7820 Dinmore Manor - The Blog

This blog will follow the heavy overhaul of 7820 through to its return to steam. The chassis is being overhauled at Tyseley Locomotive Works whilst the boiler is being overhauled at Ian Riley's workshops.
We are working hard every weekend to bring together the hundreds of small pieces that require refurbishing to get the loco back into working order. Follow us to keep up todate with the weekly progress and who knows if you like the look of what you see you may even be tempted to join us and help put 7820 back in action.

Sunday 2 August 2015

Saturday, 1st August 2015 - Tender Brake Gear



 
    DMLG's recently acquired lathe positioned and wired
up ready for use in the machining area

 
The turning section after reorganisation of this area


                               The Colchester Triumph 2000 lathe enters service and soon
                                shows a prodigious capacity to remove metal compared to
                                                               our previous machine


                               Not to be outdone, our other Colchester lathe is used to
                                trial a mandrel designed to assist in the machining of the
                                  outside diameter of bushes. Each bush has to be carefully
                                tailored to fit the component and, to ensure the correct interference
                                     fit is achieved, requires repeat adjustment of it's size

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Dinmore Manor On Tour - June 2015

 
  Whilst work continues on her new tender, 7820
 has visited the Epping and Ongar Railway for their
 Gala before moving on to holiday in Paignton
 
 


                                                        7820 runs round at Ongar



                                            and enters North Weald on a service train

                                               Photographs courtesy of Paul Arnold

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Tender Brake Gear Progress - 30.05.15

 
        Progress continues to be made on the refurbishment of
     the tender brake gear. The bearings on the end of the
  brake beams required replacement and new bushes
 have been machined to an interference fit.
          The propane torch is lit to commence heating the bush for fitting to the beam 

 
                                                   The bush is gently heated


 
Rotated to get an even distribution of heat

 
Finally to a red hot temperature


                                    The bush is quickly slipped onto the journal of the brake beam,
                                     the heat having expanded it to be a slide fit and the retaining
                                                 washer is placed against the bush end


                                             The retaining nut is screwed up to the washer

 
and quickly tightened to apply pressure to the bush


                                       With the retaining nut tightened, the bush will not shrink
                                     away from the thrust face washer holding this firmly in place.
                                       Six bushes have been fitted to the three brake beams and
                                      these are now complete ready for cleaning and painting.
                                       Just three more parts of the numerous parts of the brake
                                                        gear assembly are ready!

 
The brake hangers which support the brake beams
are also being re-bushed and are here seen cleaned and painted with primer
 
 Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away, the main brake beam
is being bushed and machined and new tender pipework is in manufacture 

Monday 27 April 2015

Progress on the Tender

 
 With the tender frames under cover at Toddington
 work progresses on the intermediate buffer beam

 
   Plate work is renewed in readiness for assembly
 of the new drag box
 
 
 
  A large number of components have
     been cleaned and painted. Seen here are
   the spring hanger rocker plates and the
    new sump cover manufactured for the well tank

 
 Welding repairs have been undertaken on the
 feed cock operating handles which had suffered
from years of corrosion

 
  One of the new bushes cooling after being heat
 shrunk onto the brake beams


                           The trailing brake beam all re-bushed and ready for finish painting

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Saturday, 17th January 2015

 
Tender Working Party
 
 
Machining of the set of 12 rubbing pads for the six
 brake hangers continues

 
         Grease nipple holes are drilled and tapped in the
lower bearing of the brake hangers

 
Another component of the brake rigging has been completely rebushed

Sunday 4 January 2015

3rd January 2015 - Tender Progress


                                                         2015 - The Year of the Tender

                              Through the last months of 2014, progress was being made on
                               re-bushing the brake gear for the new Dinmore Manor tender.

 
      The brake hanger brackets and top bushes in the brake hangers have
     all been renewed and the lower bushes that fit to the brake beams
 are also being renewed  

 
Some progress was made on the new plate work for the new drag box


                             The tender steps were removed to facilitate cleaning and painting
                             of the frames and the 'U' shaped angle iron that carries the various
                               engine to tender pipes was trial fitted to the new frame sections

 
    In late December, the frames moved to Toddington for completion of
  the drag box and will remain there for re- erection. After removal of
     the frames, the new 3,500 gallon tank which replaces the original 4,000
 gallon Collett tender tank was placed on the jacks
 
 
    New rubbing blocks for the brake hangers have been cast and
 are being machined in readiness for fitting
 


                                 The brake shaft is currently 'off-site' for machining work to be
                                 completed on it and the links from this shaft to the adjusting
                                                   screws have been re-bushed