fb twitter
sheffield
header
 

Latest News

Current news items are listed below. If the Acrobat icon is shown, then click on the icon to read the attachment. If an image is shown, you can click it for a full size image. You can find old news items in the News Archive.

Reverser Drive Flanges
10/08/2026
  Highslide JS
  The driver's reverser control is linked to a long transmission tube that runs from the cab to the motion bracket on the left hand side of the frames. The tube is very similar to an automotive propeller shaft in that it has universal joints at each end. Each end of the tube has to be bolted to a Hardy Spicer drive flange. We had one drive flange in stock but were missing the other. Hardy Spicer in Australia were very helpful in pointing us towards International Marketing Services in Birmingham who were able to supply us with a generic drive flange that could be machined to match the drive flange we had in stock. This job has been completed by Alpenbury Precision Engineering in Parkgate, Rotherham who have produced the completed flange on the right. They also produced 2 keys for the reverser shafts, one of which is on the left.

We do have some more work to do on the end away from the connection flange which needs to be a smaller diameter.
   
Reverser Housing
04/08/2026
  Highslide JS
  This is one of the housings for the reverser control in the cab. This housing is close to the operating hand wheel. The 2 lugs on the right are for fitting the locking catch which holds the handwheel in position. Mike is drilling one of the 4 oilways/breather holes into the curved area of the housing. These holes are at 90 degree intervals around the central bush and are angled at 30 degrees to the centre line. Diamond Engineering have loaned us this angle jig. This allows us to set the housing at the correct angle so we can drill down vertically into the housing.

The next job is to drill a hole into the housing between the 2 locking handle lugs. This is for a plunger and spring which engages with the locking handle.
   
Reverser Housing Bush
03/08/2026
  Highslide JS
  In for Goods Inwards today was a bush from Forrest Precision Engineering in Glasgow. This bush is needed in one of the other reverser housings and will support the shaft that engages with the transmission tube that runs from the cab to the left hand motion bracket.