Build Diary entries for January 2025

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 Pivot
13/01/2025
	Today we started to fit the bogie pivot. The top of the pivot is in the foreground of the photo having been degreased prior to fitting. John is under the pivot stretcher using a stone to make sure that there are no burrs, bumps or sharp edges so that the mating surface is flat and clean and the pivot will bolt down fully flat. The grey board at the top of the photo are masking boards to protect the cylinder mounting area on the frames.
Bogie Dimensional Survey
13/01/2025
	The final major job on the bogie is to finish the axlebox guide liners to their final dimensions. We have to set the correct working clearance between the axlebox guide liners and the cannon axleboxes. The wheelsets have to be able to be able to move up and down within the axlebox guides without jamming and the wheelsets need to parallel to each other and square to the frames. Liam, CTL Seals Inspection manager, has been working with the Faro Arm to build a 3D model of the surfaces on the axlebox liners, so we can we check for squareness and parallelism and decide where and by how much to make adjustments. In the past this would be done by large squares, trammels, ruler, caliper and wire stretched along centrelines.
Frame Completion
20/01/2025
	Our aim is to have the frames completed for our Open Day in April. We're now working on the small number of jobs that require attention. The bolts for the dragbox are on order and an order has been placed on Varley Boilers for riveting of the hind beam. In the photo, Mike and Roger are working on fitting the bolts for the pony truck pivot bracket which is bolted to the bottom of the firebox support stretcher. These bolts need to have split pins fitted to the tail shank of the bolts. Meanwhile, the rest of the Monday Gang are working on the right hand side of the frames, cleaning, preparing for paint and then painting. Ashley is wielding the paint brush. Note that the smokebox saddle will not be permanently fitted in the frames at this stage. We are still discussing how to install the cylinders and it may be necessary to remove the saddle in order to drill and ream for the cylinder fitted bolts.