August 31st, 2013 - Tyseley

 

Blast Pipe

 

 

 

The blast pipe nozzle has been freed of a number of broken bolts which were rusted in. The nozzle is now ready for machining to slightly increase the diameter to improve efficiency

 

The Chassis

 

 

The driving wheels are being rubbed down in readiness for finishing coats of paint

 

 

 

The cylinder covers have received a coat of heat resistant paint prior to refitting of the various pieces of cladding

 

 

With the cylinder cover painted, the drain cocks have been fitted with the drain pipes

 

The left connecting rod has been trial fitted but requires new friction washers on the little end before coupling to the cross head

 

 

Between the frames looking back, the middle driving wheel axle is now complete with eccentric straps and rods ready for valve setting

 

Looking towards the front of the engine, the weigh bar shaft, lifting links and expansion links are all in place with split pins fitted

 

 

In the area which will be occupied by the ash pan, the new hopper door crank spindle has been fitted with the cranks temporarily in place

 

Musical Accompaniment

 

 

The days work at Tyseley was accompanied by some Maybach music as the two M.D.655 engines of D1015 Western Champion were run up in readiness for a railtour

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.

Saturday 13th July 2013

 

After a trial fitting, eccentric straps R2 is returned for some attention in the machine shop.

                                                         THE SMOKE BOX

 

The new smoke box has been mounted temporarily on the saddle so that some fettling can be done to ensure a good fit.

 

Two pictures of the smoke box as seen from the drivers side of the engine. No prizes for
                                             guessing which major bit is still missing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Progress through June and early July 2013

Having been moved from the 'King Shed' at Tyseley, the chassis basks in the late afternoon sunshine whilst fresh coats of paint on the drag box and cab dry.

 

The sections of top feed pipes that couple to the clacks receive a coat of paint. The olive that forms the seal between the pipe and clack can be seen temporarily secured to the pipe flange.

 

With the boiler approaching completion, attention is turned to the ancillary items required on its return which include handrail fittings and the smokebox door dart and handles.

 

Inside the New Works at Tyseley, two new sections of boiler cladding that have been manufactured by the working parties await rolling.

 

A new smokebox has been manufactured and the apertures for the blast pipe and steam pipes have been cut.  

 

Another view of the new smokebox  with the aperture for the chimney cut and the reinforcing ring for joining to the boiler barrel has been trial fitted. The picture shows an interesting comparison between the smokeboxes for a Manor and in the background, that for a Castle

 

 

 

With the crossheads fitted, the new pistons have been fitted in the cylinders and the piston rods secured in the crossheads.

 

With the pistons back in place, 'boxing up' has started with the replacement of the cylinder covers.

 

The side rods have been cleaned in readiness for the bushes to be pressed out and re-metalled, machined and returned to the rods.

 

SMOKE BOX DOOR

 

The old paint on the door is removed.

 

 

The door is cleaned prior to painting. In the background can be seen the heavily corroded smokebox from a double chimney Castle

 

Finally a coat of heat resistant paint is applied.

 

THE MOTION

 

Looking down from the running plate above the centre driving wheels, eccentric strap L2

has been fitted to the eccentric sheaves. The strap is coupled to the expansion link by the eccentric rod which bolts onto the two studs.

 

With eccentric strap L2 in place, L1 is fitted to the sheave. The eccentric straps convert the rotary motion of the axle to a reciprocating motion to drive the valve gear.

 

DRAW HOOKS

 

 

Delivery has been taken of the batch of draw hooks that the Group has had manufactured for G.W.R. locomotives. The long shank version is seen above. 

 

The short version of draw hooks were manufactured simultaneously together with the retaining nuts. These hooks have been manufactured to mainline standards and a quantity have already been ordered
                                            by other G.W.R. locomotive owning groups.