Overhaul update
Our axle boxes are now being worked on and here we see what’s called the crown brass (this goes into the top of the axle box and has the white metal bearing surface cast into it before being machined to fit the relevant axle) having its vertical edges fly cut on one of the milling machines before going on to have the outer curved
face machined.
After the outer curved face has been machined the inner curve is completed using the vertical slotter.
Following this the inner face will have a series of grooves cut into it to provide a key for the white metal bearing surface mentioned earlier.
Further work in the machine shop includes one of the new spring hanger brackets having some early tidying up carried out.
This brass (bronze?) casting is known colloquially as a “spittoon” and is one of two components forming part of the pony truck’s support system for the front of the locomotive. The female hemispherical surface will be machined to match its male counterpart found under the front of the loco. When assembled the flat surface (on which it is sitting here) will slide on a similar flat circular plate on top of the pony truck.
The Left hand cab side has now been trill fitted and is ready for the rivet holes to be drilled through the new mounting angle behind.
The Right hand rear sandbox mounting bracket has been re-fitted and primer painting started on the bare metal nearby.
Riveting of the various components around the new piece of the RH frame is now complete.
Meanwhile the tender has been ejected from the paint shop (to allow GWR coach 829 in for painting) and is now still under cover in the shed in all it’s glory LMS sporting the early LMS livery.
Finally we can admire Bridgnorth’s painter Mick Flint’s work in hand painting the lettering and lining on the Left hand side of the tender. The Right hand side is equally good!