4253 Locomotive Company Limited

1 week ago

This week we continued with more of the same keeping things moving along on 4253.Monday the extension forks had the final coat of vivid yellow paint this allows finding them when stored in long grass.Tuesday, we came into a broken leg not on Peter who tripped and knocked over our storage cupboard and the wheel came off so repairs ensued.This contained the very light bolts, studs, and nuts all for fixing the smokebox down and fitting all the important bits within it all had to be unloaded as we could not get the 36-ton brake down crane in to lift it up before it was repaired and strengthened.We took the opportunity to move some very heavy bits into the shed for 4253 including the safety valve unit and the regulator box getting them off the floor.We then filled the repaired unit up with the bits waiting to go back on 4253 including the reversing quadrant, all the cylinder cladding front covers and tank fixings were included and the last of 541 bits that go back with the new tender that we are not fitting to it.While this was going on the crinoline team were continuing their quest towards completion. The pipework continued we ran the pipe from the vacuum tank to the duplex gauge this was not the easiest pipe run for access but it’s all in now.Friday. work carried on the refurbishment of the vacuum brake application valve for Gervase and a second coat of gloss for the cab roof section.The front holding bracket for the water tanks from 4253 had a topcoat of black paint.The pipework for the lubrication for the front end of the loco was slid under the crinolines and bent accordingly to get it all to fit correctly on the front shut off valves on the smokebox side.The crinoline team finished their mammoth task today and now they are going to remove everything and paint it all bet it comes off quicker than it went up.The rubbing the cab paintwork on Gervase down and priming it all to stop it rusting up while its outside in the yard.More work on the footplate of 42 we put up all the jockey valve linkage and regulator handle to make sure we don’t have pipes in the wrong place.Sunday. the team took another giant step forward with cutting the holes in the side of the smokebox for the main steam pipes and then cutting the pipes to length then a trial fit.The first flange was machined for the D/S injector then it was brazed on to the end and bolted onto the injector body under the cab floor. While this was happening the F/S flange was being machined this to was brazed on and attached to the injector.The second injector pipe was being heated and bent to shape then trial fitted, some of the smaller pipework from the lubricator to the condensing coil was being bent to shape as well ready to fit.Work on the back head sheet carried on heading towards completion.Thanks to everyone who came to keep the impossible happening this week . ... See MoreSee Less

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4253 Locomotive Company

2 weeks ago

This week just 4 days for a change working on 4253 and Gervase.Monday. 4 of the team travelled to Leeds to attend the funeral of our friend and colleague Dick Weekes who passed away in January. R I P Dick. Tuesday. The team continued work on Gervase with rubbing down the inside of the roof sheet and painting, the vacuum brake unit was stripped down completely and de-rusted then the outer casing was sprayed ready for reassembly.The crinoline team had a good day and are within sight of completing the first phase of the operation.The extension forks had a vivid yellow paint applied to them to make them easier to find in long grass.The vacuum pipe we built at the weekend had a coat of primer after it had been dressed.Thursday. work took place on the loco removing the Masons valve to allow to make a slight adjustment to the pipework run as the loco never carried steam heat it is a trial-and-error process.We also cut the vacuum pipe to allow us to take the brake gauge pipe away from the lubricator giving more room for the route.Friday, we moved the roof sheet inside the booth to allow the inside to be painted due to the rain.Work started on Gervase to release the cylinder heads for inspection we are pleased to report that everything that needed to be removed came off without any problem.The crinoline team were hard at it putting everything together welding, countersinking, tapping and threading making all fit correctly on the boiler.Some more pipework for the loco was done as well and the slight adjustment to the steam heat pipe was completed.Sunday, the team were hard at work painting the cab roof from Gervase in undercoat, the tanks front curved holding bracket from 4253 in undercoat.The bolts that hold the front casing on Gervase were removed for its removal for a full inspection in the near future.The crinoline team were drilling and tapping the holding angles for the fire box to allow them to put them up next week.The pipework team were bending bits for lots of different sections of the loco the steam heat pipe had the ends silver soldered on after the mods.Bending started for the pipework from the lubricator to the regulator atomiser and the pipework to the cylinder’s atomisers from the jockey valve these were trial fitted under the crinolines as well.Thanks to one and all to everyone who helped this week with the projects . ... See MoreSee Less

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LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY LIMITED

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