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GCR Black 5 No 45491

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Flying Phil, Aug 16, 2021.

  1. std tank

    std tank Part of the furniture

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    An 8F boiler is, actually a bigger diameter than a Class 5 , normal boiler plate rather than nickel steel used on the Class 5s.
    The lengths of the taper barrel section were identical, but, as LMS 2968 says, the parallel barrel was 1 foot shorter on the 8Fs.
     
  2. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    That was, I believe, the plan for 44901, I vaguely recall another import was mooted, but it never happened?
     
  3. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    I was really wondering if there was a spare boiler to be had, rather than another loco.

    The boiler drawings are very interesting and the differences look to be very subtle for the most part. I wouldn't have thought it would be too difficult to make a hybrid 8F firebox and Class 5-like barrel, any sight differences (and we seem to be talking small fractions of an inch, so probably barely [if at all] visible to the naked eye) would be hidden by the cladding. And as we're frequently reminded, virtually no two Black 5 boilers seem to be the same anyway! Presumably the same was true of the 8Fs, with them coming from so many different builders. It would be interesting to know if some variations were closer than others.
     
  4. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    The boiler is being prepared for it's hydraulic test ..."Very soon". All the backhead openings are sealed and all the tubes expanded.
    DSC01183.JPG DSC01184.JPG
     
  5. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    This boiler is still outside the shed. There has been more cladding put onto the boiler but I'm not sure if the hydraulic test has been done yet.
     
  6. Chris86

    Chris86 Well-Known Member

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    Must be quite a long time since the GCR hasn't had an operational home based black 5?
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2022
  7. black5

    black5 Well-Known Member

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    About 4 and a half months
     
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  8. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    The hydraulic test has not been done as there is apparently an "issue" with paperwork and some boilerwork may need redoing.....
     
  9. LMS2968

    LMS2968 Part of the furniture

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    Going back a while, but . . .
    8F boilers were of normal boiler steel while Black Five boilers were of high tensile steel; this allowed thinner plates and so reduced weight and is the reason for the slight differences in dimensions. However, all 8Fs used a 21 element superheater and all but twelve, none surviving, had sloping throatplates and domes. Black Five boilers could have 21, 24 or 28 elements, vertical or sloping throatplates and dome or smokebox regulators, plus two positions for the top feed.

    8F boilers were fully interchangeable except for the first twelve, 8000-8011 (8003 excepted) while there are three different types of boilers for the preserved Fives.
     
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  10. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    There is still work continuing with the boiler outside the shed at Lbro. The chassis looks to be complete but the piston valves are still to be installed.
     
  11. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    The boiler is still being worked on but the new front tubeplate is yet to be installed. DSC02952.JPG
     
  12. misspentyouth62

    misspentyouth62 Well-Known Member

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    I assume Phil that there were irreparable issues with the tube plate since it was in-situ for the hydraulic test?
     
  13. ianh

    ianh Member

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    ouch......
     
  14. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    I believe it was that the material of the tubeplate could not be verified so needed replacement....one of the problems of such a long period of restoration work?
     

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