Build Diary entries for November 2024
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.
| More Pony Truck Parts |
| 04/11/2024 |
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This pair of spring beams arrived from Tyler Bros in Kirkby in Ashfield at the end of last week. The spring beams are part of the coil spring pony truck suspension that is part of the lot 242 Class 6 design. The design is shared with 71000 - Duke of Gloucester. The spring links (see 07/10/2024 build entry) pass through the oval slots and a spring end shoe which fits in the oval hole. The black component is the ball end piece - the round end sits in a hollow in the axlebox spring pad, which sits directly on the top of the axlebox. The ball end piece engages fully in the round spigot which now needs to be welded into a recess on the bottom of the spring beam. To complete the job, we need to weld a pair of manganese pads to the sides of the spring beams. Once welded on, they will need to be machined to produce the final overall width of the spring beam assembly.. |
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| Cab Blast Cleaning |
| 04/11/2024 |
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Brightstar Shotblasting and Coatings Ltd, based in Sheffield, have agreed to help us out again with blast cleaning of a few more cab components. Mike, Steve and Neil have loaded the frame and the cab back panel onto the truck prior to delivery to Brightstar. We are very grateful for their assistance. |
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| Diaphragm Plate |
| 04/11/2024 |
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On the British Railways Standard locomotives, the cab is secured to the boiler. The rear of the cab is connected to the frames via the diaphragm plates, the rear one is the grey component in the photo. The diaphragm plates are 1/4" thick and are bolted together. As the boiler heats up it will expand and the cab will move backwards. The diaphragm plate is designed to bend to accommodate this expansion. We now need to drill and ream the bolt holes that will secure the diaphragm plates to the top of the hind beam |
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| Rubbing Plates on Hind Beam |
| 11/11/2024 |
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Today we moved the Asquith drill to the back of the frames. On either side of the central intermediate rubbing block (in green in the photo with the curved convex sections) are 2 steel rubbing plates. These have manganese steel liner welded to the outer (rear) surface, The intermediate buffers on the front of the tender press on these manganese liners. The rubbing plates and the 4 corners of the intermediate rubbing block are riveted to the hind beam. Today's job was to drill 13/16" holes for 3/4" rivets. |
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| Cab Side Sheet |
| 11/11/2024 |
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One of the cab side sheets has gone to Brightside blast Cleaning to be stripped to bare metal. The other side we are doing in house. Here Neil and Roger are cleaning off the derusting fluid in preparation for painting. |
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| Frame preparation |
| 18/11/2024 |
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A lot of work is going into the frames, preparing them for painting. The main work is around the areas where the hornguides are welded into the frames. Here we are ensuring that the 2 components blend into each other and there are no raised edges. Here Steve P is working on the left hand trailing hornguide. |
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| Frame preparation (2) |
| 18/11/2024 |
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Ashley is following up working down the left hand outside. Once the frames have been thoroughly cleaned, a small amount of filler is applied to fill the small blemishes. Once that has been sanded down smooth, a coat of etch primer is applied.
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