Archived news from 2019

December 2019

Machining parts for the axlebox back pressure valves. Two were still on the engine when it left
Barry but four were missing and are currently being machined from new castings.

 

The new manifold casting in the back of the car being on it's way to the machine shop for machining.

 

At some time in the past the left hand (Driver's) side has received some damage including the
motion bracket so setting up the slidebars has proved a bit of a challenge requiring compound
tapered shims to correctly align the slide bars. Here the brass shim is set up for machining the taper.

 

Another view of the setup showing the corners of the shim raised by adding the correct thickness
shim material under each corner before taking a cut across the top face. The far corner was
on the bed of the mill with each of the other three corners having a different thickness of shim
placed under each corner.

 

October 2019 - Special Feature

As revealed in Steam Railway magazine this month, we have discovered half of the cab roof and
a boiler tube from ‘Black Five’ No. 44781 – one of the locomotives that worked BR’s last
standard gauge steam-hauled passenger train, the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’, on August 11 1968.

The parts were found at Bartlow, where the locomotive was scrapped after being used for the
filming of The Virgin Soldiers. Also on the site were a window frame and a fire extinguisher
from one of the LMS carriages used in the film. (Copyright Steam Railway)

After the filming, Saffron Walden businessman Gerald Pagano agreed to purchase the locomotive
and coaches from Columbia Pictures for preservation – but was unable to raise the £5,000
quoted by BR to re-rail the engine and tow it to Carnforth.

Taken on December 7 1968, this is the last known photograph of No. 44781 before it was cut
up by A. King & Sons of Norwich – in the background, the scrapmen have already demolished
the coaches. (Copyright Tim Stephens)

More details of the filming, researched by Darren Kitson, can be found here:

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/virgin_soldiers/index.shtml

 

The cab roof retains some of its original BR black paintwork, traces of BR maroon paint
and lining can still be seen on the carriage window frame, and the tube is still encrusted
with scale from 1968. (Copyright Steam Railway)

 

An unobstructed view of No. 45163 renumbered as No. 44781, complete with the
famous ‘1T57’ reporting number of the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’. (Copyright Steam Railway)

With grateful thanks to Tim Breitmeyer of Bartlow Estates (for permission to explore the site and retrieve the artefacts)
and CVR volunteer James Francis (who provided transport and discovered the cab roof). 

 

‘The Fifteen Guinea Forklift’

 

October 2019

We need to be preparing crossheads for refurbishment and machining to suit the slidebars as
well as fitting to new piston rods. Having extracted the pair that we had from our stores we soon
realised that they were not in fact a pair. The left hand one being an original from 45163 but
the right hand one being from 44901. The difference being both the Gudgeon Pin arrangement
and the bolting arrangement for the drop link to which the Union Lever mounts. So the
search started for replacements

 

After a few enquiries a new pair were found with a trip to the Llangollen Railway to collect them from
the 26B group, owners of 45337. This pair came from 8F, 48518, which also happens to be
where one of our drop links came from so there should be no problem with these two
components fitting together.

 

August 2019

The dragbox rebuild finally finished with the last welding job of welding in the top gussets
completed.

 

Dragbox re-build nearing the end with the front gussets being welded in.

 

Right hand cylinder pipework completed thus allowing the lagging and cladding to now
be finally fitted.

 

June 2019

Another piece of running plate finally bolted into place.

 

New studs fitted to the steam pipe inlet on the steam chest to retain a temporary
wooden blanking plate to keep dirt out of the steam chest which is now ready to
receive the new valves when delivered.

 

New back pressure valves being machined for the main axlebox lubrication. We had two
originals but six are needed in total so new castings were sourced and are now being machined.

 

May 2019

The new top plate for the rear dragbox with blocks welded in at the mid points and the four
corners. The white spray is the developer from the die penetrant used to test the welds for
cracks before proceeding to continue the welding in the remaining positions. This view also
shows the four new rivets for the drawbar pin boss in the top plate.

 

This view of the underside of the bottom plate shows the steam brake bracket rivetted
to the underside of the new bottom plate..

 

This view shows inside the rear dragbox with the vertical webs no wall welded top and bottom
and the new rivett heads holding the steam brake bracket to the bottom plate.

 

March 2019

The new lubricator warming cock and bracket ready for mounting on the running plate.

 

The re-bushed drawbar casting bolted to the new top plate of the dragbox ready for riveting.

 

February 2019

The steam brake bracket that fits to the bottom of the dragbox had to be removed to replace
the dragbox and so has been shotblasted and had minor repairs completed. The internal
angles had to be removed and here they have been rivetted back on and with a coat of primer
it is all ready to be bolted up to the bottom of the new dragbox ready for rivetting back in place.

 

As we set up the shot blasting equipment to clean up the steam brake bracket, see above,
we took the opportunity to shot blast the chimney and give it a coat of primer.