Avon Valley based LMS 4F 4123 (BR 44123).

Having been very quiet for over a year there is now an update on the London Midland Society website regarding progress on their engine:

http://www.4123.co.uk/news.html

 

I wish them well, I wonder how long it will before it steams again.

 

The group are currently concentrating on 44123's tender whilst continuing to obtain parts for the loco itself. A return to steam is a long way off but will be most welcome when it comes.

 

Hard to believe it is 27 years since I was involved in extracting it from Barry sideways.

 

Does anyone have any current pictures of the loco (not tender) other than those now on the website?

 

Do tell more, sounds very interesting?!

 

I've just cycled past Bitton on my monday ride. It still sits in the same place it has done for many years. Here is a pic from October last year.



Gary

 

A couple of pics on here for you http://exbarrysteamlocos.fotopic.net/

 

Original group based at Mid Hants in the 80s put a bid in to Our friendly scrap yard owner Dai Woodham and then asked if he would move the engine to the usual access area. No chance was the reply not for one engine.
The group was then offered a contribution towards transport if we could get the engine out of the yard within a certain timescale. Dai was approached again and this time we asked if we could move the engine ourselves to a point were we could get access would he permit this. Answer Yes.
Only trouble was 2 tracks in from the loading point and 2 bullieds in the way.
Borrow a couple of Tirfor jacks drag, everything out of the way to create a gap then get the slewing jacks out.
27 lifts for the Tender and about 30 for the engine.
Sounds easy but took the full weekend and a bit.
The rest is history and we got the transport cost paid.

 

Ah yes, the days of Tommo, John G and the rest of the crew. They were fun times...

 

Tommo last seen at the Lakeside railway

 

Will be good to see her in steam when the time comes, and she'll be perfect for the AVR.

 

Any updates on this engine's progress?

 

Well, for those who may be interested, I have decided to start a blog which will feature occassional updates on the restoration... as and when I have the time. [mostly I like to spend my time getting on with it rather than writing/talking about it!].

http://4f4123.railnuts.com/

Doing it this way is I think far easier than updating the old steam driven website, although this will be updated from time to time, and of course the link for donations is still to be found there. Hint hint. www.4123.co.uk

Cheers
James

 

A minor update here:

http://4f4123.railnuts.com/2011/04/03/wheely-good/

 

Another minor update here:

http://4f4123.railnuts.com/2011/08/31/stretcher-of-the-imagination/

 

Good to hear news of your project. Please keep the updates coming.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

 

There's been no updates for a while on either the blog or the official site, and the blog appears to be down. Has there been much progress, she'll be perfect for the AVR

 

Like so many ex Barry locos, This loco is privately owned and no exception, not part of the AVR stock. Most locos have a long history of people contributing money to save them from Barry, transport them and even more funds to work on them many of these people are either very old passed on or illusive,

Who takes on the responsibility to do the work if they do not ? well usually a small group of trusted people.

Now the fact is the number of competent people suitably trained availible to research, source parts, or materials and drawings and make the parts is dwindling as the age of the owners takes over.

The loco has not moved yes we all notice th, even those working on the project. The updates have talked about the tender, which is now for those who have not read anywhere else. in a kit of bits. mainly "New Bits " the frame side plates and frame spacers are all new as the old tender frame was rotted none of it was worth saving. The wheels and journals have been turned and are ready for the New axle boxes and new bronzes all needed new paterns and new castings.

The framse are laid out in the LM she d lean to on the goods shed and mainly being marked out and drilled ready to fit the horn guides, spring hangers and other ancillary parts, however some of those parts are old originals and need machining/ rectification bushing after many years use its as much as you can do to lift each of these individual parts.


The tender body which will all be entirely new, including things like the water scoop ventilator hoods coal shoot bulk head, tanks etc is being focused on and many of the internal sections for the tender internals have been made recently, paterns made, and castings being produced for parts of the water scoop.You could ask why do we need that , but its a recreation of a new tender to the exact drawings not just a box on whels that carry coal and water.


Its a big job just working out how to build it all, There are only 3 or 4 skilled engineers working on this job, the odd days at weekends, to make the parts and put it together to last a long life, let alone fund it and the parts are priced in thousands of pounds each not tenners, mainly from peoples wages, not from any illusive fund hence the vision of slow progress.

The tender is as far as is possible a faithfull recreation of the original manufacture as will be the loco when we get there, IE all rivited not welded dimensionally correct.

We are doing it as best we can time wise, not helped by having a proper indoor workshop ready with overhead cranes to lift 1.5 ton plates all new and ready to work in.

But the Quality of what is being done is good although progress might seem slow. There will be news hopefully over the spring summer period.

Regards The Engineer.

 

Forum viewers may be interested to know that after many months of preparation work, the new erection of the new tender frames for 4123 has commenced, with the frames, lower cross stretchers and front dragbox aligned and temporarily bolted up. We anticipate that the setting up of the balance of the chassis platework and match drilling of the millions of rivets holes to take the rest of the year to complete, and then we will move on to final assembly and rivetting prior to re-wheeling and fitting out brake gear, etc.

The tender chassis is effectively a new build with only the hornguides, spring hangars and wheels being re-used. It's taking time to get it all right, but will be worth it in the end, as hopefully the new chassis will give many years of service without the need for serious attention.

Regards
James