Restoration update 21st Jan 2006

Launch dates announced...

...be there 25th/26th Feb for the first revenue earning runs. 1638 to go public at last!

Yes its true. hard to believe but true. After all these years the time is here. 1638 is all but done. Fitters tweak this adjust that, reset whatever, but the bottom line is that after 13 years plus (and that's a significant part of anyone's life) the moment is nigh. The branchline weekend has been pencilled in as the big day. 1638 last earned money bashing the rails 42 years ago, but she's back, and she wont disappoint. Paint shines, brass sparkles, and if ever an engine looked the business, come down and see Richard Maunsell's finest in action. One of the great things about Maunsell engines is the well styled lines and balanced proportions of a purposeful engines. Well maybe I am biased but you aren't so come and take a look for yourself and see if I aren't right then!

Our official press release gives the rest of the details (for indeed, the press have been hungry for news as they know what is in the offing!

Taster pictures courtesy of John Fry

1638 in final preparation

Restoration info - posted 26th October 2005

Shock Horror...

large scale cover up in M.L.Society!

Work on 1638

No No No, far from taking funds from the society, we are adding to them (see later), the "cover up" is what 1638 gets now she is at an advanced stage of restoration. It is also exceedingly difficult to do, but thanks to the skills of Ian Collins in particular take a look at some of these gems. The picture here (above) is of the cover that goes over the safety valves on top of the boiler. In times past, that is when making a production run of 30 of these engines, one would make a press mould of course. In the present situation ie: only one engine for the moment thank you, we have to use the alternative route and fabricate a replacement. The skill it takes to do the splendid job you see about is never better represented than by looking at the underside of the cover. Take a look. All the cuts and welds to shape the steels are done with care and precision. A master job. It isn't just the valve cover that gets the treatment either. The dome as shown last update is complete and painted, and then there are other covers too, such as the examples shown here below

A pipe cover, to go in situations such as over the exposed pipework as shown above, down the boiler side.

Of course this is all only part of the story. There remains much constructional activity. The front of the boiler, in the smokebox area is made ready. Melvyn has welded in sacrificial plates in the lower smokebox that make ash removal easier. The area has been made ready also to receive the header assembly that gets bolted onto the front end of the front tubeplate. As you see, the unit is well prepared. The main steam pipes that connect the header to the outlets from the cylinder/valve assembly are to be replaced though. As a you can see (lower down the page) they are shot. The tube diameter is in the region of 5" and they are well decayed. The ends are corroded off. New tube ends are made as shown here, and a pipe with the necessary shaping will need to be made. Again the shape will need to be gained by a small "cut and weld" process rather than a shaping mandrel that was used in 1931. No small task.

The joints and faces are ready; it can be fitted.

The steam ports are blocked by rags to prevent accidental ingress whilst the rest of the smokebox area is made ready.

An old steam pipe looks sorry for itself. the ends for the new pipe are ready to go though.

There is more happening too. A wealth of little "this and that" jobs. Consider the pictures below. They show the running plates being fitted to the engine prior to bolting/ riveting as appropriate. The crane in the workshop makes this previously tricky job a real snip.

Take a look too at the cab woodwork. The decking for the floor of the cab is just about there. It needs minor adjustments and then screwing down to finish.

An interesting view is along the roof line. From the tender you see the cab roof, a hint of the safety valves, the dome assembly and the chimney smartly in line.

Finally then there is the question, how is this all paid for. Well the members are generous and we are thankful to all who have contributed and continue to do so. Every bit helps and all sources of revenue are investigated and the one you see here is a sales stand that we had running at the "Giants of Steam" weekend at Sheffield Park. We sell anything that makes profit really (er.. legal that is!), including books, magazines, videos etc, but also golf balls, paintings, and I am proud to say a book in Dutch to the only person at the Park on the day with a particular interest in Holland! As you can see we have a good working relationship with the Camelot group whose loco was on hand and shamelessly used as a backdrop! (They prefer the Platform 2 area truth told). If you are in the area, make your self known. A natter and a cup of tea is never far away.

Greenday at Sheffield Park!

Work on 1638

Mmm not the trendy over rated rock band, but some serious painting and colour checking. 1638 is getting the close up painter attention. This is possible as the good news is that the boiler is tested and back in the frames. The boiler was tested for the insurance inspector and save for some weeping stays which were soon attended to all was well and the boiler was lifted back into place between the frames. This means that the cladding can go back on. Is also means that those pieces available for a final paint up are getting the treatment as the lined out steps (below) show. Don't worry about the different heights as the tender is empty and there is weight to go on the engine yet (as well as a cab floor). All these are being attended to. The whole locomotive will need to be weighed before outshopping of course anyway.

Back to the title though. The picture shows extensive deliberation by many members of the society on the different swatches of green prepared by Simon Allen (in both foreground and background). When is malachite not malachite? Usually when it says malachite on the tin it would seem. Anyway much chat and producing of books and matching swatches seems to have produced "a winner!"

The target of this colour is Stowe's tender. It has the undercoat on, following its completion. It is sat in the running shed awaiting final attention. The main focus is of course on 1638.

Much has been happening. The locomotive now looks like a locomotive. This is because the testing is done and the boiler is in the frames. With the tests done, save for a final steam of course, the push is on to get the engine completed. This entails a huge list of small bits. The word small is used cautiously. The cladding is a huge time consuming task and very tricky. We are lucky to have the services of Ian Collins, a sheet metal worker who has done a splendid job of the dome cover (pictured here in primer) . As you will see from the other picture, the round cladding on the boiler sides is awkward enough, so how about the corner pieces on the Belpair firebox?! The backhead is a pressing cladding issue too as the valves pipes and gauges have to go on. Rod Packham has commenced carpentry work on the cab footplate. The cab roof is painted up and waiting to get refitted too.

Our Chairman Ray has been attending to a myriad of details too of course and particularly to obtaining any missing bits. There is something of a preservation grapevine that helps people to locate bits and pieces. The brake ejector (with steam valve attachment) is very difficult to source unfortunately. Borrowing the one off 847 until its own can be found or made is no good as it is a left hand drive engine to the right hand drive of the U class. 1618's is in use, borrowed for the O1! This can be taken back of course but other solutions are being investigated so all engines are catered for. A new casting requires a pattern. There are hundreds of patterns to hand but as Ray said, you can bet the only one you need is the one we don't have! Such is life. A new pattern is £3000. That also is life!

finally...

... you see the team above in all its glory enjoying lunch on the Sheffield Park platform. These are the commoners, as there are one or two in the Bessemers arms over the tracks! A chance for a natter in front of 847, our next overhaul candidate, is always welcome... and so are you, pop round sometime and make yourself known. Cheers

Your Maunsell restoration team

Under pressure!

Work on 1638

And lots of it too. Before we can put the boiler back in the frames it has to go through a series of tests. The first came recently when the boiler was sealed up with water put in and a bit of pressure applied, 260lbs/ft in fact. This stands comparison well with the operating pressure of 200p.s.i but is nothing like the pressure the boiler will but put to when steam tested for the insurance assessor. Just as well too as there was a fault that was little unusual as you can see. The large flue tube has been removed form the boiler (second row down left hand most flue). The tube had fractured near the front tub plate. The crack leaked water as the fresh rust traces show. The flue is out and a new "bottle end" piece has been welded on to it. This will be fitted back to the boiler which will then be tested again, this time a full hydraulic test. Assuming that all goes well, the next step is to get the boiler in the frames for the live steam test. This is done with the boiler in the frames but no obstructive extras such as cladding stopping a good view of proceedings.

To do this we will need a mobile crane to lift the boiler in the yard. When the ashpan is fitted to the underside of the boiler, as it will have to be, there is insufficient headroom in the workshop for the nice new cranes. A mobile hired in is the solution. Whilst this is being done, cladding is being made ready. Much of the crinoline (bracketry work that holds the cladding) is already on the boiler. Some of the cladding is tricky, particularly the corner pieces that go around the corners of the backhead, which are being made by Gary Boyt, and the dome cover which Ian Collins is making using the dome cover of 1618 as a pattern.

Other work underway is featured here with the main steamports that sit under the smokebox, which itself has been made ready to fit to the front tubeplate prior to boiler refitting for the live steam test. Now a dip in the archives will tell you what a performance getting the steam port area cleaned up was. Drilling out the sheared studs and trying to free off sealed joints. The freezing conditions that were around when Barry Smith and I drilled out the studs with the magnetic clamp drill are still fresh in the consciousness even though it was a staggering 10 years ago (frightening!). Anyway, Ray has worked hard on this and the repaired bolted solution is a perfect fix.

Another task to consider is the tender axle boxes. Although we have always considered the tender a "done deal", this is not strictly true and one of the axle boxes is a bit "sticky" in its guides. Although everything was marked up on dismantling it looks suspiciously as if a error could have been made and we will have to check this out on the wheel drop facility in the workshop.

There has been other activity too. The cab roof has never been completed, .. up until now, and the twist in it has been fixed thanks to Mel's reworking of the roof strengthener. Just to complete the scene, here is the smokebox which is ready for fitting to the boiler front.

other news

Well, a concern is the PMV which looks well on the outside but needs a new floor. Its done for. There is daylight in places! This will need emptying soon. This has been brought to the fore by the fact that 847 is confirmed as the next job after 1638, and the stripping of it will necessitate storage facilities just like the PMV.

Stowe is in the running shed but undergoing a repaint and will soon sport a coat of Malachite green for your enjoyment.

Stay with me!

Work on 1638

Well stay with us I suppose. You'd have plenty of opportunity too. There are hundreds of them and they are all have to be attended to. The pic here shows some ready to be used. As you can see from the box labels there are different lengths that gets used in different places. They are copper and they are what we spent a lot of your money on (ta!) A rule of thumb calculation has them weighing in at about £10 sterling each, and this is but a small part of the total number used. They are used for keeping the inner and outer firebox walls apart (in the water jacket). They are subject to the 200lbs + per sq inch pressure, and endless vibration, so they have to be right if they are to be strong and not leak of course.

Unfortunately not all the holes to which they re fitted are in top condition so this has to happen. Parts are weld strengthened or plate pieces grafted in. The hole drilled has to line up exactly with the hole in the outer plate and then they have to be tapped out with a thread. When you have done a few you get the effect shown with this nice neat row that is in the copper firebox.

When that's done then comes the best bit, depending on you idea of a good time. Its also a noisy and tricky bit, namely using a rivet gun to knock the ends over to get a sealed fit. It is this occupation in times past that ensured that boilermen were stone deaf well before retirement age. These days of course appropriate protection is not only to hand but mandatory.

These below, are what they stays look like whilst being fitted by the way. They don't stay so wonderfully shiny for long! These particular examples, fitted to strengthened and repaired holes are only half fitted of course they go right in for the threads to be engaged with both walls, the smooth shank in the water jacket.

Down the pan!

Well up with it really as since the last report Mel has all but done. The workshop cranes have been indispensable. Things that took an age in the recent past go so much quicker when manoeuvring large plates of steel is a one man - one touch operation. The picture shows the completed pan being matched up to the underside of the firebox, which because it is upside down in in the air, if you see what I mean!

The snap (right) shows the masterpiece on the deck. As you can see its mostly a 1/4" steel plate construction, hence the rotting completely of the previous pan. Sulphur rich ashes would soon see that off!

No smoking!

Not yet.. but hang around 'til autumn! And this is what you'll see coming down the track. The new door has had its furniture fitted, and of course has to be prepared to go up against the door frame for a good seal (or drafting would be a total mess) Solution? well in times past I understand an apprentice, a file and engineers blue was the method. Sounds illegal to me.. and the turning machining skimming the edge seems a better bet in all respects. That's what you are looking at

The other shot is off course the front side ready for use

There has to be something behind the door and the flue tubes have been made ready. Things called bottle ends have been fitted. This is akin to having copper "socks" put on the end so that the copper can be fitted to a water/gas tight fit in the tube plates. These bottle ends get welded to the flue tubes

..and finally, I'd like to thank...

...a cast of many, because there are just so many bits, operations and procedures in an engine restoration. Here are some other pieces receiving attention. For a start there is the pipework, and lots of it. Some of this can go in now, and as shown. then there is plenty of bronze valve work to attend to as well. Some bits are restored, others need casting and machining. Then where would we be without copious amounts of painting to do. Another day another coat or additional coat. Its starting to look like an engine! Hope you will be able to make our big day, its on the horizon!

Other engines? well plans are afoot, and 847 and Stowe are the likely benficiaries of course. 541 sits in the shed patiently along with 1618. They make a fine Maunsell line up at the front of the shed, under the new covered front end which has transparent roofing panels. The chance to view them is much improved. Check them out on your next visit!

and ashes to ashes!

Work on 1638

No no! this is good news. The ashes in question don't exist actually... yet, but we have to make provision for them and that is what is happening. Always a good sign of an advanced job is when the ashpan is put together. This of course get placed between the rear wheel set under the firebox. The fabrication of it is pretty much from scratch as the original disintegrated as one might imagine with acidic ash sat on steel for years in Barry scrapyard. Anyway armed with plans, oddments and sheet steel Mel is indeed showing his mettle (pun intended of course) and putting is this piece of art together.

There isn't much point in an ashpan without something to drop ash in it and so a word about the boiler. This is moving along nicely now after a welder pause. All welding on the outside of the firebox is complete and 180 new stays are in place on both sides of the box. This is tiresome repetitive work. The water jacket around the firebox is kept strong and a fixed width by the stays. This are threaded rods that are screwed and riveted over into place. Of course to do this the old stay has to be removed, the thread dressed, the new (machined etc) rod fitted, and then riveted over on the ends. Now repeat, what seems like, countless times!

Whilst on the topic all riveting is complete on the foundation ring (the metal ring that "plugs" the gap at the open lower edge of the inner and outer firebox). Of course something has to go in the boiler for the heat to travel down, and the firetubes are made ready. The copper bell ends to the flue tubes are being brazed into place (to allow fitting to the tubeplates)

So, having a boiler, we will need to duct the steam at pressure to and from the cylinders. Well the ports in the saddle under the smokebox have been sat there as a known quantity for some time now. Their time has come. As you can see from the pics they are not in the prime of their youth! The threads in the ends are for the large part shot at. The shorter (inlet) manifolds are getting renewed and that is what the wooden pattern is about. New ones will be cast. The condition is explained by their position. They sit under the smokebox and were buried in most ash residue for years. One of the first jobs we did after boiler removal was to clear the ash away (and I remember the blisters well!) which was just as well or we would have to renew the lot by now I should reckon.

So having got the steam in and out of the cylinders the next task is to add the plumbing to make sure the other functions can work correctly. What you are looking at here is the lower side of the right hand cylinder with said pipework in place. Yet more copper that will need a shine up to look its best!

And that's about it. There is no movement on any of the other engines, save to mention a big thanks to Rod Packham for attending to yet more woodwork problems on our PMV (Van). This is not high profile or glamourous but it is absolutely vital if we are to still have a van in the future. There aren't too many of these around any more so all work is appreciated here too.

A big "weld-done" one and all!

Work on "Stowe"

Mmmm,.. looks dark and creepy down there doesn't it? Probably is, but having got this far I doubt that Mel cares. What you are looking at is a shot from the top of the tender down into the tank, at the back through where the last of the plates will go, the plate where the filler hole/cap for the water goes. This is the last piece of serious sized steel to go in, which is just as well as the steel market has gone crazy with the Chinese buying up everything in sight, making supplies difficult to source.

Stowe's tender then is almost the "done deal". It needs painting and evening up on the springs, and a bit of small work such as the beading on the plate edges, but really its 95% done. It certainly makes one sit back and think "now what about the engine itself?" and to this end a costing job is going on to get the project management kick started.

A good opportunity for we Maunsellites has occurred at the park recently. The new shed extension is well illuminated with many transparent roof panels. A good view is afforded to our very own stock with 3 of our engines side by side on display. Q class 541, U class 1618 and V class (Schools) Stowe are side by side looking ready for action even if they aren't! It gives a nice reminiscent feel, like you really are cast back to a shed in southern England about 50 years ago. Nice!

Hoping to be able to join the picture possibilities soon is of course our other U class, 1638

1638

Things move along nicely. The focus is on getting the boiler sorted but there are other happenings too. The pipework is going in and even the paint work is started. This is the "for real" paint. The basecoats are down in many areas. The several coats already applied give depth and as you can see from this tender shot a real mirror effect has developed. This bodes well for a seriously good looking engine when she gets rolled out of the shed.

There are jobs "on the bench" still taking place. The picture shows so of the non ferrous pieces. The regulator plate is clear. The rings are pipe union pieces.

Another piece on the bench is a newly fabricated firebox door set. All ready for action.

The cab roof is off presently and is getting tweaked , with he need to resolve one or two snags on this piece. What the frames are really waiting for of course is the boiler.

The Boiler

It is the boiler that is the key to the rest of the restoration. The estimate of next Easter to run is wholly achievable but this is entirely dependent on progress by the coded welders. This in turn is dependent on jobs that arise in the works, such as the current repairs to Blackmore Vale. As this engine is sought for the Giants of Steam day, it has priority.

Nevertheless, progress has been made. The new backplate is in with primary weld runs done. Secondary passes to follow.

The pictures below show the area prepared for the fitting of the corner and lower side plates of the firebox outer wrapper, and on the right a shot into the firebox tubeplate which as you can see from all the lovely shiny copper shavings is made ready to receive new tubes.

That's is about the size of it. The boiler dictates the pace at which we can move forward to get the job finished. Having said that there is no doubt that the Bluebell Railway as well as ourselves, is very keen to get through these tasks and have the engine in revenue earning service again as soon as possible. Well we are all waiting for that one aren't we?!

Huge Rave held at Sheffield Park Works!

Work on "Stowe"

Its true!, and here it is to prove it, with a series of brackets holding it up. Melvyn is busy welding it in place. It is a sign of the maturity of our society that we can hire in help to supplement volunteer help these days and what a difference it has made to progress on Stowe's tender. The tender for 1638 took 18 months or so. This one has been done in 7! Of course it has to be pointed out that as well as the fact that we had all the pieces for this one, we had done 1638's earlier, so there was no re-learning process. Mind you the fact that it was done largely indoors, in comfortable surroundings having the use of all the kit, especially the new overhead cranes has to play a part. Consider the choice. You have to fit a grands worth of steel side panel weighing over a ton. Do you
A) Wait till Sunday and struggle with 4 blokes and a fork lift truck, to find it has to come down again to go up again? or
B) Have one chap and a 20 ton electronic crane taking approx 5mins. Mmmm have to think about that! Considering issues like that, I am stunned that we managed 1638's tender in only 18 months!

Take a look at this top-on view of the tender and you will see that we are almost there with it. There are the fiddly corner pieces to do, another tool box, and some under tank welding to sort, but no big kicks.

1638

Elsewhere the focus has been on 1638 of course. Now we are getting close to a working locomotive. We are reasonably confident of a run next year and talk at the recent AGM ran to discussions about how to best mark the return to traffic. We are that confident! Here are one or two reasons why. In the sunshine of Sheffield Park, we had 1638 and her tender coupled up. This gives the impression of how the finished article may look but also gives a chance for the nice paintwork that has been started upon, to shine. So far just the wheels and cylinders have had the treatment but they are looking nice from it.

The side on view allows one to dream a bit about how things will be with the boiler back in the frames

The Boiler

And so we move on to the missing link to completion, that is the boiler. We are dependent somewhat on the presence and action of the contract welders at Bluebell works. Having said that much has happened and pieces are made to replace those cut out.

What you are admiring here is as follows; from the top left clockwise. Firstly a hole! the backplate has been cut out of the back of the boiler. It is here that there was a cut already made by British Rail who were contemplating fixing her before going for the easier scrapping option, so replacement here is hardly a surprise. Next you will see what was cut from the boiler, namely the rotten backplate. Even on such a small screen picture it is clear the poor condition this piece had. Next is the new piece, cut to shape and drilled to suit so all the stay holes match up. Finally there is an example of one of the corner pieces. That it is in poor shape is no surprise either as the water circulates at speed inside the boiler when hot, so the corners get a hammering. The piece is meant to taper to a point (overlapping of plates) towards the right hand edge, but thickness has been lost and the suface damage is clear. As you can see, there is a nice new full thickness piece of boiler grade steel being made ready to take its place.

The lower edges of the sides of the firebox have had similar attention and here you can see the lower 10" or so of the outer wrapper, which attaches to the foundation ring (nearest you) has been cut in anticipation of a new piece. Again this is just the kind of piece that is typically renewed due to the extreme wear is would get in regular service. Also on view here is the other end of the boiler, that is, the front tubeplate which has now been riveted in place, save for the lowest rivets which will be done when the boiler is flipped over to do the other side of the firebox.

Now before you get carried away thinking this is a snip of a job, nothing left etc etc, a word of caution. there is a lot of work in assembly, piping, "snagging", testing and so on. Some of this can be attended to in advance and so cut the time to steam. One such example is shown here and that is the injectors which are finished and bolted in place on the cab step brackets, with rear facing pipes already attached.

It has to be said though that we are very pleased with progress and that light at the end of the tunnel is shining nice and bright!

847, 541, 1618

A brief word on the other engines. Things are looking up for 541 and 1618 now as the running shed end has been completed, They are near the front so the light from the see through roof panels is welcome, but not as welcome as the complete protection from the elements that the new and attractive it has to be said, shed end provides.

847 is not so lucky. Down on the Newick end siding, 847 is next to our PMV van and has received some basic maintenance and attention. We are assured that she will be moved to a more prominent position so she can at least be a static exhibit until here turn comes. She is ready for a boiler lift so we are lobbying for a sooner rather than later position in the queue.

Weld-done All!

A quick review of latest happenings

1638

The focus of activity is on the boiler now. Much is happening too. The copper welding you saw in previous postings is now complete. On the left here is a typical result of the welders attention and a decent amount of "meat" is now around the rivets, the copper seam having been built up. The attention switches to the main steel wrapper. There have been sections removed, where the plate was wasted or damaged. Replacement pieces to be grafted in were ordered and have now arrived on site. These will be welded in in the weeks ahead by the specialist contract welders that the Bluebell hires.

This is not the only activity with some of the tube work to go into the boiler receiving attention. We already have 21 new flue tubes in stock and these are being cleaned up prior to fitting to the new tubeplate. The smaller but more numerous smoke tubes are on order, 173 of them (hence the recent tube appeal which is still open by the way!)

Ray, our chairman has been busy with additional boiler bits and pieces. The "pads" which take the fittings such as valves, regulator, gauges etc etc have to be prepared. Machining takes place to level wastage into a steam tight fit. A boiler of steam at 200psi will soon find any discrepancies, so Ray is getting these pads sorted out.

New palm stays have been fitted too, these bracing the front of the inner firebox to the bottom of the boiler.

Work on "Stowe"

Stowe's tender continues to progress. As you can see from these two pictures we have the before and after!. The ribs have to be accurately placed and welded in, then skinned with new plates. These plates are now fitted. the two large plates alone cost £1235. More steel plate has arrived on site and is being welded into position. The upper raves are now being fitted.

The dirt and mess from the assembly phase has been cleaned up and is protected up using top quality paint.

Mechanically, the brake blocks are now fitted and the brake rigging has been made operational. Some of the smaller items such as the tool boxes are being made ready to weld onto the tender

A Special Mention

We note with sadness the death of George Nickson in June 2004, who passed away peacefully at the age of 68. George had been a stalwart member of the Bluebell Railway's loco dept for many years. It was George who actually purchased 1638 back in 1980 and then gave it to the Bluebell Railway. It is to be regretted that we have not been able to get 1638 finished in time for George to see and savour. However George did not put any pressure on us, he knew the job was getting done, and done well. That was pleasure enough for him. So thank you George for your generosity all those years ago.

Coppering Up!

There is some excellent progress on several fronts so here's the latest on how things are coming along

1638

Well to kick off with take a look at the firebox. These are made of copper, generally an inch thick. The corners can get cracked and the seams worn thin. There was a time not too long ago when this would have been terminal for a boiler. The LNER B1 No. 1264 was a groundbreaker in this respect with copper welding coming into its own. Its hardly an everyday thing these days, but we have had the seams strengthened. There are effectively "before and after" pictures here. As you can see the inch thick copper had become wafer thin. This has been built up on the front and rear seams. when the boiler is turned over, the welder will be back to sort out the other side. Ball park cost of this?.. well, don't plan on too much change from £2000!

The backhead panels are all removed and the plates to fit are under construction. Other work in the offing for the boiler will be undertaken by our Chairman Ray who will resurface the regulator valve which has been removed from the dome area. The refurb of the regulator rod and handle is already in hand.

Another item that is made and awaiting fitting is the tubeplate. This substantial piece of work looks a treat. Of course when riveted to the barrel of the boiler it will need plenty of tubes fitting in it. Please refer to our "sponsor a tube" appeal to move this job along!

The chassis is virtually complete with only minor items outstanding. The sandboxes are in place, but amongst the other items likely to give us grief is the state of the main cylinder steam inlet/exhaust ports. As you will see, the state of the threads in the castings leaves something to be desired. An investigation of this was done around 8 or 9 years ago. Well the time has come to fix them. The small upper casting on the round port was proving difficult to remove, so it was left until workshop conditions were available. Well they are and the boiler cant go back until it is sorted!

Work that is going on, on the sidelines is featured here. The injector is original and has been cleaned up. New screw caps have been made to fit. The other casting is made from scratch. It is the valve that controls the water feed from the tender, with the hose on on side the the outlet form the tank (via filter) on the other. Another job done and ticked off the list!

Finally, we are looking ahead to the painting of the engine. With the later thirties dark olive in favour, due largely to the fact that it will match up beautifully to the rake of Maunsell coaches that the railway has in the same colour, colour matching has taken place. Samples from distributors have been sample painted to the right rear driving wheel. As you can see the distributors idea of what constituted match and ours were somewhat different. Ray was able to track down a company that could correctly match the colour spec though, so orders can be made in due course.

Work on "Stowe"

Meanwhile work on the tender is coming along well thanks for the large part to the efforts of Melvyn. As you can see nearly all the ribs are in place and the deck on which they sit is all welded up. Again this kind of work would have been regarded as totally infeasible not too long ago, and would have been farmed out to contractors. Not any more. This is our second and is proceeding well thanks to the experience we have acquired. The steel to clad the sides is ordered and will provide a good use for the new workshop cranes when it arrives. We have ordered sheets that are about as large as it gets (we had to phone around to find the size). They are 20 feet by 10. Any smaller though and we wouldn't be able to get a whole tank side out of them without welding the sheet. This rarely gives as perfect a job, so nothwithstanding the difficulty of moving marking cutting and lifting, we thought that it would be the better option.

Other matters

Well, 541 is in the shed and to be honest likely to stay for a while yet, along with our other U Class, 1618. On the bright side though the new shed wall and roof extension is under construction and so total cover will be the result, something our rather exposed Q class has really needed. 847 remains in the siding but is a candidate for attention in the near future, as of course is Stowe itself.

Restoration info - posted 21st February 2004

Tanx for everything!

An update on recent developments through the winter are in order and so here are a few notes. Progress is taking place on two fronts.

1638

The rotten areas of the boiler have been cut out of course. In the meantime the new tubeplate for the front end has been prepared. If you take a look in the bottom right hand corner of the picture shown here, you can even see the plate which is to the side of the boiler (not in shot) and the rolling frames.

The next stage of the boiler overhaul involves specialist copper welding repairs to the inner firebox, which are due to start shortly, then the boiler will be turned over for repair on other side of the inner firebox. Then the steel outer wrapper plate will be renewed in the areas that have been cut out. This is done by preparing a replacement plate of the appropriate grade steel to weld into place. If the piece happens to be flat then that's fine, but of course curved pieces have to be prepared in advance and for that we have to buy in boilersmith services. The welding being a specialised highly skilled task is undertaken by contract welders working on site at the Bluebell workshops.

Work on "Stowe"

The careful and painstaking work of measuring out ribs for the inside of the tank is underway. When cut out the position has to be established and it welded into place. This has to be right if we are to have an even, strong and regular shaped tank. As you can see Melvyn is making a good job of it. The advantageous position in the workshop is making for good progress. There is a certain amount of "making hay whilst the sun shines", and the benefits of an inside position for working during the winter months is well appreciated by the working party.

Restoration info - posted 23rd November 2003

The cut and thrust of it all

Splendid progress has taken place recently and here are some pictures to prove it!

1638

There are bits and pieces on the main wheeled frames in the workshop as well as a start on the boiler work to report. Getting to the cut and thrust of it all you will see that 1638's less than perfect boiler is getting the treatment at last. Significant pieces of the outer wrapper have been cut away giving a good view of the insides; hundreds and hundreds of stays. Some still have a reasonable condition but as you can see from the front of the firebox wrapper, many are not and some work has already started on removing these for new to be fitted at a later date. You will get the impression of how much is being done andis to be done from these pictures. I understand that there is yet more to come off too, but at least we will have a good condition boiler at the end of it and wont need to fret that there will be a huge expense waiting to hijack us 3 years down the line.

The replacement pieces of steel to go in the cut areas are boiler grade and in some places flat, but in others and this will be known when the foundation ring (the spacer between the inner and outer firebox wrappers, at the base of the boiler) is removed later on, will be curved and will need specialist boilersmith services to have them made. Current favoured purveyors of this service are Pridhams, the well known boiler repair company who attend so many steam locomotives.

Here you are looking at the cut edge of the wrapper on the front face of the firebox. You can get an impression of the number of stays that keep the distance between inner and outer wrappers.

Now how's this for a "boring job"?! On the large radial drill in the workshop at the moment is 1638's new front tubeplate. the old has been welded to the new and clamped onto the bed. The old then acts as the guide. As you can see there are scores of holes to be done, and all in exactly the right place and to the right size. The swarf below the bed gives away the extent of this work which is now well advanced and a big thanks to our chairman Ray Bellingham for getting this important task underway.

Still with 1638 take a look at some of the engine fittings coming along now. Here you can see the reverser gear that is fitted already in the cab area. Our engine is of course right hand drive. On the firemans side though, small fittings are emerging from the container after years, and then being "given the treatment" and fitted back into place. These are ashpan controls, and already back in place.

Finally, a look at the completed motion never does any harm so feast your eyes on the the lovely shiny precise left side here

Work on "Stowe"

Stowe's tender project got a big lift on Friday 14th November... literally! The day arrived for the crane to rewheel the frameset. All went according to plan we are pleased to report and here to prove it are shots of the tender in the works. An event like this is always satisfying as it is the culmination of many weeks/months hard work, where the progress made in areas such as axle boxes, wheelsets, drag boxes and so on becomes instantly apparent. Next step... construct the tender tank!

The low shot here shows the necessary detail including the tender number casting, 714 in our case. The tender was paired with "Eastbourne" when it was new

Other Engines

I'm afraid that there is little to tell. 847 awaits a workshop slot and is on the head shunt away from view for most people, and 1618, and the unlucky (so near yet so far!) 541 remain in the shed, keeping their places in the queue. Though at least 541, which at least is one of the first engines visitors see when they arrive, has has a cleaning "makeover" with buffer paint and a boiler paintwork cleanup. Well done to the team that undertook this less than glamourous but much appreciated work

1638

The pictures on view will tell you that although we have made good progress in recent weeks, there is nothing physically BIG to show for it. Take for example the motion on 1638. The valve gear is all in and links are up. You don't get to see therefore the piston and rings etc. What we do have is the motion in the "home straight" awaiting only a few odds and ends and timing up. This is to the credit of Ray Bellingham who has put in a great effort to make this happen. The cloth is there to protect the slidebars that have been up some time. Take a look at some of the work that has to be done. Currently the expansion links are being prepared. These are original pieces and the left picture shows clearly the state they are in. It is on the bed on the machine that resurfaces the main journal/boss. Take a look at the other picture now to see the end result.

This then is what you get to see after all the hard work.... ie: not a lot!! Its all bolted up and shiny. the keen eyed amongst you will note that our engine has the original inside ported cylinders. This is Southern railway spec. Some were later modified (1625 at the Mid Hants is one) to have the British Railway pattern with the main steam inlet port visibly emerging from the lower side of the smokebox rather than underneath and out of sight.

Work on "Stowe"

Stowe's tender continues to develop. As you can see from the pictures, the tender base is going down now and Melvyn is there to be spotted with the mag drill locating and creating the main points.. 3 sheets of steel will be welded to create one. This then will be the base on which the tank is created just as we did with 1638. (Don't worry about the Malachite green by the way, it will be in Olive, its just the undercoat in place!) Now the problem is that the tender needs re-wheeling really in order to create the level frame surface (as well as moveable one) for the tank to be created upon it. This can only be done when the wheels sets, which you can see all clean, machined, and ready, are matched up to the axle boxes and fitted. This needs white-metalling and machining to be done, and then a crane opportunity to be arranged for the physical lifting of frames onto wheels sets. The hornguides (plates that locate the axleboxes, are worn thin too so these need to be made before any re-wheeling can be done. This will need to be a priority soon or work will grind to a halt.

Other Engines

I'm afraid that there is little to tell. 847 awaits a workshop slot and is on the head shunt away from view for most people, and 1618, and the unlucky (so near yet so far!) 541 remain in the shed, keeping their places in the queue.

1638

As the winter months have passed and spring is upon us, a good opportunity to review progress presents itself. On the chassis of 1638 there is movement in many areas. the chassis is still in the works fortunately, and moves are afoot for the boiler to join it in due course for the attention it needs. the society has been able to secure the services or Ray and Melvyn for a further extended period, and this bodes well for the future.

The motion then. As you can see from the picture, much of this is up. The valves are the next thing and fresh heads and new rings have already been prepared and sourced. The valve timing will need to be set, but all the various bits and pieces are coming together for this operation. There are also a few castings either being machined, or coming out of storage such as the cylinder lubricator pot shown here. there's a whole wealth of them on the engine really. The next steps then are, set the valves up, get the boiler in, and set to with welders. How much has to be replaced depends on what is found when the boiler is opened up properly. The tubeplate which we have as a steel blank, will need to be drilled. This very repetitive exercise requires use of the large radial arm drill, and is likely to take some time. There are a lot of holes requiring precise drilling.

Work on "Stowe"

Stowe's tender is the focus of much activity as can be seen from the pictures. What you are looking at is Melvyn and Steve keeping warm on a winters day riveting up the rear drag box, and this is followed by a picture of the job afterwards. The front end was already done and the picture shows the finished job. Next step along is the preparation for the tank fitting and the valance support arms are shown under construction to pave the way for this. One of the snags is the use of a crane. As a crane costs around £500 for the day, maximum use has to be made of it. New regulations for crane use make this harder to achieve. Basically you want to have as much as possible for the crane to do to spread the cost. The tender needs lifting onto its wheel sets, the axle boxes setting up etc, in order that the tank construction can proceed. We are reaching a point where the use of a crane is vital to the on going progress of the tender restoration. Other jobs are possible, for instance you can see here that Clive has needlegunned and prepared the buffers, and the tank "furniture" (tool boxes, lamp irons, steps etc) can be repaired or rebuilt, but there's no escaping the fact that tank building is the big necessary step forward.

Other Engines

I'm afraid that there is little to tell. 847 awaits a workshop slot and is on the head shunt away from view for most people, and 1618, and the unlucky (so near yet so far!) 541 remain in the shed, keeping their places in the queue.

1638

The benefits of having 1638 in the works cannot be underestimated. it makes possible precision jobs that quite frankly just aren't on in the great outdoors. Such jobs have been undertaken by our chairman in recent weeks. The preparation of the cylinder gear and particularly the valve gear have taken much time and effort. As you can see from the pictures the sidebars are prepared and in place. These were in an incomplete and poor condition at the start of the task. Refacing, re-bushing and manufacture are the standard tasks that are driving the project on. The inset picture here shows the position of the bars in context for those not so familiar with motion layout.

Of course what's on the engine presently is only a small part of what goes on. Consider the link shown here. Its one thing to get the forging done, and another to get the machining done. When that is achieved its tempting to think that the job is just about done. Alas no! The various rods have to be fitted out with bushes, and the pins with their fixing nuts and assorted location pins have to be made, and reamed to the correct exact size. Not exactly a 2 mins job. This simple explanation in itself overlooks that many of the motion pieces need whitemettaling, and machining. Quite a performance all in all. Much of this is now achieved however, and although the engine itself doesn't look too different from earlier, great advances have ben made.

The insert here shows another focus of attention, namely the valve rods. They have been stripped bare and the surfaces made ready for the various valve fittings they will carry. The cylinder rods are undergoing a similar process

Here is a nice little example of how "doing it right" counts, but by the same token takes a fair bit of time. The casting in the picture goes at the end of the valve chest. The plug that is held is new. The thread state in the casting was very poor. Attempts were made to get hold of a tap to re-cut the thread. Not surprisingly perhaps none was to be found. The alternative was to painstakingly working the thread with a thread file and similar tools to chase the thread out by hand. A great job, and a satisfaction to know this, but you don't get to actually see a lot for the time invested! All credit to Ray on that one.

Mention must also be made of the stirling, and less pleasant work carried out by the Sunday gang. One such task involved sitting atop the engine, where the smokebox will sit in due course, and with scraper in hand, delving into the main steam ports. Its no use doing all this lovely engineering if the first time you fire the engine up, assorted sediment, goo and loose bits get dragged into the wonderfully prepared cylinder / valve areas. A generous portion of disgusting tar like goo was retrieved from the walls of these ports. Not nice but someone has to do it!

Work on "Stowe"

Stowe's tender is going to be good as new. The front end is complete as you can see. Its a good strong job and this led to a closer view of the rear drag box. It s was decided that there is little point in having a first rate front end and a rear box that will require attention in 5 years time.

The following picture shows the solution therefore. The back box has been removed. Even on a picture this size it should be possible to see the wasting that has taken place on the plates near where they have been attached to each other. This will cost us in steel of course but its much better than the alternative. A further diet of needle gunning, fabrication, riveting and painting is following.

The wheelsets are already prepared and painted, so re-wheeling is the next logical move. Plate for the new tank is also being sourced.

Other Engines

I'm afraid that there is little to tell. 847 awaits a workshop slot, and 1618, and the unlucky (so near yet so far!) 541 remain in the shed, keeping their places in the queue.

The PMV

Mention must be made through of the hard work being done by Rod Packham. You may recall (many forget) that we are also the owners of what is becoming an increasingly rare breed, namely a Southern PMV wagon. This wooden framed van has acted as a store for us for many years now and is to be found currently at the very end of the siding at Sheffield Park, that can just about be seen from the road as one approaches the Park from Haywards Heath. Rod has put much maintenance effort into preserving this wagon in good shape. His carpentry skills have come in handy as he has replaced quite a few rotten planks, usually to be found at the bottom of the wagons 8 doors. he has also applied much paint to the the vehicle with the result that its quite a shame that the wagon is out of sight because it looks like what it is, a good authentic Southern vehicle.

...and finally

I know that this has nothing to do with the Maunsell society, but as you are reading this you must be interested in steam engines. The preservation movement has come a long way in 40 years. Early operation of engines for example depended on getting a loco from BR that was " a runner". Serious repairs (anything above a general "lube and fix it" were either not on, or had too be bought in expensively). To me the work on the terrier tanks done recently act as a major landmark for how far we have come. The manufacture of a new cylinder for a locomotive would have been beyond the farthest fetched dreams of early pioneers, but that is exactly what has happened. It was mentioned in a Bluebell news recently, but I reckon its an achievement worth a closer look. Brian Wilkie has spent the last 2 years making a 50 piece pattern to suit the cylinders of an LBSC terrier tank. The first casting using the pattern is shown. It weighs in, by the foundry's' estimate at two thirds of a ton. Its a testing prototype, but it looks very promising and I am told it should machine up well. An impressive achievement to my mind.

1638

Far from it.. we are most interested and quite chuffed too. 1638 is in the works you see, and thanks to the fact that our Chairman Ray has gone down to 3 days working for the Bluebell, we have been able to pick up the other 2 days and so, things have moved apace. For a start getting the engine in the works is a most helpful move. The chassis can be cleaned up and prepared for further work, which Ian Hawkins is pitching in with. This ensures that Ray is available to do more technical stuff, like match the motion up etc etc.

Take a look at these 2 photos for example. The first shows the valve chest which has been bored/honed ready to take the piston rods which are likely to receive in the very near future, new rings. The second picture shows the reason why! the rods and heads are thought to be Ok, but proper cleaning, again very soon, will confirm this.

When we received 1638, we were lucky enough to have slidebars for it. They were in a poor state, but these have been restored to their former glory, and have been fitted up to the engine. Top bars should be on too by the time you read this.

Things are going well for 1638 therefore and optimistic tones are being heard regarding her steaming date as a result. This of course hinges on availability of welders for the boiler, which will need to come into the works and get the full treatment. Having said this, Frank Glue's stirling work has got the boiler off to a flyer with the foundation ring being on the point of release. There can be no underestimating though, the amount of work to do in building the boiler up again.

Work on "Stowe"

The work on the frames of the tender has taken a significant step forward recently. Before the contract welders disappeared, as the do every summer, they welded up the replacement front frame section to the main chassis. The result is a complete frames set with just some riveting and minor welding to do. The critical point being that we are in the rebuilding phase now rather than the cutting bits out phase. The axles boxes are out for work necessary before the wheels sets (which have had their tyres "turned") can be reunited with the frames for rewheeling. This however remains the next big target. The frames are now taking on a really solid feel to them. The rather rotten front end, under where the tank leaked, is no more. We have a tender chassis with some real solidity to it.

You may notice from the outside of the frames that everything looks as it should; hardly a trace of the extensive rebuild that has been undertaken. The inside of the frames shot shows the weld line, as this has not been ground flush, and so the line between old and new is quite clear.

The next step is to rivet up the prepared brackets, and so on to preparation and refitting of items like brake gear, vacuum cylinders etc, and preparation of the axle boxes leading to rewheeling.

Quite so. Unlike 1638's tender, there is a serious frames issue on Stowes tender, as shown last time. What is in progress therefore is frame repair and drag box replacement at the front end.

The rear end is not so badly affected and is getting one panel (upper) replaced and the needle gun treatment. In order to do the job as effectively accurately and time effectively as possible, replacement frame sections were created nand the bad parts cut away following measurements and the fitting of temporary bracings. What you see on the photo then is Melvyn welding in sections of dragbox brackets, and the multitude of rivet holes set for a substantial riveting session. The line between the old and new is clear. Temporary "staples" are in there to hold the whole thing firmly together pending further attention, and a full and proper welding job, bearing in mind that the whole load of the train is taken by these panels. When this work has been done, then the frames will be sufficiently well braced for the second lateral rib to be removed and replaced.

The second photo shows the rear drag box with the top removed. Clive is giving the rest of it the needle gun treatment. This is unpleasant work but essential if the strength of the section is to be guaranteed.

Meanwhile in the workshop, Ray has been putting his society time to good use. The rods have now been finished. By that we mean that only polishing stands between them and fitting up to the engine, which will happen when the rolling chassis is admitted to the workshop later this year. The bushes have been cast, machined, whitemetalled, machined again, and fitted. Additionally in the picture you will note the linking pins. These take 2 days each to make from scratch. The fit between them and the bush they sit is is absolutely marvellous. They will go for hardening before being put to use, this being a "send away and return" job with no time implications for ourselves.

Another problem that Ray has been working on is the missing lubricator. We purchased one fairly recently, which happens to have been formerly on 926 Repton, now to be found on the North Yorkshire Moors railway. The lubricator was, it seems attached to Repton when out in Canada. She caught a frost there and the ice damage from internal expansion can be seen between the numbers 2 and 3 on the picture. The is a crack about one inch long, which so far has defied the attempts to effect a brass weld repair. There are 2 options. One is to get a new lubricator, and the second is to take the unit along to specialist welders who can use their dedicated kit, and skills to make a tested and guaranteed repair. Of course one thought springs to mind, if we have Reptons' lubricator, what has Repton got? How did they get around the problem? Ray is investigating.

There is another issue that is beginning to rear its head. With the rate of progress achieved, and slated in the near future for the chassis, what about the boiler? We will have a perfectly good engine with no boiler. Here we are a bit stuck truth told. The boiler has been put onto a rolling "dolly" that enables it to be wheeled around. It is on its side and this affords a view of the firebox, which is what you see here. One of our number, Frank Glue is quite adept at boiler work, and could certainly remove stays, and the foundation ring, but the serious panel/ section replacement will have to be done by the contract welders. When they are available is something of a moot point. It's the one variable in the whole restoration process that we have least control over. Its a wait and see thing. Be assured that it is well to the front of our thinking!

And that means that we are well under way with the restoration of Stowe's tender. You may recall that the tender had a good rear end and a rough front end. The front end has thus been cut away and a devious plan hatched for its repair. The idea is that the main panels that constitiute the drag box will be cut and prepared in the works. Then those sections of the front of the frames that are to be renewed (approximately the first 3 feet or so) are cut. They have already actually, but they are being matched up to the originals and the exact positioning of them made certain. They will then be attached to the drag box as a complete assembly in the works and on completion offered up to the frames for an all in one fixing. This will require the contract welders to make the final welds that refix the frames. Thats the plan, and so far all seems to be going well..

We have done more than this though. As you can see from the picture, Rod Packham (right), with the assistance of helper Ian Hawkins, has just about finished the wood work on 1638's tender. This comprises the platform/decking below the coal slide opening. Another job finished. Incidentally, although final painting will follow later, David Jones has applied Southern 1638 lettering and numbering to the sides of the tender, so it looks like it should, and will make it easy for you to identify should you have the chance to visit the park and examine our progress.

Another piece of progress has ben achieved by our Chairman, Ray Bellingham. Has machined the white-metalled bushes that are to be fitted to the rods in due course. The nicely cut metal looks a treat, with only the keyways to machine on the sides of the bushes. As a complete set with the machined rods, they look quite smart too.

PS: Other engines!

The situation remains pretty much the same. 541 is in the shed, as is 1618. 847 remains out in the open but at a standstill until workshop space is forthcoming.

Bye for now!

... and the dodgy pun matches the dodgy state that Stowes' tender has gotten into over that last few years. With 1638's tender completed, the engine is about as far on as she is going to get without some reserved time in the workshop to get her finished off... specifically the boiler in particular receiving the expert attention of the welders. This time is promised, so 1638 is at a stand still until this happens. There is an exception to this though. Since Ray eased off from full time working at the works, he has made himself available to the society who have hired him for 2 days a week. This is a good arrangement, as Ray doesn't have to work longer, but we get 2 dedicated days of his highly skilled time in a workshop with all its facilities made available to us. The upshot? well much skilled work gets done and volunteer work is supplemented to keep things moving along. In the immediate future this manifests itself as the bushes for the rods. Ray has already lined them with white metal, and they are going to get machined to suit the journals and rods in the weeks ahead. 1638 will then be shunted into the works to try the rods up against the engine and adjust them to finish the job off. Hey presto, another major job bites the dust. the bushes look like this presently.

In the meantime, Ray's work excepted, we have become totally focused on Stowe A.K.A. V class 928. This is because we are like big kids really and wanted to get started on our new engine. As 1638 has a predetermined plan that requires little volunteer input presently, and 847 is at a standstill pending a workshop slot for its boiler overhaul, little persuading was needed to get stuck in. With the tender being identical to the one that we have just finished for 1638, and so the information still fresh in the mind, the tender work is well under way. As reported last time (see previous musings) the tender is now stripped to the chassis. This is what we found... the good the bad and the ugly.

You are looking at it from the worst end... the inner frame plates will indicate this. The front drag box is pretty ugly too. In short the front third is a mess!. The flip side is that the other 2 thirds are quite good and unlike 1638 we should be able to keep the rear drag box.

The 2 pictures below show the extent of the front third wear and tear

The 3/8"s plate as you will notice is rotted through. Note also the riveted patch that BR fitted towards the front. this was clearly a problem with some history. A bit of hearsay now!

Whilst musing to others that this must have been a long-standing problem dating from the early 60's (ie: 40 ago!) and so must have been like that when Stowe was last running in the early 80's, someone said that they recalled that if the brakes were applied hard the floor could have been felt to move under the feet of the crew!! Yikes. We are talking quite some time ago now of course, but nevertheless, I'm glad that she is getting the full treatment this time around clearly it is overdue!

Look closely at this drag box. See the middle plates between the upper and lower sections? They are attached to the upper alright. They should be to the bottom too, but are 1" adrift.

As the rivet cutting equipment shows, this is the end that is getting replaced.

Due to a fortuitous opportunity to acquire appropriate steel, we have the chance to construct pieces for the new tank etc. so whilst some people are cutting, and needle gunning (yes, back to all that noise again) others can make pieces with kit such as the magnetic drill that you can see in action here.

Here we go again, and Mark is going for it with the needle gun to de-rust the good frames, and get a layer of red oxide on

Now that might sound like something that Alan Shearer gets prior to the new football season, but its what the Maunsell Society working team has right now.

The work on the tender of 1638 is effectively finished. Sure there are a few loose ends, such as paint work, wooden decking and a bit of pipework underneath, but in real terms the job is done. We are as you might image very pleased at this and, the tender looks great.

Incidentally, it is planned to paint on the "Southern" wording and 1638, to identify it; after all we are really pleased with it. This will get repainted though, as when the engine and tender are finally outshopped together, we want a perfect colour and condition match. As this event is still some time in the future then what we do now will make it look good and stay in good condition, but not be the final top coat.

What then about subsequent progress on 1638? well the engine chassis is done. The boiler is where the real work is. You may recall that we stripped the boiler out some 3 or 4 years ago. The boiler has been shifted in the yard. It is going to get its new front tubeplate bolted on temporarily to allow it to have some balance for safety's sake so that it can be crane hoisted and turned for close examination of the foundation ring. This is the steel ring that is at the bottom of the boiler which bridges the couple of inches between the inner copper firebox, and the outer steel wrapper that is visible. This is also where most work is anticipated as steel sections need cutting and renewing and grafting in.

The other focus of activity will be on the motion. We have the rods and bushes, but these will need fitting up to the engine. This requires time, patience, and machining work. It also requires the cylinders and valve chests to be honed at best, skimmed at worst. This of course will require the engine to be in the works. On this score the situation looks quite positive. Whilst things change regularly at the Bluebell, encouraging noises that give us some grounds for optimism have been emanating from the Bluebell railway, as several engines vie for limited workshop time and space. It does help that the society is in a position to ease the engines' passage through the works with some purchased engineers time to supplement volunteer time.

Tenders R Us

Following the fantastic response and all round enthusiasm for Stowe and the appeal to raise the money to buy her, members were quite keen to make a start on the overhaul that is necessary to get her up and running again. Now given the need for a workshop slot to do this (you will recall the the Bluebell "owes" Stowe an overhaul at their expense as a part of the deal), and given the freshness in mind of the tender work on 1638, it seemed logical to overhaul Stowes' tender as a starting point. The tender is the same Southern 4000 gallon pattern. There are one or two differences in drawbar height etc., but its basically the same thing. So we will have to see how much we have learnt from the 1638 tender and see what time we can shave off the second one, Stowes' tender!!

Work has started therefore. As you can see the rotten tank has been stripped back. The bottom 2 feet or so were completely rotten, and a new tank will be built. The frame condition is an unknown quantity until the tank base is removed. The frames will then go on jacks and get the needle gun treatment. The wheels will come out, as before and probably get turned. The jury is still out on that one. Some drag box work will be necessary, though hopefully not as extensive as that done on 1638.... we will have to see.

Things have proceeded apace as we are dealing with an empty tender. With 1638 we had a concrete filled tank! No JCB necessary this time. The tender comes from 914 Eastbourne, which Stowe was paired with in the late 50's. The right side seems to have been re-skinned at some time as the ribs and plates on this side panel are welded up, whereas the rest of the tank is of earlier rivet construction. The amount of rust sludge in the bottom was immense. There would certainly have been filter and feed problems had the tank be adjudged sound enough to keep I suspect. As can be seen below, the "Southern" and number writing was cut out, but this only dates from the preservation era of course... no original paint has been found as yet.

847

We should not forget that we have other engines too of course. 847 has now static display duties only. Whether she gets a workshop berth or not depends on the complex options that face the finite resources of the workshop. The job would be comparatively painless, but still requiring that scarce commodity of time. Check out the progress on its own page here

The what? Well take a look at the shot opposite of the tender. Isn't that the cheeriest happy face you ever saw on a tender? Eat your heart out Thomas the Tank engine!

As you can see then most of the panelling is in the tender. All the odd shaped pieces have been cut ands shaped and welded. It was a long drawn out tricky thing to do I can tell you, so much credit to Melvyn then for sorting it out. The boxes that look like the eyes are tool boxes, and the "nose" is the coal hole door. This is a sliding door for the fireman to operate. As you might notice too the whole thing is in red oxide paint, pending undercoating and top coating. This wont happen until it is in the works. The rear upper panel to the tank has been deliberately left off though as access is needed ot the tank insides. This has been cleaned out and red oxided. What you can see in the picture though is Jim giving the innards a coat of (sky blue) "bridge paint", real weatherproofing stuff. The tank isn't water tight yet, as it gets bolted to the frames. When in the works the crane will lift it off (lifting eyes already fitted) and the seams on the underside will get their second pass. Welding fumes is another reason the last panel remains unfitted.

There is of course another part to go on, namely the tender tank raves. There was much discussion on how this would be best achieved. The concensus was to weld them on as additions. Sourcing huge sheet areas and putting a bend in was logistically a problem. What you can see then in the third picture is some makeshift jig brackets. These will support the raves to the correct angle whilst they are being fitted.they are only tack welded in place and will get removed afterwards.

The point of these was to help the coal trim itself, that is, stay on the tender and hopefully fall down the chute as the fireman shovells it away at the bottom. Repton 926 was once the subject of a modification, which increased the size of these raves, but the mod was not successful enough to make it general practice.

With these things done then the job is close to being wrapped up. to this effect, the society has successfully negotiated some workshop time to do just that. When the present job (standard 4 tank engine 80151) is completed, the tender can go into the works for completion. We might not have the bit that makes the noise working, but at least a substantial milestone will have been passed in the restoration of 1638. Its a long time sine the snowplough was bought and stripped, but it brings us nearer to the time when we can see our engine working.

847

We should not forget that we have other engines too of course. 847 has been receiving more attention. Check out the progress on its own page here

In case that you thought that progress on our engines had come to a full stop or something I thought that it was about time that I put you in the picture. Its not that nothing happens its just that sometimes you are hanging on for something to happen to make an update more worthwhile, and you hang on and hang on. As you might have gathered from the title the grief is coming from 1638's behind!. The idea was that we would hire the "spice girls" to make us a tender tank. Now for those not in the know the "spice girls" are a pair of contract welders that are generally employed in the Bluebell workshops. They are very competent too. The repair of the the Class 4 boiler backhead corners, and the fabrication of the O1 tender tank are 2 particular jobs that spring to mind where they "did the business" Well they are much sought after, and not permanently employed at the Bluebell. Time was going on. We had prepared the tender chassis which was a treat to behold with all the odds and ends sorted. All that remained was the tank. We waited, so we made the fittings to go on the tank. We waited, so we bought the plate in and fixed the base plate to the chassis to locate fabricate and fit the wheel spats/arches, call them what you will, but anyway, the recesses that are on the underside of the tank to accommodate wheel movement. We waited, so we bought and had rolled as necessary the major parts of the tank. Then we got fed up of waiting, thought "bugger it", and started making the tank ourselves. The results of efforts to date are shown in the picture. Melvyn Fronsdorff and Frank Glue have mainly been involved in this and have gone to great lengths to make sure everything is right, and the proof is in the pudding for a tank is emerging, with accuracy. Real progress is there to be seen. The skeleton of the ribs that make up the baffle plates internally are tacked in place. The tank is being constructed on the chassis, and so everytime a piece is added the tank has to be checked for level and true, which delays us a little , but in real terms the step forward is measurable without any real quality loss.

Its a lot more complex inside a tender tank than you'd think isn't it? All this lot is to stop the water sloshing around and destablising the train. Water weighs a substantial amount of course but then so does the steel. Most of this lot is 3/8" plate and that certainly adds up, hence the need to regularly check the level and alignment of the tender as more goes on. The metal used also makes rolling thinks such as the curvature of the tender rear end a major operation. Fortunately one of our team has an "inside track" on a suitable machine for this off site.

Other areas of interest. Well as far as 1638 is concerned, the cab is finally done, and much "off the loco" stuff has been attended to like drain cock valves, and bushes for the rods. With the tender tank taking shape, she's actually beginning to resemble a locomotive. Just needs a boiler!

Of course the pieces of the tender have to be created in the first place. Here in the picture below, Melvyn is using the Oxy Acetylene line cutter, whilst Clive looks like he's about to dress the edges of the front scuttle panel.

847

We should not forget that we have other engines too of course. 847 has been receiving more attention. Check out the progress on its own page here

The results of many hours of working away behind the scenes have being coming to the surface recently. Whilst we await the next high profile move forward (which will probably be the fitting of a new tender tank) many small but essential steps forward have been made. Steps is an appropriate word too for the tender tank fittings that have been made include the steps that are attached to the back to allow engine crew to climb up the back for such activities as tank filling. Also made are an assortment of lamp brackets, and tender tool chests. Most of these item have been made by Melvyn Fronsdorff, but it was a team effort that was needed to rivet together the cab roof. This had been fitted with nuts and bolts, to establish the positioning and take a few measurements. this done though, the fixing with rivets was necessary, as per original specification. I can tell you its a lot easier to cut rivets out than to replace them! At least it is a suitable job for a cold day rather than in the heat of summer. Anyway as you can see from the pictures, the cab roof is fixed together, awaiting final fitting, and the close up shows the number of ½ inch rivets to be done, and this is just one example!

In the workshop meanwhile, there has been activity regarding the bushes to go in our nice new coupling rods. Bronze bushes were cast and the society hired Tony Dagger, a free-lance machinist based at the railway to turn them from castings into something we could fit to the rods. Whilst machining, on the last cut in fact, a casting flaw came to light (a hole/cavity in the metal). The company recast the bushes without charge of course, but we still ended up with 2 lots of machining costs. That's life. Anyway, in the picture you can see the finished lovely shining bright main bushes on the left. To the right in the foreground is the regulator housing from 1618. Once again the value of having another engine of the same class to hand shows its value. This is the housing that sits on the back of the boiler and holds the regulator handle (note the "open" and "shut" on the casting). Behind this is the new casting for 1638 which is in the process of being finished off to match.

At times, volunteers do bits and bobs off site, and reappear one Sunday with a completed item for the collection. A good example of this is the picture to the left. The original sandbox for the tender was cast. In the preservation era, a fabricated solution is infinitely preferable as railway companies used to have their own foundries at their disposal we do not, and as they needed several of one item, it was worth their while to make a pattern. We want one piece usually. On the other hand we also want authenticity, so often we have to bite the financial bullet and pay. Sometimes though there is a perfectly acceptable middle way, and the sandbox that Melvyn made is just such an example. The shape was possible to make by a variety of fabrication methods, cutting rolling turning etc. so that the end result looks the same as if it were cast, and works just as well. The finished item requires a session with the metal smoother, and some paint, but all were highly delighted with the quality of the end result. Well done Mel!

847

We should not forget that we have other engines too of course. 847 has been receiving more attention. Check out the progress on its own page here

Melvyn and Steve mark out the plates for cutting with the linear gas cutter

The state of play presently with the engine and tender of U Class 1638

Other work has focused on the cab roof. Progress can be viewed from the picture. A coat of paint and then refitting is possible.

Other news is thin on the ground so that's all for now

Incidentally, note the tamping machine in the background, on hire from Butterley. Its the only diesel powered thing that is allowed to run on Bluebell tracks!

And this is after much time and effort, with the front panel in place.!

So, this is how its done. Rod shown here heats the rivet in an induction heater, trundled out from, the workshop. For the power needed, this is of course a 3 phase device. He then dashes to the dragbox and with the tongs, rams the rivet into its appropriate hole. The moment that its in place, Steve (the unfortunate chap inside the dragbox just visible lower left) puts the dolly behind the rivet, then Melvyn, working as quickly as possible drives the rivet down with the pneumatic riveting gun, the noise is deafening. To think that they didn't have ear defenders in the olden days. No wonder everyone was forced to lip read in the boiler shops of the old railways.. they were all stone deaf.

Due to the noise, and long set up, pack away time for all the kit, we use when possible, the new hydraulic riveter. this G clamp type device uses shear power and so requires no heating of the rivet. unfortunately though its very heavy, and can only do the easily accessible rivets.

Paul and Melvyn modelling the latest in Hydraulic riveters!

Far left, the noisy bit when the hot rivet gets the treatment from the riveting hammer gun.

This isn't the only thing happening of course, though it certainly pulls a crowd amongst the Bluebell visitors when the riveting team is out. Other bits and pieces are being prepared too. The Valance that runs along the underside of the tank on the tender, had to be destroyed to get at the tender chassis, when it was stripped. A new pair is under construction. This has to be shaped at the front end as 4000 gallon tanks are contoured at the front end. What you can see in the photo here is the curved filet that is welded into the back of the valance, which itself is basically a 5" deep piece of angled steel. The filet is, and always was purely a cosmetic item, but it shows that even tiny bits like this require care in order for the engine and tender to look good. Appropriate thickness steel has to be found, measured, cut out with the oxy-acetylene, ground and then filed to shape, welded in, then the weld excess ground, metal sanded, before you have something you can put undercoat on. Of course in former times, the railway works would have a stamp to punch out the relevant bit, but we are dealing with one off's, they made these things by the dozen (and more!). Anyway, the picture shows on of the Valances finished with the bits for the other side resting on top.

The cab roof is shown here with its angles. To make this fit to use as a pattern to make a new one it had to be straightened out. This is not as easy as you may think and involved heavy weights and even a bit of jumping around a bit!

Other points of interest focus on drag box construction for the tender, which is well under way (see previous musings below) and the refurbishment and fitting of the tender brake gear.

Mean time, I've been working on the front end running plates, steps step braces, and a multitude of similar locomotive odds and ends. Its worth a look in if you are ever in the area. That's all for now... have fun!

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The 1996 initial info on 1638 restoration

We've taken on this scrapyard hulk!

Yes! this is our latest project, to turn this derelict U Class into a shining example of the class. This is the starting point, 28 years in scrap condition and without a tender. This is how we do it, and where we are at.

To begin with you take the locomotive completely to pieces, the boiler is split from the frames (the chassis) and the frames lifted off the wheel sets. When everything is stripped, the task of cleaning and overhaul begins. This first phase lasts about 2 years!. The cleaning involves a lot of needle gun work. A compressed air driven gun hammers a collection of steel rods against the metal frames, boiler and wheels. Its noisy and dirty. In summer the resultant dust and rust sticks to your sweat and in winter its to cold too hold the gun for long. It does however clear the corrosion.

The next good question at this stage has got to be "who does this and why?" The why bit is easy, read on to the rest of this and you will find out. Who? well that's more tricky. As a smallish society (300 members) we have quite a good base of members who can get to Sheffield Park in deepest Sussex, to chip in with some hard labour. Its a fairly relaxed kind of thing, we do it for fun. If you don't feel like going you don't. Its partly a social thing of course, and sometimes we'll go off on rail tours as a group, or just to the bar!. On average we have half a dozen working members each weekend, though this figure does tend to rise during the summer months, and members are scarcer in the winter. No surprise there!. At this rate, any thing achieved in less than 5 years real is something of an express job. Fortunately we have a lot of the bits for 1638 so she is indeed a quicker job than say 847 was. We started in 1993 on 1638. If you take a look at her record card you will see that general overhauls took some time even when you had a team of engineers dedicated to the task, 40 hours a week. Suffice to say, we will be chuffed if we make our 5 year target.

We have had 1638 a long time, and many of the missing parts were obtained in the intervening years in anticipation of a restoration attempt. Nevertheless, it is only when you completely strip the engine that you find out what will have to be renewed and really the extent of the task as a whole.

Whilst the cleaning up is in progress the wheel sets are sent off to be turned. They have tyres (albeit steel ones) and these are turned on a huge lathe. Ours went to Swindon for this. The axles and bearing journals are then ultrasonically tested. We had to have a new journal made and fitted (using a special press)

The axles boxes hadn't been moved for the best part of 30 years. They should have fallen out when the frames were lifted. Instead we had to use a 60 ton pressure jack to force them out!.

The result was that the horn guides (axle box faces on the frames) needed much attention and machining. Some of the work can be seen here

Of course, by now we had a massive pile of bits on our hands. Fortunately we have a good working relationship with the Bluebell Railway where we are based, and the take over of the area immediately outside the workshop was sympathetically viewed. This is just as well really, as what you see in the picture is our frames next to sister engine 1618, in a kind of before and after shot, with the boiler immediately behind, wheel sets to the left, and an assortment of cabsides, steps, pony truck and other assorted pieces spread around. I should point out that there is also a container full of all the smaller bits and pieces that have been removed pending attention and replacement.

Some parts had to be made because they were missing, like a set of cab steps for the right hand side (taken from the loco at Barry for another project), and some bits had to be made because corrosion was to advanced and renewal was necessary for safe operation. The rear drag box is an example of this (see picture) This is the bit that takes the strain of the weight of the train behind the engine and is a box like structure made from 1" steel plates bolted and riveted to the frames.

Unfortunately it was also necessary to renew some bits because we had to destroy them to remove them, the corrosion being so bad. This was the reason that 4 of the 12 spring hanger connection rods had to be made. We were pretty chuffed with the look of them when made though, all lovely and shiny, and exactly as the others were when new. Being based at the Bluebell gives us the advantage that we have access to some very highly skilled decent chaps who have a lifetimes experience behind them, and are able to do a lot of the machining to often quite breathtaking standards. The newly forged spring hanger rods shown here for example had to be turned, milled and threaded with two different thread sizes, to fine tolerances.

You might have noticed by now, that all the chat is about the engine, what about the tender?! All is not lost despite the engine having been acquired without a tender. When the steam engines of the Southern were being scrapped, the tenders of the "Schools" class were not all cut up. Some were filled with concrete for ballast and had a snowplough tacked on the front. In this form they have staggered on for years. In recent times though, British Rail have decided to sell them off. The later batch of U Class, of which 1638 is a member, used the standard 4000 gallon tender as fitted to the "Schools" class. We were in luck. We had the right kind of tender, only the drag box height would need to be adjusted, and we'd have the authentic thing! We bought 2 in fact ex 929 Malvern and ex 934 St Lawrence

Malvern's tender is stored, but St Lawrence's is getting the full treatment. More info on the snowplough tender story is on our tender info and drawings pages.

Of course, whilst all this is going on there are hundreds of other tasks to get on with. One such task is the manufacture of small parts such as the steps shown here being painted. This painting is in itself a major task. Red oxide primer followed by primer filler then undercoat and then top coat. that will last it until it gets close to completion when it will be taken into the works and given the treatment with several layers of finely applied gloss coatings and the it will be lined out in Southern Railway colours. The 2 members shown here by the way are Mike Frackiewicz and our treasurer, Steve Pilcher (foreground). Then there is the Achilles heel of many a restoration job, namely the boiler. We have stripped ours out now, and acquired many pieces of steel that we can turn into tubeplates and smokeboxes, but the difficulty and cost of repairing the sides of the firebox is not underestimated. We will hire a professional welder to graft in the substantial pieces of plate that we will prepare. the tubes are easy enough to fit (relatively speaking!) but at 20 pounds a tube for 150 of them, the cost is great, and that's before we consider the superheater tubes!. Fortunately a member as kind enough to leave us a sum of money as a bequest, but the job is not underestimated. That's where part of the challenge is. For those of you still with me, wondering "why the hell do they do that?!". when you have overcome all those difficulties and finally get the thing running, doing the job it was designed for, then you would know. Its a real achievement, and a triumph for teamwork and dedication, a moment to savour. If that means something to you, our email is right here.

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