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.

Smokebox Saddle back in the Frames
15/07/2019
	Machining of the smokebox saddle is now complete and it is back in the frames. It now sits correctly at the right angle and the bolt holes line up. The triangular flange on the rear of the smokebox saddle is for the exhaust steam pipe that will go to the exhaust steam injector. Underneath the smokebox saddle is the bogie pivot stretcher. The third horizontal stretcher was fitted this morning and you can see the temporary bolts holding it in place. The flange at the other end of the stretcher is bolted tight against one of the vertical stretchers. The gap which you can see where the temporary bokts are fitted will be closed by a spacer plate that has to be machined to exactly close the gap. CTL Seal aim to start drilling the horizontal stretcher bolts holes this week.
Foot for Trailing Keep
15/07/2019
	We have a slight dimensional problem on the LH Foot for Trailing Keep. At the moment the flange which butts against the bottom of the frames is too high so that the foot is sitting 3mm too low. This will require machining to fit.
Frame Assembly
15/07/2019
	This is the complete assembly that will be going to the machine shop once the trailing foot has been corrected. You can see that all of the frame keeps are in place. They are deliberately upside down as they still need to be machined on the big machining station together with the hornguides. We have fitted them upside down to ensure that the bottom of the frames (and in particular the hornguides) are supported. You can see that the rear spring hanger bracket is missing. We have not been able to locate the drawing for it so we have measured 71000 Duke of Gloucester which has the same cast steel stretcher arrangement as Lot 242 Class 6. We will be placing an order for this shortly. The next step will be an alignment check to ensure that everything is set up correctly before bolting can start.
Frame Assembly Progress
08/07/2019
	Work continues on assembly of frame components. The smokebox saddle has been removed for some machining. Today this was complete and it was due to move back to the assembly area. The brake cylinder support stretcher is back in the frames together with the front firebox support and pony truck pivot (at the rear of the frames). The second horizontal stretcher is fitted; number three will be fitted once the smokebox saddle is refitted. Number 4 in front of the smokebox saddle will only be fitted after hornguide machining when the front buffer beam components are fitted. The feet for the trailing frame keep (square blocks on right hand side of photo) also need to be fitted. Then we will be moving onto alignment.
Front Firebox Support
08/07/2019
	Once sufficient fitted bolts have been installed, the complete frame assembly will be inverted and taken to the machine shop for machining of the hornguides. We cannot fit the rear frame extensions at this point as the assembly would then be too long. We have had some spacer plates made up that sit between the frames and the front firebox support which you can see in the photo. After hornguide machining, these will be removed and the frame extensions fitted. You can also see the special liners that are fitted to the top surface of the support. The firebox support "shoes" sit on here and are free to move as the boiler expands.
Smokebox Refresh
08/07/2019
	Ashley Shimwell gets a coat of paint on the smokebox to freshen it up after the winter
Spring Links
07/07/2019
	Another set of items received into stock. These are the spring links for the bogie and driving wheels. We required 4 for the front bogie and decided to get the driving wheel links manufactured at the same time. The slots needed to be machined to a fine tolerance so 2 suppliers were involved.
Trial Fit of Motion Bracket
01/07/2019
	For the next couple of weeks we are aiming to get all of the components that sit between the frames installed. We're also checking some of the other components as well. Here we're checking the fit of the right hand motion bracket on the frames. The bracket is a key component of the valve gear on the right hand side of the frames. This is only a temporary fit as we only fit it permanently after hornguide machining. Here Pete from CTL Seal discusses the fit with Keith and Alan
Latest small parts produced.
01/07/2019
	The latest small parts produced have been the SIX Brake Hanger Bracket Pins and Bushes. Each of the Pins, part number SL/DE/20203, requires two Bushes, part numbers SL/DE/162 and 163, which have to be fitted into position in the Brake Hanger Brackets before the Brackets are finally attached to the main frames.
Front Firebox Support & Truck Pivot
01/07/2019
	Also getting fitted today is the Front Firebox Support & Truck Pivot assembly. The gap between the frame and the support is deliberate. Normally the rear frame extensions would go in this slot, between the firebox support and the frames. With the frame extensions in place, the frame assembly would be too long to go on the hornguide machining station so the extensions will be fitted after machining. We've had a couple of substantial spacer plates made up that will go in these slots so that we can tighten everything up. Pete's checking the instructions to make sure we get the right bolts in the right holes!
Latest edition of Clan News.
26/06/2019
	The summer 2019 edition of the HENGIST project magazine is out and should be landing on the doorsteps of our members any time now.