Final Week

On Tuesday, there were many people working on the 541 tender tank with grinders to grind back the countersunk rivets retaining the door closing plates 

and the lamp brackets and steps on the back panel 

and to dress the welds between the front and rear side panels.

Meanwhile, work continued on the ‘toilet seat’ part of the crinoline that fits round the safety valve units with strengthening doubling plates cut from the unwanted centre section as this obviously has the same profile.

They were then shaped and drilled as necessary 

but, before they were welded into place, 

the toilet seat was trial fitted and required only a little fettling 

before sitting comfortably in place.

On Friday, it chucked it down with rain all day but some of the team still constructed two Lobo platforms, one each side of the firebox, to make the fitting of the crinolines to that area both safer and easier.  It did take some time for them to dry out afterwards.  The rest of the day was spent on inside jobs with the safety valve bonnet being taken out of storage and placed on the toilet seat to assess the fit.

On the 541 tender tank, the front panel and door shut plates, being finished, were given a coat of primer 

and the long lengths of beading that fit along the top of the side panels were straightened out as best we could using the hydraulic press.

On Sunday it was exclusively 541 tender tank work with more welding of the side sheet joins, 

holes measured and drilled for the second bracket that supports the water gauge rod, 

the various sections of new stainless rod were cut to length and the ball valve attached to its arm,

and various associated brackets cut and drilled, again from stainless plate.

Additionally, the sandboxes were offered up, the threaded retaining bosses welded to the inside of the plate and the boxes bolted into place.

Finally, the first long length of beading was clamped into position after being fettled to fit around the new toolbox rear panel.  The holes for the retaining rivets can now be drilled next week.

Week Four

Another week of working on the 4253 boiler crinolines and the 541 tender tank.  The former started off with cutting out the ‘toilet seat’ section that fits round the safety valve unit and provides the anchor point for one of the crinoline bands around the boiler.  

This is the finished article.

Work continued on the bands themselves with sections joined for welding, 

a chalk outline made on the floor to represent the correct radius 

and bits ‘adjusted’ to match.

The first sections of the firebox crinolines were tacked together from the parts rolled last week and then trial fitted.

We received a delivery of fitting for the loco’s smokebox blower and brake ejector flanges and pipe connection fittings and the steam lance fittings along with new whistle springs and swab box springs (thanks to John Hancock and the Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway).  

We also annealed some pipes for bending to trial fit the shut off cocks for the smokebox lubrication system to fit within the cover plate. 

For the 541 tender tank, the countersunk rivets fitted last week were all ground smooth and all the others had the heads cleaned up and given a coat of primer.  The water filler neck had the holes positioned and drilled for the lid,

the front end curved beading sections were fitted and the side plate holes countersunk for the fixing rivets

and the door shutting plates were all bolted up together with their handrails for riveting.

The Sunday team undertook more of the side sheet welding.

reamed all the rivet holes where necessary,

and then riveted on all the lamp brackets and steps to the back panel

followed by the door shut plates,

Week Three

Once again, this week was spent on both 4253 and the 451 tender tank.  For the former, the chimney has now been machined to accept the blower and brake exhaust ring, 

the top of the smokebox has been drilled for the doubling plate to be riveted in 

and the section of the crinoline that fits around the safety valve unit was fully marked out, rolled to the correct profile 

and a start made on plasma cutting out the shape itself.

The corner pieces for the crinolines around the firebox were also rolled to shape.

Work on the tender tank included rubbing down and giving a coat of primer to the coal space closing panel and the outside of the rear panel and then drilling

and positioning all the lamp brackets and steps on the latter ready for riveting.

The length of angle that attaches the coal space closing panel to the top sheet was marked out and drilled and then positioned on the top sheet, drilled through and bolted together after which the sheet was placed on its side so it could be riveted.

The inside of the tank was cleaned out and hoovered, some more internal welding was done 

and the pieces of angle that attach the panel behind the toolboxes to the side sheets were riveted into place.

Week Two

A busy time this week with Monday seeing the final side sheet lifted and clamped into place on the 541 tender tank and a few bits and pieces painted.

On Tuesday, the tender tank’s coal hole had strengthening angle and the door runners drilled and trial bolted into position

plus the holding brackets for the toolbox sides were made and drilled and the front lifting eyes bolted into position ready for riveting.

More crinoline work was done for 4253’s boiler 

and the regulator box was again trial fitted after the retaining studs had been shortened.  Wednesday saw the chimney transported down to the Bluebell Railway to be machined to accept the blower ring.

Friday’s job was giving the regulator rod a final clean and then carrying it round to the boiler 

and feeding it into the regulator box 

until it emerged as the backhead to have the stuffing box trial fitted just to check that it all fitted OK.

After that the steam pipes from the regulator box to the superheater header were also trial fitted.

On Sunday it was back to the 541 tender tank with the last side sheet getting tacked into position, the main baffle welded in and the front side sheets drilled and countersink for the toolbox brackets to be riveted on.

The side support bars at the rear were cut to length and weld prepped 

and the top angle for the rear sheet was cut and the corners shaped.  The rear sheet was brought inside and lifted into place so that the final position of the end of the side sheets could be set and one side tacked up as a datum followed by the top angle being positioned and tacked into place.  

Yes, it was put up with the inside facing out but this was just a temporary placement for sizing after which it came down again.  Finally, the top panel that forms the rear of the coal space was also brought in to have new angle side brackets cut and marked for drilling.

Week One

During the week we had people drilling out the holes for the cross braces on the 541 tender tank in readiness for riveting them into position 

and the reaming and countersinking of all the holes to attach the door closing plates while others continued with the work of making the crinoline bands for 4253’s boiler 

and, once they’d been trial fitted and fettled where necessary, the finished pieces were given a coat of primer.

Work on all the retaining studs in the smokebox has been completed and the next job there is to fit the regulator box.

Sunday’s work was riveting on the 541 tender tank with, firstly, all the cross braces being done

which involved some serious contortions to get at some of them.

This was followed by riveting on the angle that attaches the toolboxes to the front panel 

and then lowering the entire toolbox assembly into position, 

bolting it up and then riveting it to the front plate.

At one point we found an unexpected visitor wandering around in the field – a large tortoise.  One of the guys went knocking on doors and the owner was quickly located and reunited with the escapee.

Finally, the new handrail ends we need have now been machined and are awaiting collection.