Industrial Loco Updates

I was surprised to hear that GR272 is on loan to the NRM and was working today. It is powering the brake van rides in the yard. They cost £3 but apparently you are then entitled to a coffee afterwards for a £1! Where else can you get Grant Ritchie haulage?

 

If I'd have known, that would have been worth a trip out to York for; just one question, the coffee - Espresso, Cappucinno or Cafe Lungo??

Cheers,

Alan

 

Greetings !!

Hunslet 3193 continues to look more like a proper loco - today the boiler has been lifted back in the frames, the first time under the present owners stewardship that the two have been together !!

Details at :-

https://www.facebook.com/Hunslet3193/posts/592468494279321?notif_t=like&notif_id=1482247637608440

Andrew M

 

Bagnall 2746 The Duke

We got the boiler away today, to David Wright's new works at Loughborough. Cab sides now erected and waiting for a further supply of whitworth bolts from New Brunswick Ironworks at Caernarvon. Steam heat gear dismantled and under overhaul.

 

Here are four Les Tindall photos of two locos stored out of use in the old Kerr Stuart works at Stoke-on-Trent in 1975. The locos are KS 0-4-0ST 4388 / 1926 and Bagnall 0-6-0PT 2613 / 1940. Both are now preserved.

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/LesTindalls1970sBritishtrains/Stoke-industrials-1975/

Cheers

Andrew N

 

The bagnall is a beauty.

 

I hear that KESR No22 (30065 / Maunsell) is running out of ticket soon? Does anyone know the date of its final run? Thanks!

 

Sorry Probably a bit too late telling you.
It's currently working the New Years Eve Wealden Pullman, and is expected to do two trips tomorrow, New Years Day. That's it then, end of ticket I believe.

 

No problem - thanks for replying . I hope to see No22 back in action one day, but I feel it may be a long time ....

 

Does anyone know the correct diameter for the blastpipe cap on an austerity? We bought a new casting for The Duke some years ago and we are hoping to machine it shortly.

Tim

 

Well, you could pop down in February, if you don't mind engines with plastic faces on.... Maunsell's ticket actually runs out in February, and at present it is proposed to use her at our half term Thomas running.

 

Thanks for letting me know! One more chance to see her .. I won't miss it!

 

Last Saturday was a bitterly cold day, but we still managed to get useful work done in between warm up sessions in the mess coach. Simon turned up with a car boot full of good things, very generously donated by an engineer who has retired from locomotive work, and these were carefully squirrelled away. The donation included a set of large diameter extraction bits, one with the remains of a washout plug impaled on the end. Others led by Mick were engaged in fabricating a new drive from the drivers cab side to the sanding gear, partly using left over bits of 8F which just happened to be lying in store. The cab sides are now fully bolted down with proper Whitworth bolts, more work was done on the steam heat pipes and other bits and pieces.

A new problem has come to light with one of the clack valves, which are non return valves on the water feed to the boiler: Austerity clacks tend to need the valve seat grinding, otherwise they start leaking back. Well, someone tried to get around that by installing a countersunk valve seat and a conical valve with a ptfe seal in the cone. In the process the cross section for water delivery was about halved. Alen (ex RE corporal shedmaster, Longmoor and many other things) puzzled over it and the 8F team soaked it in something nasty until it came apart with the aid of one of the extractors delivered that morning. The problem was that whoever it was in the past took out the old valve seat with a round nose chisel and chopped out a small part of the female thread in the process. The result was that it never sealed properly, we know because the leak cut into the new seat. The question is whether there is enough meat in the casting to bore out round and cut a new thread; the casting has good thick walls and we know of similar repairs to clack bodies carried out by others; some people are installing stainless steel valve seats. The other clack will be checked very carefully in its turn.

I visited David Wright's new Loughborough premises today while out on other business at Mountsorrell: a rather anonymous building but I spotted Mr Ashworth at the gate which was a bit of a giveaway. Later I was able to inspect progress on our boiler, which is very encouraging. So far wasted rivets at the bottom of the front tube plate have been cut out, the backhead is being welded up and ground flat at the clack seats and the firebox tubeplate has been cleaned up and checked against the former. The boiler is to be rolled over shortly for extraction of the remains of the crown stays and the coppersmith has been booked. Blimey. I talked over the clack problem with him, fortunately he has the right foundry pattern and if necessary we will get new clack bodies cast.

The vacuum ejector will also require some thought. The present one is a hefty great thing; I am no expert on such matters but it may be an SJ ejector rated up to 250 psi. The problem was that it tended not to work if the pressure dropped to around 120 psi. I hear that maybe someone has had a batch of smaller ejectors made, suitable for an austerity on around 5 coaches. If that is so or if anyone would like to join a possible joint effort perhaps they would like to get in touch?

Tim

 

I can get you a vac ejector that will do the job, pleased email me

3155

 

I can get you a suitable vac ejector, please email me

3155

 

you seem keen posting twice!

 

Tim,
We've just had a brand new clack box for Wimblebury at Foxfield from Barry Gambles at South Coast Steam. Can let you know how much if you're interested.

 

Hi Nigel, I would be very interested indeed if you could send me a private e-mail. Many thanks to the others who sent in information. The general feeling is that the present injector may need a bigger steam supply pipe.

We tackled the other clack on Saturday; it took a long argument with ring spanner, extension tube and a 12 lb sledge to extract the spindle, leaving Simon dripping with sweat. When we eventually got it in bits it appeared it had been forced shut at least once too often. If both clacks were fitted to the same locomotive at the same time it must have been a pretty sick engine. Fortunately we know someone who is willing to do the machine work, but I think we would also be wise to consider our options.

On a more positive note, Mick turned up with a triumphant expression and an offcut length of EN8 rod which he picked up for a very fair price in Sheffield. He spent the rest of the day turning it down to make the operating shaft for the sanding gear, now it needs a square milling on the end and will soon be ready to fit.

 

I unloaded a new battery for the 8F welder and a couple of cylinder lubricators for The Duke for examination, which last produced a curious result: the WD austerities had cast iron displacement lubricators, The Duke had one which was welded up after splitting in frost many years ago. After cleaning all the gunk off, the one given to us from store at Rowsley turned out to be a completely different design, a gunmetal Wakefield displacement lubricator with two oil feeds instead of one. It is slightly weird, more complicated than necessary but very nicely made; we suspect it may be of GWR origin, but perhaps that is just London Midland bias. The other one is a brand new conventional displacement lubricator made in bronze which I purchased a few years ago and that is the one we will fit.

The news on the clack valves is encouraging – it should be possible to repair them.

I have been asked for my views on the design of the proposed steam locomotive shed. I particularly wish to see a series of little strongrooms, one for each locomotive for storage of parts. Mick Clarke has completed machining the drive shaft for the sanding gear, next job is to make the drive crank and the links. Tony has been cleaning down a large section of the vacuum piping ready to paint.

 

Here are four 1973 photos by Les Tindall of Thomas Mur's scrapyard at Thornton, Fife. They show six locos including Grant Ritchie 272. All the locos survive, and I have included photos of three of them in preservation:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.co...ishtrains/Muirs-scrapyard-Thornton-Fife-1973/

cheers

Andrew N