Overhaul update
By 29 July 2023 the engine was in the workshop, reunited with its tender and surrounded by scaffolding.
The ejector and its support have been attached and the pipework into the cab trial fitted.
Most work has been concentrated on the smokebox and footplate areas. These are the floorplates for inside the smokebox and surround the blastpipe stand.
Major work at the front was to drill the holes and then fit the bolts between the smokebox wrapper and boiler, and the wrapper and smokebox saddle. Each hole had to be drilled in three stages in ever increasing diameters and finally reamed out to the finished size. This shows the upper row of saddle bolts in place but the lower yet to be fitted. This was days of work which a casual glance would fail to reveal.
Close up of the rear of the RH saddle showing the subtle difference between upper and lower rows.
Inside the smokebox with the boiler attachment rings awaiting their washers and nuts and then trimming to size.
Meanwhile, in the cab fittings and pipework are attached, here the brake and ejector control valves take shape.
By 10 August, things had moved on and the footplate fittings had been joined by the combined blower and sanding valve.
While in the smokebox, the superheater header was in position and its support brackets, right were having their holes drilled to secure them the wrapper. Note the through bolts nutted and trimmed for length.
The tender has been split from the engine as it was noticed that there was a gap between the intermediate buffers and loco hind buffer beam; the buffers should be in compression. This is the main drawbar which is to be modified, while the buffer springs also receive attention.
The rear of the boiler and firebox are held down but free to slide on the frames by the forged bar in the centre of this photo. For ease of fitting, 9/16” Whitworth bolts were dropped into its holes. A job undertaken by the SMF working party was to replace these with the correct 5/8” Whitworth bolts. Access was difficult as four of the six nuts each side were behind the sandbox.
This close up gives some idea of the limited access, as well as showing that the running plate had to be lifted to allow the bolts’ removal and replacement.