Saturday, 24th August 2013 - Tyseley

THE RODS

 

 

The connecting rods are laid out ready for refitting of the big end bushes

 

 

The outer face of the connecting rod has been re-metalled and the bush bored ready to fit to the rod

 

 

The coupling rods have been similarly refurbished and are ready for the completed bushes to be fitted

 

 

Parts of the brake gear which require attention are laid out alongside the rear coupling rods

 

SMOKE BOX

 

 

The smoke box door has been rubbed down and another coat of heat resistant paint applied to give the door a very acceptable finish

Saturday, 17th August 2013

 

 

 

With Tyseley closed as a Vintage Trains tour was scheduled for the Saturday, the working party had a day off. Our illustrious Treasurer speeds through Abergele and Pensarn with some assistance from 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on the Welsh Dragon en route to Holyhead

 

Saturday 10th August 2013 - Tyseley Locomotive Works

 

 

 

Ashpan

 

 

 

The heavily worn damper crank spindle, which had been welded to the mainframe, required replacement

 

 

The replacement spindle with the re-bushed crank levers for operating the linkage to the damper doors is ready to fit to the locomotive

 

                                                Cladding and Boiler Fittings

 

Rubbing down of the cylinder cladding, handrails and cab pipework continues so that as much as possible is ready for the return of the boiler

 

                The cylinder cover cladding is rubbed down in readiness for a further coat of paint


                                                            The Chassis

 

Is there anybody down there - Mark, not in the most comfortable of positions, sorts out the copper pipe runs for the vacuum brake system

 

 

Bob commences the all important task of fitting split pins to those parts of the motion that are now fully assembled. The return spring on the weigh-bar shaft has also been adjusted and a split pin fitted

 

 

 

Kenneth, doing a good impression of a Russian cosmonaut, wire brushes the rust off the new smoke box barrel.

 

 

Mike, deep in thought, pauses from his labour of applying a coat of heat resistant paint to the smoke box barrel.

 

 

Mike puts his early training as a gynaecologist to good use.

 

The finished article

 

Brake Gear

 

 

The brake gear is laid out to assess what further work is required to complete it.

 

 

Life would be so much simpler if steam engines had disc brakes (preferably with ABS)

 

 

 

 

If I do a castling with my queenside rook, I reckon that it will be checkmate! The business end of the brake gear where the front cross beam compensating links attach to the brake adjuster screws and finally to the brake cylinder shaft is temporarily assembled.

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th August 2013

 

 

 

                                                                     Valve Gear

 

 

With the problems arising when the gear was dismantled from incorrectly marked components, the eccentric straps and rods have been erected to complete the assembly of the valve gear.

Connecting Rods

 

With the rod under the press, a start can be made to get the big end bush out

 

 

Spacers are arranged to push out the bush

 

 

Everything ready for the first press to break the seal on the bush

 

 

Hold tight - here we go!!!

 

 

The bush almost out

 

The bush brass is now ready to have the old white metal removed and then re-metalled, machined and
                                              fitted back into the rod - simples!

 

Rods, bushes and gudgeon pins which will shortly be performing the task they were designed for.

 

 

Smoke Box Components

 

 

Meanwhile in a galaxy far, far way a new petticoat spinning has been fashioned to fit the new blower ring casting

 

 

With the petticoat and blower ring assembled, it is ready for a trial fit to the later style of Manor chimney fitted after the redrafting of the mid 1950's which transformed the steaming capabilities of engines once renowned for being shy on steam.