Overhaul update
When the cab sides were removed, it was found that the handrail was as one piece with the vertical beading, which had to be cut to release the parts. With both cabsides now replaced, this damage is being made good.
Brian welds together in a nice display of sparks the two pieces on the right hand side.
The weld complete, but needing to be ground back to produce a smooth surface.
The new cab floorboards are finished over the middle section of the footplate. Also seen is the new right hand fall plate to the tender, many feet having badly worn the originals. The hinge too is a new fabrication, and here is trial fitted.
The finished ones will not have the protruding nuts and bolts.
Brian at work fabricating the left hand fall plate and hinges.
Still in the cab, the reverser has received its coats of black paint.
This is the reach rod from the reverser to the weigh shaft to set the valve gear. It has of course been fully painted prior to fitting.
The Americans liked to stick pipes and valves all over their engines, but the British went for a smoother appearance, as a consequence there are four large diameter pipes running longitudinally and out of sight below the running plates: two water feed pipes from the injectors; vacuum pipe to the leading buffer beam and steam heat pipe likewise. The straight one shown here is the vacuum pipe as drawn out by Tom Coleman’s team in 1933.
Only the first ten of the class were built with steam heat at the front, something necessary in SVR service. That pipe therefore had to be routed around a lot of fixtures already in place, hence its corkscrew-like appearance. Out of sight they might be, but still fully painted.
Work continues on the cylinders. Although they have been rebored, the boring bar could not reach the far end, so leaving a ridge. This is being ground away to leave a smooth surface throughout. Also seen is the aligning gear in the valve chest, indicating that the insertion of the new
liners is imminent.
On the left hand side, the alignment gear has been fitted across the cylinder bore. Note too that the cylinder taps have been trial fitted below the cylinders. This is to give the gap between them and the cylinder faces to allow copper washers to be machined to the correct thickness so that, when fully tight, the taps are pointed in the correct alignment.
A closer view of the taps on the other side.
A view into the firebox showing the inner throat plate. Because of the new steel to the outer throatplate, all stays in this area had to be removed and the work of replacing them is underway. The four on each outer end are already in situ.
At the rear of the firebox, edges have been ground clean in preparation for welding on the new lower backplate and work by copper welding is advanced on the rear of the crown sheet.
A closer view of the copper welding work. The edge of the original plate has been ground clean and the copper shim below needed to build up its thickness can be seen below it. The steel piece below that is a former to support it and prevent distortion from the heat of welding.