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.

A Visit to Loughborough
12/08/2019
	Some of the Monday team went to visit the Great Central Railway at Loughborough today; in particular to have a look at 70013 Oliver Cromwell while the loco was being overhauled. We took the opportunity to have a good look at the bogie components. Also we are missing the drawing for the reverser shaft that links across the frames between the LH and RH motion brackets; this drawing also includes the RH lifting arm. So this was a good chance to get in close and take some measurements. Thanks to Craig and his team for hosting the visit. Alan, Geoff and Keith in front of 92214 which has a BR1G tender which we will want to manufacture.
Bogie Pivot Pin Collar and Ring
05/08/2019
	There's not a lot of progress to report on this week as we wait for a couple of frame parts to be returned from machining. On the inspection table today was the bogie pivot collar (in 2 halves) and the locking ring, kindly sponsored by a member. The bogie pivot is attatched to the bogie frame stretcher. When the bogie is fitted, the pin engages with the centre slide (see Construction > Build > Bogie) on the bogie. The 2 halves of the pivot collar are fitted below the centre slide and engage with a slot on the pivot pin. With the collar fully engaged, the locking ring slips over the top of the collar and is locked in position by the bolt. This securing the bogie to the main frames.
Buffer Beam Angle
05/08/2019
	Prior to establishing our base at CTL Seal in Sheffield, our parts lived in various locations up and down the country. Fortunately, we only managed to lose one item and this was the left hand buffer beam angle. With thanks to Alphaweld, a fabrication company based at Calver in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire, a new angle has been manufactured. The right hand angle can be seen in the right of the photo. The new angle will be receiving a coat of paint shortly.
Bogie Bolster Cups
28/07/2019
	Today on the inspection bench in CTL Seal were 2 bogie bolster cups ready for inspection. 2 bogie bolsters are fitted to the frames and they engage in these cups to transfer the weight of the front of the locomotive to the bogie. A Tufnol circular pad (Ferobestos in the original design) is fixed via countersunk screws into the recess on the base. The cups are then free to slide, as the bogie rotates about the pivot pin, on circular brass pads which are fixed to the bogie stretcher.
Bogie Stretcher Pattern
28/07/2019
	Meanwhile, in a workshop in South Lincolnshire, the pattern for the bogie stretcher casting is taking shape. This stretcher is the central component in the bogie system. The casting of the stretcher has been sponsored; we are looking for a sponsor to pay for the machining. If you are interested, please get in touch.
Bogie Cradle Pins
22/07/2019
	There's not a lot of news this week as we are waiting for a couple of frame components to receive some remedial machining. Today we took delivery of 4 bogie cradle pins. The bogie cradle is a compensation beam. The pins are fitted, dome downwards, at each end of the cradle. They engage in a spring pad which sits in a pocket on the top of the axlebox. The bogie has 2 leaf springs, one on each side. The spring is fitted upside down, compared to tender springs, and the ends engage with the bogie cradle.