Barclay Injector Info

Hello All

I am looking for any blueprints or similar anyone may have for a 3mm Barclay injector. We are having a spot of trouble with the injectors on New Zealands only operational Barclay works # 1749/1921. We have just completed the restoration on the loco which last ran in service in the 1950s. You can find some more info on our website Silver Stream Railway | Railway Heritage Museum and Steam Train Rides, Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand.

Very soon we will have another Barclay loco arriving, works # 1181/1909. This loco is in need of a major overhaul (new firebox, tank, cab, and inside motion repairs).

We currently have 4 locos in service at our railway, a Avonside 2-4-0T Works #1207/1877, Fowler 0-4-0T #16342, a New Zealand Railways built 2-6-2 tender loco and the Barclay loco mentioned above.

Any help with the above would be most apreciated.

Jason Durry
Wellington
New Zealand

 

I suggest that you look up Metcalfe Engineering via a search engine. The fore runner of this company probably made the original injectors for your loco.

 

Did Barclay's make their own injectors or were they made for them? As has bee npointe out, Metcalfe Engineering hold the info on Davies & Metcalfe. Barry Gambles (South Coast Steam) similarly has the drawings, etc for Gresham & Craven, the other likely manufacturer.
What are the problems, anyway? 3mm is a pretty small injector!

 

Mainly having trouble with them wasting and not feeding. Mainly want to figure out how to get the cones out. Thought some of those on here may have had experiance with this type of injector.

Yes you are right 3mm is pretty small but then again the whole engine is prety tiny!

 

Do your injectors look like smaller versions of those shown in this link:

INJECTOR x 2 Andrew Barclay 6mm Condition Unknown | eBay

If not could you post a photo of them?

 

Yes thats the ones. They are made of Bronze being the only difference.

I thought about grabing these ones on ebay for 1181 but think they will be to big.

Jason

 

I have a pair of 5mm Andrew Barclay injectors that are similar to those on Ebay. We also had problems removing the delivery cone that had become stuck due to corrosion/scale between it and the cast iron body. All cones come out through the steam cone end and we achieve this by completely removing the injector to the bench. The steam cone normally comes away easilly. We then use a soft drift to tap out the remaining cones from the delivery cone end, having first slackened off the pinch bolts of course.

I note you say that yours are bronze, I assume you mean the body as well as the cones? If so, is it possible that the delivery cone (and/or others) is machined directly into the body casting? On mine, the steam and fixed combining cones have a screw thread that would enable one to pull these out given the correct tool. Reason I don't use these is that threads are virtually worn out.

I have included photos of set of cones in mine in case these help.

 

Perhaps an obvious question but have you tried pickling the injector to remove any scale build up? This might also help in freeing up the cones for removal.
Another possibility is the size of the piping. If you've got that too small then it could present the symptoms.

 

Thanks for the pictures. The cones in the 3mm ones are definitly seperate, the have the pinch bolts as per the CI ones. As you say the steam cone is the easy one . Going to take one off this week and have a decent go at it.
Thanks for your help.
Jason

P/S Do you know of any 5mm injectors going spare? I took delivery of 1181 last week , it is missing one injector so the hunt for a replacement is on.

 

Thanks for your info. Going to have a go at what you guys have sugested this week. We are using the original copper pipes that came with the loco and are original.

Jason

 

Hello Jason,

Sorry for not seing this sooner! I can remember 1181 up at Steam Inc, about 4 years ago. You've got some work on there!

Have you still got the big 4-4-0 Barclay at Hutt? I seem to remember that it was complete, down to its injectors. Perhaps you might try those ones, to get you out of a hole.

Regards,
Ian Smith

 

Jason, Did you ever manage to dimantle your injectors? One of mine is currently being refurbished. I hope it is successful!

 

Hi

Sorry only just seen this post. Yes we managed to get the injector (only working on one at this stage the other side is working reasonably well) apart. Had it in bits several times since trying things but it still is not 100%, wasting quite badly on occasions. It is being quite difficult and works extremly well sometimes but hardly at all others. Perserverance is the key and we will keep trying. Will have the locomotive running tomorrow for the public so will see how it goes.

I am still looking for a 5mm Barclay injector for #1181 if there are any around over there.

Jason

 

Unfortunately the refurbishment of my 5mm did not progress. The contractor was not certain that following the expenditure of a sizeable sum of money producing new cones that they would be successful so did not proceed.