Securing the bearing cover on a return crank rod  


A tight fit for the left hand Saunders valve on the tender underside  


The lagging and cladding appearing on the firebox.  

Now that temperatures have recovered to more hospitable levels, the memory of just how cold it was in December is beginning to fade, and we're getting back to our normal rate of progress.

Both the left and right hand sets of return cranks and rods have been fully machined and fitted to the loco.  These parts are a semi-permanent assembly, with the fly press being used to press the Return Crank into the roller bearing in the return crank Rod.  The bearing had been packed previously with the correct specification of grease and we hope that we won't have to disturb these bearings for a very long time to come.

On the chassis, we've continued with finishing off outstanding work on the lubrication pipe work and repairing some sections of copper pipe that have been distorted or damaged during the time the boiler was off the loco.  The pipes for the steam atomisers have been made and fitted, as have the steam chest drain pipes.  The Snifting Valve for the middle cylinder has also been fitted.  This valve is normally shut when the regulator is open, but when the regulator is closed, the loco starts coasting and this valve opens under gravity to allow air into the cylinders. This inlet of air prevents the pistons pumping a vacuum, and causing drag on the loco.  The other benefit is that it reduces the tendency for ash to be sucked down from the smoke box into the cylinders via the blast pipe, which wouldn't do anything for the cylinders' lubrication.

Some sand pipes, previously removed for access, have been put back in place and various other small parts have been refitted.   We've been going round the loco chassis tidying up loose ends - sometimes literally!   This has included changing temporary bolts for ones of the correct length, and drilling holes for split pins where necessary. The vibration to which a steam loco is subject will shake most bolts loose, so ensuring that these split pins are in place has been an essential, if tedious, task.

A chance remark in the pub between a P&O member and an 'interested friend' led us via a circuitous route to locating the material for use as our boiler lagging.  This is a non-flammable ceramic fibre matting fully encased in aluminium foil.  This foil facing should keep the matting reasonably dry and hopefully prevent corrosion forming where wet matting rests against the metal boiler - only time will tell if it works.  The foil also makes the material much easier to handle, and can be used to crimp the matting around some of the more difficult corners, such as the firebox shoulders.  The whole surface of the firebox is now covered in insulation and the cladding sheets have been finally painted up to their top coat and installed over the insulation, and very smart it looks too.  This has included the awkward sections on the front of the firebox (the throat plate), where access is very restricted.

We've continued work on the vacuum exhaust pipe which runs along the driver's side of the boiler.  We salvaged a short 'S' shaped section of the original pipe which was still in reasonable condition and would have been tricky to make.  This section has been welded onto the new length of pipe.

The firehole door assembly has been dismantled and sent for grit blasting to remove the last of the 'hard to get at' corrosion.  The boiler handrails have been completed and removed for storage until the boiler cladding sheets are in place.

Friends at the Mid-Hants Railway advised us to ensure that there are no air leaks between the chimney casting and the smoke box, so we've fitted a fibreglass rope seal under the chimney at their suggestion.  Luckily we have a volunteer with a good head for heights! 

On the tender, we've fitted the two Saunders valves referred to in the last report.  The right hand valve went on easily, but the left hand one was different.  Our tender has two unique features, one being the use of a slightly over-size vacuum cylinder for the brakes, and the other being the use of wheels and axle boxes from a former Class 40 diesel.  (There is a rumour that the diesel was the one involved in the 1963 Great Train Robbery - true or not, it's a good story!)  The result of these features is a minimal space to fit the left hand valve, and we just about made it!

Our top priority is to get the boiler lagging and cladding sheets fitted up, then we can lower the boiler into the frames, replace the cab, and start the final fitting of controls and their pipework.  Surely the end must then be in sight!