Build Diary for Month

Build Diary entries for May 2022

Here are the diary entries for this month. You can use the forward and backward links to see the next or previous months. Most photos taken before 2018 are small size. From 2018 onwards, most photos you see below will have a link to a full size image by clicking on the photo.

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Bogie Frame Plate Machining
09/05/2022

	The bogie frame plates on the machine at CTL Seal for their final machining stage. Here are the team from CTL Seal and SSLC reviewing the machining instructions and drawings before machining started. The 2 plates have been tack welded together to ensure that they will line up precisely.

Bogie Frame Plate Machining (2)
16/05/2022

	All of the holes on the bogie frame plates have been drilled and reamed so, today, Sam was machining the bottom surface. Once that is complete, the final job is to machine the faces for the axlebox cut-outs. You can see a video by following this link. The plan is to start riveting of the buffer beam on Friday 20 May.

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day One
20/05/2022

	Today is the first of 2 weekends for riveting the front buffer beam and associated components. We are going to need to build up the components in a series of stages. The first job was to temporarily fit the buffer beam and the 4 angle plates (seen in the photo) with bolts and then make sure everything is correctly aligned. We needed to make sure that the rear face of the buffer beam is hard up against the front vertical edge of the frames. The buffer beam was then removed so that John Varley and and his son can rivet the angle plates. These rivets fit into countersunk holes in the plates so they don't foul the rivets fitting the buffer beam to the angle plates. 8 rivets complete, 131 to go!

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day Two (1)
21/05/2022

	Saturday was day two of the buffer beam riveting. First job was to fit the buffer beam and then make sure everything was level and square. Here John is checking everything before giving the go ahead for riveting to commence

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day Two (2)
21/05/2022

	On the outside of the frames are 2 right angle brackets. These support the platform plates which sit on top of them. John Varley and Richard Smith from Varley Boilers fit the rivets that fasten the brackets to the buffer beam.

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day Two (3)
21/05/2022

	Once the first set of rivets were fitted we could then install the triangular gussets that brace the buffer beam. We have to fit the components in a certain order so that the rivet guns can get to the rivet heads.

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day Two (4)
21/05/2022

	Final result for today. 50 rivets installed. The heads need cleaning up and the 4 rivets under the area where the buffers are fitted have been installed into countersunk holes. The heads will need to be ground off flush. Back next Friday/Saturday to complete the job.

Preparation of Buffer Beam Components
23/05/2022

	The next riveting session for the buffer beam will be this coming weekend - 27/28 May (CTL Seal's standard week is Monday to Thursday). Today we ensured that all the remaining components are ready to fit. One item that required minor attention was the circular plate that sits behind the buffer beam - the drawhook goes through the hole in the centre (just visible below the base of the magnetic drill). As the drawbar spring plates (metal discs with rubber rings bonded to both surfaces) will bear against this plate, the rivets will need to be flush with the surface. Here we are countersinking the holes with the magnetic drill. In the background, John is checking the weekend's riveting work

Buffer Beam Riveting - Day Three
27/05/2022

	Another Friday and Saturday to complete the riveting of the buffer beam. Today was a preparation day to clean up the heads of the rivets that have already been placed. here Richard from Varley Boilers dresses the heads of the countersunk head rivets that are under the buffers. Tomorrow should see the remainder of the rivets completed.

Mainly Smokebox Area Components
30/05/2022

	A set of smokebox recently received from Specialised Laser Products in Rotherham. Starting from top left Flange for brake ejector elbow - welded into cutout in smokebox. Joint Strips for platework around smokebox. Flanges for blower and superheater drain elbows. Again welded into smokebox. Triangular pads welded into smokebox. Fixing points for platform support brackets - 3 per side. Eyelets on buffer beam for carriage warming pipe retaining chain. 4 circular plates for ends of bogie spring cradle beam. Large rectangular plates (4). Front and back smokebox platform support brackets. Overlength so that they can be bent. They will then be trimmed to size. Intermediate smokebox platform support brackets(2). Again to be bent to shape and cut to size. The flanges and pads require holes to be drilled and tapped for threads.