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.

Slidebar Brackets
14/06/2021
	The slidebar brackets were bolted to the frames today for a trial fit. We will not be able to fix them permanently until the cylinders have been fitted as the slidebar brackets need to be aligned to the cylinders. The holes for the frame stiffening plates around the front lifting eyes have now been drilled out and are ready for riveting. You can see them on the centre left of the photo.
Front End almost ready for Riveting
07/06/2021
	The front end is now largely ready for riveting. You can see the slight chamfers on the buffer beam, ready for rivets. One of the last jobs is to drill out the holes for the frame stiffening plates that are fitted around the lifting eyes at the front of the frames. You can see the (almost) round circle where the plates will be fitted . The holes need to be opened up to 1-1/16"
Bogie Stretcher
07/06/2021
	For one reason or another, the bogie stretcher has been in the machine shop for quite a while. It has now finished all of its machining and is on the inspection bench being dimensionally checked using a Faro Arm. This has confirmed our suspicion that a slight bow has developed along the side faces. It's 0.2mm on one side and 0.3mm on the other. We think that it has stress relieved itself after machining 12 months ago. CTL Seal and ourselves have agreed that it will need one final light skim to finish the job. We can then start assembling the bogie frame.
Erection of Frame Extensions
02/06/2021
	A view of 72010's frames with the frame extensions loosely bolted and being set up dimensionally. You can see CTL Seal's dumpy level on the right. The 2 stools on the right (one with a measuring pole on top) have been set up to the exact height of the bottom face of the main frames. The key dimension is 14" from that datum line to the bottom face of the frame extensions alongside the dragbox. The 2 screw jacks to the left of the stools have been used to set the correct height. The dragbox will have to come out for some machining as it it is not sitting closely against the rear face of the frame extensions. A light skim should clean this up. The smokebox saddle is now back in the frames which enable the final bits and pieces to be completed before we can rivet the front buffer beam components.
Build of Frame Extensions Started
26/05/2021
	CTL Seal have started to erect the frame extensions and the components at the rear of the frame extensions. In the photo, on the right, the front firebox support stretcher has been refitted. On the left is the dragbox. The frame extensions and components will be assembled with loose bolts so that the components can be checked for squareness. It will also be important to set the rear ends of the frame extensions at the right height relative to the main frames.
Build of Frame Extensions Started (2)
26/05/2021
	Another view of the frame extensions being fitted to the main frames.
Frame Extension Preparation
24/05/2021
	These are the frame extensions that will be bolted to the rear of the main frames. They extend underneath the firebox to the hind beam and dragbox. The BR drawings for the plates say "All corners to be rounded to a radius which, where not dimensioned, is to be from 1/16" to 1/8" ". Damien from CTL Seal gets busy with the angle grinder to form the radius.
Bogie Spring Cradle Distance Pieces
24/05/2021
	Just in today from Alpenbury Engineering in Rotherham are these 4 distance pieces for the bogie spring cradle. The spring cradle lies alongside the bogie frame plates and contains the main suspension leaf spring. The cradle consists of 2 plates with these distance pieces at the ends to hold them the correct distance apart. The right hand distance piece has a trial fit of the pivot pin which sits in a cup fitted on top of the axle boxes.