2003/04 Overhaul Archive - January 2004

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Work started on refitting the inside con rods. It was found the inside right hand big end bearing, recently remetalled, was a little tight requiring scraping in to ensure a good fit.

Steve Underhill selects the correct tool to scrape in the inside right big end bearing. January 31 2004 © Colin Henderson

With the inside right con rod back in position it was time to tighten up the gudgeon pin. January 31 2004 © Colin Henderson.

Mick Carr rubs down the drivers side cab sheet. January 31 2004 © Colin Henderson.

As you can probably guess brake pipes and similar items were painted and prepared for when time comes to refit them.

January 24 2004

Work has continued on preparing the boiler for the hydraulic test. The superheater header is being fitted with blanked off ends from old elements.

In the week the tender and chassis were shunted positioning them the correct way round again.

With new studs in the superheater header it is prepared for the hydraulic boiler test. January 24 2004 © Colin Henderson

Inside the frames the eccentric rods have been refitted.

A good view of the virtually complete lubrication pipework around the mechanical lubricator. January 24 2004 © Colin Henderson

Pipework associated with the injectors has continued to go back on the locomotive.

Leon Salter refits pipework around the left hand injector. January 24 2004 © Colin Henderson

Dave Fuszard dries one of the rubbed down nameplates. January 24 2004 © Colin Henderson

All sorts of bits and pieces have continued to be prepared for refitting.

January 17 2004

Work has progressed on preparing the boiler for the hydraulic test which may have to wait for warmer weather before proceeding.

The refitted safety valve casting has had the rear valve refitted minus the spring. The flange pipe attached to the left hand (bottom in this view) clack is for the hydraulic test. January 17 2004 © Colin Henderson

The ashpan is the right way up again ! Shortly it will be painted and have the ashpan water system refitted. January 17 2004 © Colin Henderson

As ever pre-painting preparation has continued on many items with others actually being painted. Work has started on applying the top coat of paint to the tender tank.

The tender has received the first top coat. This is hand painted and NOT sprayed. January 17 2004 © Colin Henderson

From the right Huw Button, Tim Watson, Richard Corser and Dave Fuszard demonstrate how many blokes are required to sort out a piece of brake pipe. January 17 2004 © Colin Henderson

Work has started in preparing the backhead cladding jigsaw for reuse. January 17 2004 © Colin Henderson

The left and right hand outside connecting rods have been refitted to the loco.

Meanwhile in Argentina I witnessed the USA practice hot washout of FCAF 2-6-2t No.3 'Camila'. This railway uses 'Porta Treatment' in the locomotive boilers. The success of this very simple treatment regime is underlined by several key facts: 1. This was the first washout in SIX MONTHS of daily use with only 4 short blow downs in that period. 2. There was no hard packed mud anywhere in the boiler. The internal surfaces were CLEAN. All that existed was a fully mobile sludge removed by water alone. 3. Scale removed almost entirely results from when the locomotive did not use Porta Treatment. The treatment effectively dissolves scale. 4. The boiler surfaces are corrosion free.

R.I.P. Brian Dudley-Ward. On behalf of the 6024 working party I would like to express our sadness at the death of engineman Brian Dudley-Ward. He was a first class engineman and a good friend of 6024. He will be sadly missed. Our condolences go to his family at this difficult time.

January 10 2004

A strong turn out on another cold January day in Birmingham.

A number of jobs were finished in the week. The new fall plate was fitted to the cab, work on the inside connecting rods was finished and most of the cylinder glands were repacked. This work continued during the day. The outside right hand cylinder also had the lubrication pipework refitted.

All the remaining bits of pipework stored in the larger of our two containers was removed and sorted by type. Bits to be required towards the end of the overhaul were put back first etc whilst some of the brake piping was left out for cleaning, rubbing down and painting. Such work also continued on various other items such as parts of the mechanical lubricator drive.

Work on preparing the tender tank for the first top coat of paint continued. Underneath the tender more cleaning took place before a coat of gloss back was applied.

Work also continued in building a new spark arrestor cage.

The day started with an example of how not to break in to a car and why it is a good idea not to lock your keys in one in the first place ! January 10 2004

The fall plate has been replaced and the new one has be fitted. January 10 2004

The remetalled inside big ends are now complete and await fitting to the engine. January 10 2004

The outside right hand cylinder is basically complete now. It just requires painting. January 10 2004

Time for a warming cup of tea ! January 10 2004

John Salter holds a piece of brake pipe whilst Kevin Blake wire brushes it. In the background Leon Salter is also working on some brake pipe work. January 10 2004

Dave Fuszard takes his hairdryer to the front of the engine to help the paint dry in the damp and cold. January 10 2003

The right hand injector was refurbished and refitted, and to the correct side of the locomotive.

Angie Hailwood (left) distracts Colin Henderson from his work, which was overhauling the right hand side injector. January 10 2004

Steve Underhill checks the running of the crosshead in the slippers after the gland had been repacked. It was found to be a little bit tight. January 10 2004

Richard Jones rubs down part of the mechanical lubricator drive. January 10 2004

The shed now sports a slate plaque. This was "unveiled" by Angie Hailwood. January 10 2004

January 03 2004

The first working part of 2004 was greeted by a wet and cold day.

The left hand side injector has been overhauled and refitted.

The combining cone from the left hand live steam steam injector gets a check over and clean. January 03 2004

This is the body of the injector. It is upside down in the vice. On the bottom left is where the steam feed arrives, top left is the feed water, top middle is the overflow and bottom right is the exit towards the clack valve. January 03 2004

Colin Henderson hides behind the left hand injector with it more or less back in place under the cab, but for some reason he put it back on the right hand side of the loco....... January 03 2004

The blast pipe caps were given a clean externally and as much as was possible the carbon build on the inner surfaces was removed. The threaded holes for the blower pipe attachments were cleaned out with a tap whilst the blower exhausts were cleaned out with a drill.

Tim Watson chips corrosion of one the the two blast pipe caps. January 03 2004

A close up of a blast pipe cap in cleaned up state. The four "nuts" with small holes in are the blower exhausts. January 03 2004

Work has continued on preparing the refurbished ashpan for the time when, hopefully soon, it can be re-attached to the boiler.

Steve Underhill works on making the back front ashpan door a good fit. January 03 2004

Meanwhile the normal routine of rubbing down and painting has continued. A number of small items have also been refitted.

Dave Fuszard in between the frames, not doing too much by the look of it ! January 03 2004

Chris Brown (left) and Alex Hayes work on preparing bits and piece for painting. Alex is working on a boiler band. January 03 2004

Keith Lines cleans out a thread hole before refitting the valve spindle covers. October 04 2004

The new main steam pipes for the smokebox have arrived in bits. They now need to be assembled and have the relevant ends (above) welded on. January 03 2004

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