Developments on the Corris Railway

Sadly but for obvious reasons work on the Corris has now stopped until November 9th at least. The photographs posted in the news section of www.corris.co.uk this evening may be the last for a while.

 

A bit of progress to report:-

Just received from Keef’s is an image of the completed eccentric sheaves and straps for the new build “Falcon” 0-4-2ST, which do look rather good.

 

Can't open it here.

 

Yeah, image isn't really...there.

 

Sorry. I have had some big fun for a couple of hours trying to get this one across.

 

That is some amazing elliptical machining there.

 

Isn't it just! Recall that Tom Rolt, himself a sometime Kerr Stuart Premium Apprentice, was of the opinion that No.3 was by far the best loco on the TR, as it's design and build quality was a match for anything on broader gauges, back in the day. It speaks volumes that, all these years later, we're still impressed .... and rightly so.

Looking at what Keefe's (and let's not forget boilermakers Israel Newton) and volunteers* have wrought thus far I've NO doubts whatever that No.10 will prove a very fine loco indeed*.

*Oh heck ..... did I just presage a future 'TTTE' title?

* there you go, @Llwyngwern .... edited as promised!

 

Elliptical?

 

C'mon ... you know precisely what was meant (you rotter!) ... and in any case, it carries better conotations than 'eccentric machining', wouldn't you say?

 

"Who's the guy in the corner wearing clown shoes and a souwester?"
"Oh, he's the eccentric machinist"

Mike

 

Volunteer work for the construction of number 10 has also taken place with one volunteer having produced the pattern for the brake column (see Falcon build images on www.corris.co.uk ) This is now being used for casting the column at Manor Foundry in Ilkeston.

 

Thanks for highlighting that .... and my post shall be edited to reflect the fact!

Just a 'leftfield' random question: One of my references mentions (a legend?) that one of the original Falcons spent a period in green. Would you happen to know whether there's any basis to support or refute that? I half wonder whether, if it happened at all, said colour might've been no more than an undercoat and circumstances dictated the loco concerned was urgently needed in traffic.

 

Corris loco livery is an area of speculation Even Martin

I don't think there is any clear and certain info apart from what appeared during rubbing down of number 3 at Pendre which revealed red paint on the driving wheels. I don't recall anything on the subject in the Fuller books apart from that. We are also back to the curious case of the non-Swindonising of 3 and 4 between 1930 and 1947 despite the engines going to Swindon (rather than Oswestry).

 

Cheers. I wasn't aware either loco ever left the line, but do recall reading that much of Maespoeth's machinery was removed, at some point after the GW takeover. I'd always sort of assumed the boilers were shipped off separately for repair, much as the SR did with the L&B locos (other than Lyn). I've seen a photo of one of the "conversion" carriages, panels off (the differing seat framing either end being a dead giveaway), up on trestles at Swindon, presumably before the decision to axe passenger services and know of the tale of the redundant carriage sides forming a partition inside Oswestry works.

I'd guess that, without any GW passengers to see 'em, standardising two odd locos, one with outside valve gear, wasn't that much of a priority, though your comment caused a horrid vision of No.3 with panniers, copper and brass to flash before my eyes. Let's just be thankful for small mercies, eh?

 

I thought that perhaps you had been misled by the appearance of the components in the photograph into believing that they really are elliptical rather than eccentric.

 

Perhaps they are adopting pushbike technology? https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-great-chainring-debate-oval-or-round/

 

I was indeed alluding to the squashed photograph. It is, however, some very tidy eccentric machining-

 

A bit pedantic I know but surely,it is neither eccentric or elliptical machining, but just the main bore drilled off-centre to create the 'eccentric effect' of the valve gear? Which is quite easy to do in a half decent equipped machine shop.

 

Engineering parlance aside, as someone you really don't want anywhere near heavy machine tools, I'm just content watching the ongoing gestation of No.10 and admiring the skills of the folks making it happen.