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.

Brake Hanger Bushes and Pins
18/09/2019
	Another job completed is the fitting of the steel bushes to the brake hangers
2019 Annual General Meeting Reminder
17/09/2019
	Don't forget the Annual General Meeting this weekend - this is an open meeting. The meeting will be held at the premises of CTL Seal Ltd at Butterthwaite Lane, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S35 9WA and doors will open at 1330. The meeting is open to all but only members of SSLC can vote. This will be an opportunity for you to see the frames complete at the first stage of assembly. See below for the agenda
Horizontal Stretchers - 1
17/09/2019
	The next job will be to secure the horizontal stretchers with fitted bolts. There are 4 horizontal stretchers in the frames. The front one, in front of the smokebox saddle, will be fitted after hornblock machining. The first job will be to drill the fore and aft holes in the stretcher to the final size so that the fitted bolts can be turned to a drive fit and installed. In the photo, you can see the rear holes of the rear stretcher. We had a slight alignment problem here so the holes have been plug welded and redrilled (1/16" undersize). They now need to be drilled and reamed to the final size. Once the bolts are installed they will be tightened so that the stretcher is hard up against the brake cylinder stretcher.
Horizontal Stretchers - 2
17/09/2019
	This photo shows the other end of the rear horizontal stretcher. You will note that there is a gap between the vertical stretcher and the flange of the horizontal stretcher. We have a packing plate that now has to be machined so that it will tightly fit the gap. However, the job is a bit more difficult as to drill the fore and aft holes to size, we can't get a drill in - there's not enough space for the drill to sit perpendicular to the hole. So first we remove the rear horizontal stretcher (number 4) and drill/ream the aft holes for stretcher number 3. Then we refit stretcher number 4 and remove stretcher number 3. Now we can drill the fore holes for stretcher number 4. Then repeat for stretcher 2. Both stretcher 2 and stretcher 3 will need packing plates. Once the packing plates have been sorted, the side bolts can be fitted.
Tender Wing Plates
16/09/2019
	Here's Mike Sedgley with the tender wing plates. Ian from CTL Seal has helded the triangular fillets onto the plates. The next job will be to cut down the vertical edges (as seen in the photo) to the correct height. The surplus metal is to allow the plates to be bent in the bending machine
Nuts and Bolts
16/09/2019
	Unfortunately we couldn't get in our container today as the fork lift truck that moves the security block in front of the door had broken down. So we've had a big reorganise of the nuts, bolts and washers. The 3/4" and 7/8" bolts have had to be returned to the supplier as they are missing the turning centre at the threaded end of the bolts. All the bolts have 10 thousands of an inch oversize shanks. Thet will be turned down to provide an interference fit in the bolt hole that they will be fitted to. The 1" bolts were in the container so we will get them on the racking next week.
Main Frame Alignment.
11/09/2019
	Today was a very important day in the construction of HENGIST as work has started on the laser tracking for the alignment of the frames. Hexagon Metrology were on site at CTL with their brand new Leica AT 960-MR Absolute Tracker. We are indebted to the Hexagon Metrology guys, Tim Gears and Barry Dimelow, pictured in the blue hi-vis jackets for doing this work for us. Also in the picture are Phil Yates and Ian Henderson from the HENGIST engineering team.
3D CAD Model Updated
10/09/2019
	Keith Greenhow, ably assisted by Alan Marshall and James Conway, has now updated our 3D CAD model to include the bogie and the pony truck. The model has been of enormous benefit in determining the fixings for the bogie as it allows us to examine clearances from all angles.
Tender Steps
09/09/2019
	Ian from CTL Seal does a final bit of fettling on the tender tank steps - another item to add to the set of tender parts that we are steadily amassing. Today we've been getting ready for Wednesday of this week when a specialist laser measuring firm will be checking the frame alignment. Once we have confirmed that the alignment is correct, we can start installing the fitted bolts to fix the frame components.
First of the Main Frame Fitted Bolts produced.
02/09/2019
	Today we took delivery of the first of the Fitted Bolts for the Main Frames, some 240 in total today; all 1 inch in diameter. Some of these are required for strategic positions on the main frame when the initial alignment takes place. Most of the remainder of the 700 bolts required will be slightly larger in diameter than this first batch.
Bogie CAD Model Complete
28/08/2019
	Keith has now finished the 3D CAD model of the bogie. This give us the reassurance that we've read all of the dimensions from the drawings. The reproduction quality of the drawings can be poor and it can be difficult to determine a dimension. We've been analysing the model in 3D and have checked that we have no clearance problems. Now we need to built it - if you can help, please see the appeals page!
Small Parts for the Tender
28/08/2019
	Here's a set of small parts just taken in to stock. On the left are the pins for the tender doors. The tender doors consist of 2 flat plates and a curved plate, all hinged so that they can fold away. In the centre are the bushes for the door fastening pin. These will be welded to the tender front. On the right are parts to help make up the door fastening pin. The 2 larger bushes will be for the "eye" at the top of the pin. This allows a chain to be fastened to the pin. It will be welded to some 3/4" round bar to make up the pin. The smaller bushes are collars, again welded to the bar to stop the pin at the top bush.
2019 Christmas Cards
26/08/2019
	The Clan project Christmas Cards are on sale in our on-line shop. Go to the shop page and follow the link to the Branded Gifts section
2019 Annual General Meeting
21/08/2019
	The 2019 Annual General meeting for the Standard Steam Locomotive will be held on 21 September 2019. The meeting will be held at the premises of CTL Seal Ltd at Butterthwaite Lane, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S35 9WA and doors will open at 1330. The meeting is open to all but only members of SSLC can vote. This will be an opportunity for you to see the frames complete at the first stage of assembly. The agenda can be seen by clicking the Acrobat icon.