Overhaul update
Inside the boiler shop, the most obvious change is that the Hall’s smokebox is no longer bolted to the front of the barrel, and talk of digging out the engine’s own smokebox to salvage parts is underway.
At the other end, the grooving to the right hand copper side sheet has been filled by copper welding, which now requires chipping down to a level surface.
Still boiler related but in the main workshop is the new ashpan. This will be a hopper type and the three doors are seen on the upturned ashpan. These required six trunnions in which to operate, and Fund members did the work of drilling these both for the centre pivot and the mounting holes. To the right is the tender and in the background are various pieces of pipework painted and ready to be fitted.
The six trunnions with one having its pivot hole drilled on the radial arm drilling machine. This required a five step process to achieve the final diameter, the range of sized drills can be seen; the two mounting holes per trunnion needed only three steps.
The hoppers need an operating mechanism, here it is on the bench with some of the operating levers to the right.
Work is well advanced on the coupled axleboxes, with five shown here rematalled and fully machined to size. The odd item is the underkeep for the one currently being worked on.
This involves many calculations to determine the finished size, and some measurements are revealed here. While steam loco engineering is often portrayed as crude, big hammer work, note that the SVR is working to within a thousandth of an inch.
One of the trailing coupling rods being worked on, with brasses for the ends also seen. More calculations are needed to ensure the hole is the right size and in the right position.
There are four coupling rods, and the three completed ones are stored on the floor in the machine shop.
Wear was found in the tender brake adjuster mechanism and this is being addressed by building up the male components by welding then retapping, and making new the adjuster nuts. The three at the front are the tender brake adjusters - the fourth was in the welding bay at the time- whilst the big one behind is the loco brake adjuster (there is one adjuster on the loco and two on the tender - each adjuster having two rods and a turnbuckle) This photo was taken after Ian Bramble had just turned the weld on the tender adjuster parts, only to find that they were under size - more weld required! Josh Harvey and Blair Chisholm made a new turnbuckle and locknuts for the loco adjuster, which can be seen, all bright and shiny, in the photo. The two tender turnbuckles are behind, one behind the loco adjuster parts and one on top of the orange board (with 'do not touch' painted on it) the jury is out at the moment as to whether these will be repaired or replaced.
Rather more detailed work: the fitting of the GWR injector on the driver’s side necessitates a new water control rod below the driver’s seat. This is here being turned up in the lathe.
On dismantling, the blastpipe stand was found to be very thin and holes had been worn though in places. The new casting is now on site, waiting to be finished off prior to fitment.