was the task of cutting all the rivets to length that will attach it to the boiler barrel and then getting all the new tubes for 65 out of storage and then cleaning the ends before they were fitted into the boiler.

The incorrectly drilled holes in our current project that were welded up last week were all dressed back

while others were drilling yet more holes at the other end.

Sunday started with rolling two lengths of steel plate to make a new filler neck

after which the two sections had weld preps ground onto the ends before being fully welded together.

Once done, the welds were dressed back and the finished product can be cleaned up and painted next week.

Finally, the section of plate with the welded up holes had then re-drilled in the correct position after which we were able to mark thought them onto another plate to which it will adjoin and then drill those holes.

Week Two

During the week, more work was done on the smokebox of the Yank No 65.  It was removed from the boiler barrel

and then placed on our rollers 

so that all the other holes (saddle fixing bolts etc) could be drilled.

Meanwhile, others continued drilling numerous holes in platework.

On Sunday, we started by marking through existing holes in one plate onto another for drilling

but, once done, this revealed a problem which turned out to be that the line of predrilled holes in the bottom plate weren’t parallel with the plate edge for the last 30 inches or so but slowly drifted inwards.

The only solution was to weld up the holes concerned and re-drill them in the correct position so the paint was ground off, a strip of aluminium was clamped under the holes to form a base and the welder was brought out.

We’ll now need to grind the welds flat, mark the plate accurately and re-drill which is a job for next week.

On the 4253 front, the machining of the rod bushes has continued

while, at Liverpool, the fitting of the expansion bracket studs has been completed

and, what we sincerely hope is the last repair, is in course on the side of the barrel – we simply cannot afford any more.

Week One

On Tuesday, an expected delivery failed to arrive so we had a maintenance day instead.  The electric hoist was given its periodic check and the cable was starting to look tired so we made the decision to replace it completely with a higher capacity model.  The sales stand gear saw the Tombola table repaired and the trailer rear door lock replaced and the Railway’s loading shovel was greased up.  After that, we set to drilling the rivet holes to attach the new smoke box to the Yank’s (No: 65) boiler so as to speed completion of its overhaul.

On Friday, the delivery finally arrived so some of the team finished off the smokebox drilling while the rest set to checking the new panels and giving them a coat of primer.  Additionally, the last of the steam heat brackets for 4253 were made.

On Sunday, the new hoist was fitted to the gantry and, after that, it was all hands to the new platework which had bits welded on,

bits cut out.

and the inevitable numerous holes drilled.

This is what it looked like at the end of the day.

On the boiler front, the drilling of the front tube plate has started

as has the fitting of the slide brackets.