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.

Inverting the Frames
01/06/2020
	For the machining of the bottom face of the frames at Pattinson Brothers Engineering, the frames were placed on their side and returned to CTL Seal in this orientation. In preparation for the next phase of work, the frames needed to be turned through 90 degrees so that they were fully inverted. Today, Damien (on the controls) and Pete (out of view) from CTL Seal carefully rotated the whole assembly. The tricky bit is at the point of balance - the manoeuvre was completed smoothly and with no fuss. The next stage isto spin the assembly through 90 degrees and place the frames on the assembly bed to the right. Then the cast steel stretchers will be placed in position so we can check if the machining of the stretchers and the frames has ensured that the stretchers are sitting closely on the frames. If that check passes, we can started installing the fitted bolts to permanently connect the components.
Pony Truck Bolsters
01/06/2020
	The pony truck bolster castings have now been machined and wre photographed on the inspection bench. The weight of the rear of the loco is transferred to the trailing truck in a similar manner to the way that the weight of the front of the loco is transferred to the bogie. The pony truck bolsters are bolted with the dome downward s to the bottom of 2 large gussets that strengthen the rear of the frames and the hind beam. The domes engage in bolster cups which can move on the trailing truck frame. You can see the oval sliding surface on 71000's trailing truck here
Bogie Stretcher Machining (5)
01/06/2020
	Finally for today, here is a top view of the bogie stretcher. This will now move to an NC machine to have the circular recesses for the bogie bolster pads machined. The central area is where the bogie pivot centre slide will fit. 2 wear plates covering the central area are secured by the smaller bolt holes. 2 "V Strips" are bolted down using the 4 larger bolt holes on each side. These have a 60 degree chamfer on the face nearest the centre slide, corrresponding with a similar chamfer on the matching face of the centre slide. Therefore the centre slide is held down vertically but is free to move from side to side (while being restrained by the side control springs)
Bogie Side Control Beams (2)
26/05/2020
	The sideways motion of the centre slide on the bogie stretcher is transmitted to the side control springs via these 2 beams, one fore and one aft of the centreline of the bogie. They are now almost finished and just need small radiused corners on the end of the beams.
Bogie Stretcher Machining (4)
25/05/2020
	The bogie stretcher has completed the first phase of machining. Here is Karl in CTL inspection checking the dimensions with a Faro Arm (a portable coordinate measuring machine). The next stage is on an NC machine where the bolster pad seating surfaces will be machined.
Bogie Centre Slide
25/05/2020
	Also being machined is the bogie centre slide. The bogie pivot - fixed to a bogie pivot stretcher on the main frames - engages in a bush in the centre slide. The centre slide is able to move left and right while being constrained by the side control springs
Bottom of Frame Plate Machining (1)
20/05/2020
	We haven't been 100% satisfied with the way that the frames are sitting on the cast steel stretchers. So we've taken the decision to lightly machine the bottom face of the frame plates, taking the minimum material off to ensure the surface is flat and square to the side of the plate. The corresponding face on the cast steel stretchers has already been machined. As CTL Seal are busy, the frame machining has been undertaken by Pattinson Brothers Engineering of Sheffield. Here you can see the assembly being set up on the machine. Some bobbins have been made up and fitted in the holes for the stretchers; these are used as reference points. If you look closely at the full size image (click on the image), you can see a dial gauge taking a measurement from the bobbin.
Bottom of Frame Plate Machining (2)
20/05/2020
	A view from the other side of the frames at Pattinson Brothers Engineering
Small Parts
18/05/2020
	A number of small parts have been taken into stock this week. At the top of the page is the bracket that carries a tee and drain valve for a steam supply for the cylinder drain cocks. This is bolted to the bottom of the first vertical stretcher behind the smokebox saddle. A steam supply pipe coming down from the driver's actuating valve is connected to the tee and is then split to the left and right drain cocks. The drain cocks are opened when an engine starts after standing to ensure that any water is blown out of the cylinders. This provides the large volumes of steam which obscures the photograph you were trying to take! The bottom left photo is a set of flanges for the 8 sanding ejectors - 6 sited in front of each driving wheel and 2 behind the centre driving wheel (for rearwards running sanding). From the drawing, you can see that they will be welded to the delivery pipe. On the bottom right are 8 release covers for the sand traps which are bolted to the bottom of the sand box. This allows the driver or fitter to check that sand is running freely and to clear any blockages.
Valve Cylinder Pattern - Second half
17/05/2020
	Tony, our cylinder pattern maker, reports that he has finished making up the layers of the second half of the valve cylinder pattern. These are glued and screwed together one layer at a time, giving plenty of time for the glue to set. It's a slow job. Once the glue has set, the screws are removed and replaced by wooden dowels. Here you can see the 2 halves of the second half on the bench. Tony's next job will be to power plane the pattern down to the blue line before they go on the lathe.
Bogie Stretcher Machining (3)
11/05/2020
	Work continues on the bogie central stretcher casting. You can see that the side arms have been machined. The bogie frame plates will be bolted to these faces. Machining has started on the top faces.
THE 'CLAN' PROJECT announces David Buck as New Patron
05/05/2020
	THE STANDARD STEAM LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY LIMITED (SSLC), building 72010 'HENGIST', is pleased to announce the appointment of David Buck as its new Patron. A lifelong rail enthusiast and entrepreneur, Mr Buck brings many years of experience in business and in particular the heritage rail industry to THE 'CLAN' PROJECT, which is constructing Standard Class 6 locomotive 'HENGIST', the 1000th British Railways Standard locomotive, in partnership with engineering firm CTL Seal in Ecclesfield in Sheffield. Mr Buck has become a well-known figure in the British railway preservation scene in recent years. After a successful career in the film and television industry, he bought several historic locomotives, including former LNER B1 Class locomotive 61306 'Mayflower' in 2014, restoring it to running railtours on the national network for the first time in 40 years. This was followed in 2018 by acquiring the Steam Dreams Rail Company, one of Britain's most successful railtour promoters. In addition to this, he has taken on other roles in the heritage industry, such as acting as Vice President of the Friends of the National Railway Museum (NRM), South of England Group, and as a Patron of the Science Museum, the NRM, the London Transport Museum and the British Postal Museum. He has also built a half-mile-long railway in his garden near Windsor, on which he runs his own locomotives, and is an avid collector of railwayana, including historic locomotive nameplates. Mr Buck said: "Standard Pacific locomotives have always been one of my favourite classes and I couldn't be more delighted to be involved in the creation of the missing link – a new 'Clan'." James Baldwin, President of the SSLC, said: "I'm delighted to welcome David to THE 'CLAN' PROJECT. We are privileged to benefit from his experience in the heritage rail industry, and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming years as we progress towards our goal of seeing 'HENGIST' in steam, pulling its first train." Mr Buck is THE 'CLAN' PROJECT's second patron, following the late Sir William McAlpine, the former owner of 'Flying Scotsman', who acted as the project's patron until his death in 2018. You can find out more about the project on this web site.