Overhaul update
The list of jobs for completion taped to the loco frames; note that four of the six have been ticked off. By the end of the day, a fifth had also been completed.
The still inverted pony truck, now all black, was transferred to the north end of the shed on its way to a new position close to the frames, where reassembly will begin.
Pony truck components in grey primer await finish painting before being refitted. The item in black is the control gear for the hopper ashpan.
A more substantial part of the truck is the wheelset, now with the axleboxes already fitted.
DSCF0945 The drain cock linkage below the cylinders was fitted a few weeks previously; other parts of the mechanism are now on the engine…
… including the rod running forwards from the cab, and seen here hanging below it. There are two guide brackets to support it below the running plate but it has been left like this to allow the painter access to the underside of the running plate.
The ‘taps’ lever is mounted to the driver’s side cabside and is seen here with the same rod joining it lower right.
DSCF0949 On the other side of the cab, the topmost job on the list is complete with the damper quadrant and levers fitted. Some trouble was experienced in getting the levers to move freely across the quadrant, but all was well at the end of the day.
This allowed the rodding through the cab floor to be fitted and attached to the relay mechanism below, fitted a few weeks ago.
Still in the cab area, the fireman’s side injector control valve was built up and temporarily attached. This was mostly to find which parts went on which side of the cab. Although they had been marked when removed, someone in the intervening time had painted them!
A major component to be returned to the cab area is the reverser mechanism, here clamped to a bench to allow inspection for wear and the appropriate action to be taken.
The reverser wheel, having received a new coat of red paint. Thoughts are however that it should be black.
The back end of the boiler and firebox sit via brackets on top of the frames, with a spacing piece between to allow the firebox to slide as expansion takes place. The slides are already awaiting the boiler’s return.
While things have been busy on the frames, activity in the boilershop has been no less intense. The lower two-thirds of the firebox backplate have been delivered and work to fit it is about to begin.
At the other end of the firebox, the repair section for the bottom of the throatplate is also here, seen below the piece previously removed, and also soon to be welded in.
The rear of the firebox where the new lower two-thirds will be fitted. The temporarily reattached foundation ring to allow accurate alignment is to the top.
This view is at the throatplate end and also shows the foundation ring temporarily in place to allow the fitting of the lower throatplate. Note the staging to allow the work to be done safely.
Feedwater is supplied to the boiler by two injectors, and those of LMS engines did not enjoy a good reputation for reliability. The SVR is fitting a pair of new GWR type, which were far superior. This shows a box containing the raw castings, two marked ‘42968’.
13268’s blastpipe has also arrived in the machine shop, although its fate is not yet known.