GCR 8K/LNER 04 63601

Fascinating reading all this...a life time engineer myself, nice to learn something new. Thank you very much..really appreciated...

 

The 4th set of driving wheels have returned with their new axle (I believe) and could be going back in the frames fairly soon.

 

The frames are still in the air awaiting the driving wheels to be put back in place.


The boiler is still outside and awaiting a new copper front tubeplate for the inner firebox to be installed.

 

My days at Loughborough University were spent trying to spy this from the main road at lunchtimes between 2006 and 2010 at the weekends for some photography! This along with 78019 make up the most fond of memories at the GCR.

 

I do wonder whether once the 04 done and the line is linked up it will spur on another opportunity for Butler Henderson to steam again?

I have a very vague memory of her (I would have been 7....) parked up outside Loughborough shed painted Black- having subsequently seen her at Barrow hill in her GCR finery I can't think of anything better to reopen the link........

One I'd donate to for sure!

Chris

 

Hi Chris
I'm sure we can all speculate what would be an appropriate locomotive to pull the first official train across. Most popular would probably be Flying Scotsman, my choice would be Boscastle! Other options would be Tornado or Oliver Cromwell.
My ambition is to be in my brake van, on a Windcutter train, behind Boscastle going from Leicester North to Ruddington non-stop....

 

There were two cross heads being re-whitemetalled in the shed yesterday, which I think are for the 04. So bits are being done as and when. (70013 is the priority now that Witherslack is virtually complete).

 

Not a lot has changed with the 04 as work has been concentrating on Witherslack and Oliver Cromwell.

 

More work has been taking place with the driving axleboxes being refurbished. On the boiler, it looks as though the foundation ring is to be removed, as many rivets have been drilled/burnt out. There is still no sign of a new front firebox tube plate.

 

Whilst I am sure there has been more progress on small items the chassis is still wheel- less in the shed and the boiler is still without its firebox tube plate.

 

Work is continuing on the 04 with the axleboxes having been re - white metalled, they still need to be machined. The hornguides in the frames were being measured to get the dimensions.

 

There were two eccentrics on the new axle, with two more waiting to be installed so slow but steady progress.

The boiler is still outside awaiting its new front tubeplate.

 

Here is the latest picture of the firebox - still awaiting.....But more work has been done on white metalling axleboxes.

 

All four eccentrics are on the axle now and more axle-box work has been done. It is expected that the chassis could be on its wheels and axles by the end of this year. There is still the firebox to have its tube plate fitted, so lots to do.

 

In the shed yesterday, there were many machined axleboxes and wheel bearings. The long micrometers were back in their boxes so there has been progress. Re-wheeling soon?
The boiler looks to be the same though.

 

The front of the smoke box has been removed and six axle boxes are now mounted on the driving wheels, so two to be fitted ( more "bluing" and hand scraping) before the chassis is re-wheeled.