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1589 "Newstead"

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Wagoniester, Jun 21, 2019.

  1. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    For those who might not be aware, "Newstead" is a 16-inch 0-6-0 Hunslet loco that turned up at a Convent in Hertfordshire. Now based at the Spa Valley Railway, the overhaul was officially started in January this year and is progressing steadily. Brake rigging has been removed, boiler tubes extracted and other smaller jobs started. Equipment for vacuum braking has been purchased and will shortly be trial-fitted. In due course, the frames will be lifted to allow the axles to be removed and sent to have the tyres turned. With enough volunteers, we hope to have the engine nearly complete in about 3-4 years, subject to any major work uncovered as we progress (and all the other usual disclaimers.)

    If anyone knows of any loco buffers for sale, we urgently need four to fit to the engine. Two are life-expired, and two others are original hunslets but require a lot of refurbishment. 08-style would be preferred but anything considered. Please drop the team an email if you have or know of any.

    Working parties are most Wednesdays and Sundays at Tunbridge Wells West, with some Thursdays also on the cards. Drop us a message if you would like to get involved.

    Pictures to come shortly.
     
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  2. Jordan Leeds

    Jordan Leeds New Member

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    Good luck assisting the owner with the work needed
     
  3. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    A lot of work has been happening in the last few months. Parts have been dismantled and overhauling components such as brake gear has been focus whilst waiting for a slot with the jacks to lift the loco off her wheels. Other work has included filling and repairs to the bunker, and undercoat being applied to this, the tank and the cab.

    The tubes have all been removed too, and repairs to the running board undertaken, straightening out several damaged areas and fabricating a new piece to go over the front above the cylinder access.

    The lift off the wheels took place today, and these will be sent off for analysis / turning in due course. The flanges are very deep and we believe are from her colliery days, so some serious work to be done.
     

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  4. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    More work undertaken yesterday, including removal of the springs and horn stays from the axles, with the stays refitted to the frames for the time being. Vacuum brake pipework is taking shape too.
     

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  5. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    Work has been progressing rapidly in this week's area of focus - the steam heat and vacuum brake pipework. A few holes have had to be drilled (no easy job!) to allow the pipes for these two systems to work its way around the frames. The pipework on the front bufferbeam is now mostly assembled and has been trial fitted; the rear bufferbeam has the vacuum brake pipework now attached and the steam heat system is being worked around it. Holes have also been drilled in the cab floor to feed up both systems from underneath to where the valves will be.

    The ejector body is also being mounted so the pipework feeding to that can be measured, cut and assembled. With progress being as good as it is, we're aiming to have everything 'in its place' by the end of the weekend. By doing this work now, it means less time into the ticket will be wasted when the boiler is returned to the frames towards the end of the overhaul. No date for removing this yet, but a crane is due at Wells West Shed at some point this year to lift Ingrid's boiler in, and possibly an 09 engine in too, so we hope (space in the yard permitting and with agreement of shedmaster) that we may be able have the boiler out this year to save on crane hire costs.

    The axleboxes have now been removed from the axles, and the wheels cleaned up. These will be sent to the South Devon Railway soon (we hope!) for attention. Once the above work is complete, we will then start overhauling the axleboxes and making these and the Journals good for when the wheels come back.
     
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  6. Coldgunner

    Coldgunner New Member

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    I was disappointed to see that she wasn't going to make the NVR her new home, as it seemed very appropriate, but its really good to see work progress on her. From what I was told after her recovery, she is in very good nic and relatively minimal work is required to get her going.
     
  7. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    I'm not privy to all the details of why she moved from the NVR. I only joined the team when it arrived at Spa, and the volunteers there have been very welcoming and helpful in my opinion. Once the team working on Lady Ingrid have finished that project, a few of them will be joining us I am told, which will help things immeasurably I'm certain.

    The end of a work week and what feels like a substantial amount of "less obvious" jobs completed.

    1) Pipework below the running board for steam heat and vacuum braking is complete bar 2 pieces; the linkage to front sanders has had some modification to allow the pipework round it without obstruction. The ejector has also been mounted, and pipework to this is being made up and fitted.
    2) Reverser lever and quadrants overhauled.
    3) Steam brake overhauled, with just ring gap to check.
    4) Axleboxes and springs removed; the wheels have also been cleaned ready for assessment, and they will be send to the South Devon at the end of the month.
    5) Buffers removed; two were temporary buffers anyway and will be replaced by original Hunslet pattern ones, whilst the other two will be overhauled. One of these has seized in the casting, so some careful manipulation to try and free it will be carried out.
    6) Front footplate steps drilled ready for riveting.

    Attention will now turn to the axleboxes. There is some wear on the horns / journals and it may be we need to machine some new brass slippers to get them to fit right. We'd like to get these and the wheels done relatively soon so we can have a rolling chassis again, which will make moving the engine easier, as the accommodation bogies she is currently resting on do not make an easy shunt, and we will need her mobile when the time comes to tow her outside for the saddle tank, cab and boiler to be lifted.

    axleboxes removal.jpg axleboxes removed.JPG buffer removal.jpg pipework assembly (1).jpg pipework assembly (2).jpg steps gridning.jpg
     

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  8. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    The wheels were sent away just over a week ago to the South Devon Railway, and they are already in for turning - ahead of schedule. We were only expecting to get one more turn out of what was left, especially as the flanges were very deep when they left, but I have been told SDR reckon that another turn can still be had out of them, which is good news looking at the long term. All being well, we may see them back in February.

    I haven't been in attendance myself this last week but those who have were split between finishing off the pipework (now onto the ejector side) and helping the Spa Valley volunteers on Lady Ingrid.
     
  9. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    A lot of little jobs happening over the last fortnight.

    Last week was a quiet day. One of the removed buffers was seized, and a lot of walloping with a hammer failed to release it. The decision was made to carefully heat the shank then hit the buffer head to get it to drop. Not ideal, as the casing can crack, but necessary. We hoped that after it released, and the retaining ring clip removed, it would freely drop out - no such luck. Evidently this buffer has been subject to a knock at some point as we found the bufferbeam end of the main part about 2mm wider than the opening it needed to fit through. A lot of grinding and hammering followed, but we now have four fully disassembled buffers that will shortly be shot blasted and primed whilst they wait to be refitted.

    News came in from South Devon that machining is finished, and all that remains to be done is the ultrasonic testing of the axles themselves, after which, if all is well, the three sets can return to Kent. This could be as soon as the end of this week, but I imagine it will be a short while yet as TWW is a hive of activity at the moment.

    Saturday just gone saw Levi and Roger reassemble one of the journals / bearings and raise it into the frames. Alex is going to look at ways to improve the oiling access to these, and needed one in place to work with. Suggestion was made by the owner of a sister engine to use steel flexi pipe. We shall see what the end result is. Meanwhile, I took to removing a section of the cab wall that had serious rust forming. It was cut out, the hole filed down, and a new plate (pre-cut) lined up. Angle iron drilled and attached, and holes drilled to bolt it to the cab floor.
     

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  10. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    We'd like to appeal for any information in regards to the Works Plates for the engine. When acquired by the current owner, there was one stored with the engine. From photographs from Malcolm Saul's collection, we believe both were fitted when he bought Newstead, but one subsequently went walkabouts. Apparently, it turned up at an auction somewhere many years ago, but we can find no record / evidence of this at the moment.

    If anyone does know of its whereabouts, or even sees it somewhere, we would be very grateful for a heads up so we can try to reunite it with the engine. Please drop me a message on here, or email contact@thelostengine.co.uk
     

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  11. annesi

    annesi New Member

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    I hope things continue to go well with the restoration of Newstead. From your updates, it looks like the group at SVR are making great progress.

    Kind regards
    Anne (I’m the loco painter who works with the “owner of a sister engine” you mention in a previous post)
     
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  12. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    Thank you Anne! Certainly feels like we're making good progress.

    I've just had a message in our Group circular that the wheels are finished and will be back tomorrow morning! Fast work indeed.
     
  13. annesi

    annesi New Member

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    That’s great news about the wheels. The SD are very efficient and quick with what they do. You’ll be on with the white spirit and rags when the wheels get back, cleaning up the residue from the wax protection and Denso tape. It’s hard work, I know as I did it on Gresley and it took quite a time to get it clean enough to paint the wheels.

    Our loco thankfully didn’t need its tyres turning. Once it gets back into service and the owner is satisfied it is running OK, I have said that I will paint the wheels for him as part of our winter maintenance program. I’ve just done a set of wheels on one of the Hudswells at the railway, so doing the wheels and frames on locos is starting to get a bit of a speciality for me.

    Anne
     
  14. derobeck

    derobeck New Member

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    The worksplate was sold at the then Kidlington Railwayana Auctions (now Great Central Railwayana) in April 2002 for £100. Sadly no idea who bought it and it hasnt reappeared on the auction market since then, as far as I can tell.
     
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  15. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    That's a great starting point to help. Thank you very much.
     
  16. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    Work has slowed a little over the recent few weeks as people have been ill / unavailable. Saturday saw Tim and Tom continue pipework; majority of the stuff for the cab has been done bar the pressure gauge; currently they are focusing on the injector overflow pipes. The original design had these end under the cab, right where you might be standing to oil up - not ideal! These are being redirected and extended so they can be seen from the cab doors as with most other engines.

    I made a start on shot-blasting the buffer springs, but it seems there is a problem with the equipment as nothing seemed to be happening. Some investigation to be done before that can be finished methinks. George, meanwhile, has been going around the running boards, filling and smoothing areas that are a little rough, to get a flat surface.

    In recent weeks we've had a few new volunteers start and inquiries from potential new starters through the Facebook page, and most are around 15-16. It's encouraging to see younger folks taking a keen interest and wanting to get involved.
     
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  17. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    Up until the national lockdown, we'd had a few productive sessions at the West. Levi, Tom, George and Wiz have (between them) been working on filling areas and sanding down to get a smooth surface; focus has been on the buffer beams, cab, bunker and running boards. Roger, Dave and Steve have continued priming and painting buffer springs, backplates, shanks and the replacement metal for the cab side.

    Alex has also welded in the new patches on the horn keeps; these had been cut away during colliery use to allow access to the nuts for the spring hanger bolts behind. I've also been cleaning the buffer components prior to their priming, and cut out two rivets that need replacing. Once we're back, we should hopefully motor on and finish the ejector pipework and buffers before the cab, boiler etc. are lifted out. The engine will also be moving from road 2 to road 4 inside the shed, being swapped with the 09 that is currently sat there.

    2.JPG 3.JPG 1.JPG 5.JPG
     

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  18. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    Whilst all is quiet at the moment, I've been looking online and noticed that there are 9 others of this design preserved, one of which is currently in Ireland at the 'Riverstown Mill Railway', which has apparently been closed down for some time. Does anyone know any more about this engine and its current status? Or indeed who is responsible for it now?

    A few of us from The Lost Engine Crew are planning a trip to Embsay to spend a weekend with Beatrice (when lockdown is over of course.) It will be handy for some of us newbies to see how it should all fit together at the end!
     
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  19. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    That is Robert Nelson No.4, was owned by GWSR PLC who sold it to the current owner in 1995.
     
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  20. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    It only operated for about a year before it was put into the shed and has remained there ever since. There is also a brake van and a couple(?) of wagons along with RB002 railbus.
    I understand that the site is still in use as a wedding venue, however there is no access to the railway or stock. When I visited it about 20 years ago, everything was locked up and looking a bit sorry for itself, I can't imagine things have improved since then.

    Keith
     

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