Overhaul update
Work has begun on refitting cladding pieces to the cylinders. The main sheet for the right side was found to contain areas of corrosion so a new replacement was made, seen here trial fitted with all mounting bolts in place. The corresponding item for the left cylinder is seen left, and the old right hand one just visible extreme right.
The cladding pieces for the valve chest are complex and there are four examples of each piece. A job undertaken by the Fund working party was to find all the pieces, identify their location and, not least, figure out how they could be persuaded to go into their correct places. The outside side piece was easy enough as shown, but above it is a horizontal section, its holes not yet lined up with the bolts below, and a larger piece in front. It was found that fitting this requires the removal of running plate support bracket, which was done at one location to prove the point.
Various other pieces of the three-dimensional jigsaw. The half-moon section Upper left covers the outside of the rear of the back cylinder cover.
The ashpan is still in the main workshop and work continues on the linkages for the hopper doors and dampers.
The mounting holes to the firebox foundation ring have been cut.
The inner firebox backplate is now in its rightful place, although not yet properly fastened in; work is proceeding in that direction. The temporary fastenings can be seen at the top of the photo.
The firehole, with the two layers of inner and outer firebox apparent.
Most of the permanent fastenings are the stays between inner and outer backplates. Those in the inner are, of course, still there and the holes in the outer have started to be drilled, starting as small holes and building up to full size.
Close up of the backplate with many holes drilled and others marked out.