"Haynes Manual": Steam loco overhaul?

The Lancaster and Spitfire Haynes Manuals are a mixture of prototype history and general details of how they are maintained and overhauled by the BBMF. There is no way you could pick one up and expect to become a warbird operator after reading it :smt002

Regards,

Dan

 

Wow! I've never thought of my copy as being valuable, even though it is signed by John Alcock (President of the LMA at the time). It is very useful for info on limits and fits and we use this as our standard at Middleton. There are also similar and more comprehensive BR documents giving machining requirements for components, everyhing from carriage warming cocks through to progressive sizes of valve spindles and bushes with lots in between. Another useful BR document is wear limits and scrapping sizes. As for materials specs, the LMA handbook covers these, albeit very much out of date in terms of modern British Standards. The ORR publish information on boiler materials and specs and the HRA are starting to put together guidance on boilers and their maintenance and repair in conjunction with the ORR. The written info is largely there. It's the skills and experience that needs to be passed on.

 

A book that gives a good coverage of the subject is:- 'A Manual of Steam Locomotive Restoration and Preservation' by the late D. W. (Bill) Harvey, ISBN 0-7153-7770-1 originally published by David & Charles of Newton Abbott in 1980 with a 2nd impression also in 1980 and a 3rd in 1981. Copies possibly obtainable from s/h sources.

Perhaps a reprint is overdue.

 

IMHO, it only skirts the surface of most things and isn't the 'bible' it should be, relying more on the reputation of the author rather than the quality of its content.

 

The Bill Harvey book is indeed a modest volume of less than a hundred pages, and as such as Steve implies, cannot cover the subject in detail.

Hence the need for someone to start gathering all this technical information into one place.

What you cannot write down however is the hands-on skill of many of the jobs needed to repair and overhaul a steam locomotive. That has to be taught face-to-face, person-to -person.

46118

 

That is provided you have all the bits.....

 

Reading this at work I don't have access to my Haynes manuals but I think there is one specifically for restoring a Land Rover Defender. The ex-Army Land Rover workshop manual is far better than the Haynes equivalent. The things about Haynes that have really bugged me is a) the page/paragraph numbering and b) you have to look at two different sections to find out what oil to use and how much to pour in. There really is very little logic to Haynes' layout and I'm amazed that no serious competitor exists.

Anyway LMS2968 you must be a Land Rover owner from the way you made me laugh out loud! My suggested choice of loco? Obvious really due to the number of them in use/under restoration: 5700/8751 Pannier Tank. Thinking of 9629, perhaps with a section on how to make a Dean Goods boiler fit.

 

Actually, although having a very high regard for the Landie, I've never owned one. Actually my car - my only car - is a 1961 Ford Prefect!

Nor can I claim to be the author of that list; I can't remember who sent it to me but it was far too good to delete!

 

And from where did they get much of that information?

 

It already exisits...

"A manuel of Steam Locomotive Restoration and Preservation" by DW Harvey, David & Charles 1980.

Not published in Haynes, but in the same style - even a step by step description of an overhaul.

http://www.transportstore.com/index.cfm ... %20Details

 

See Eightpots post above and my response. It falls well short of its title IMHO.

 

A haynes overhaul manual for a steam engine, ?????
i wonder how many spanners the removal of the middle engine off an un rebuilt spam can would get, or would they have a new symbol for it, a set of cutting torches

i can just see someone surrounded by a pile of bits , scratching their heads, book in hand, , "now where did that bit go?"
or, an ex works engine leaves shed on its first trial run, and the mechanic is standing their with a washer and nut in his hand, as the connecting rod works its way loose

 

Middle Engine? Only one about today as far as I know that know's the secret? :-k Maybe he might make a Haynes manual for the Bulleids?

 

Well if it does have an 'engine' in the middle, it must be a Land Rover one, judging from the amount of oil on my driveway. Luckily for me though, the oil doesn't get on my wheels when pulling away.

 

The bits left over at the end of the job are known as the wee bits.

As they go flying though the air over your shoulder, they make a noise like "Wheeee..."

Might be tricky with a Bulleid inside con rod...

 

I have now purchased a full copy of The Locomotive Manufactures Association Handbook off Ebay, from Canada no less. Previously owned by what appears to be two or three French Canadians working for the CPR. Loads of interesting data. Anyone wanting details of tolerances for any particular component feel free to PM me.

 

Theres not just one person who knows, theres quite a few around. I'm sure theres a good few at the mhr and the guys at herston who have done manston for starters....

 

I was being somewhat "tongue in cheek" when I started this topic.

However...it would be rather nice if someone did actually make/keep a detailed photographic record of the start to finish overhaul of a large locomotive, if for no other reason than future posterity.

I would buy a copy just out of interest to marvel at the multitude of engineering skills that go into such an overhaul.

46118

 

It's not a big loco, but the photo gallery for the ex-KESR Sentinel "Gervase"
http://jedwards.fotopic.net/c1574870.html
have given a good idea of how much work is involved.

I wonder if a similar photo gallery for a big loco overhaul would help with fund-raising and volunteers?

Richard

 

Trust me there is one person only who knows how to set up the middle engine properly on a Bulleid.... And this guy gets called on very frequently to get the beats right!!