Week Two

This week, the work on 4253’s boiler continued with more copper pipework for the lubrication lines and crinolines for the firebox sections being bent to shape, the latter against wooden buck patterns, 

and more of the barrel sections being made and trial fitted

All of this involves much heating, bending, 

welding together, 

drilling and tapping of each band 

with constant trial fits along the way.  We also countersunk the rivet holes for fixing the doubling plate inside the top of the smokebox behind the chimney before riveting it into place.  

With this done we can now fit the regulator box.

For the 541 tender tank, the remainder of the holes to attach the side beading were drilled 

and then countersunk on the outside of the plate and the last rear curved section was also positioned and drilled.

The stainless rod for the water gauge was extended to the required length by welding two sections together 

and the brackets in which it runs were then riveted to the side sheet.  After that, the two front lifting eyes were riveted in which involved the entire team with people positioned outside, on and in the water space simply to pass the hot rivet from one to another, get it into position, hold it up and then knock it over.  As a result, there was no one spare to take any photographs.  Finally, the rear grab handles had the threads cleaned up and were then given a coat of primer.

Week One

On Tuesday, work started on positioning one side of the 541 tender tank side beading, working from front to back, pulling it down as needed then drilling the rivet holes and bolting them up.

After that, the second side was lifted into place and pulled down into position ready for drilling.  The back sheet was rubbed down and the exterior given a coat of primer

and the front strip for the water gauge float retaining bracket was cut up ready to be drilled and fitted later.

On 4253’s boiler, more of the crinoline sections were cut and joined to the ‘toilet seat’ round the safety valves.

and all the washout plugs were numbered, stamped accordingly and fitted together with the mud hole doors.

On Friday, the crinoline work continued with the straps round the firebox being shaped and trial fitted.

and the position of the lubrication shut-off valves on the side of the smokebox were marked out for drilling with the associated copper pipework annealed and a start make on bending it to shape.  The smokebox handrails were also given a coat of gloss.

For the 541 tender tank, the first of the curved rear beading sections had the radius adjusted to match the platework prior to welding on the new ‘T’ section.  At some point this had been welded onto the old tank rather than riveted so had to be cut off and a new section fabricated – that section can be seen laying on the table.

On Sunday, we drilled the holes for the shut-off valves 

and then bolted them into place to give a starting point for the final shaping of the pipework.

More crinoline sections were cut, shaped and welded together, the new handrail ends were drilled 

and then tapped to accept their fixing studs.  On the tender, the second curved section of beading had the ‘T’ piece welded on and was then clamped into position for drilling.

The remaining long, straight section has all the rivet holes drilled, the front end, now finished, had a coat of protective primer applied and the water gauge float had it’s retaining bracketry shaped, drilled and test bolted together pending final fitment.