Following the loss of Mark Pedley, this summer has been a bitter-sweet period for the engineering team. We are happy to report considerable progress in many areas of 499’s restoration.
Loco Chassis
A key step forward in the mechanical work still required on the loco is now in progress, with the boring of the valve chests. This has been thanks to the loan of a boring bar (originating out of Eastleigh works) from our friends at the Bluebell Railway.
So far, the right-hand side has been completed with the left-hand valve chest still to come. Fortunately, the cylinders themselves are within good tolerance and won’t require the same treatment. The comment was made that the completion of this work with the boring bar will then allow the interesting bar to be fitted! Progress indeed.
In terms of the wheel sets, the front bogie is now complete and in storage until we need it, and the driving wheels have received some of the priming and painting they require. The driving wheel axle boxes are now in the main workshop for some repairs and will be re-metalled.
Boiler
With boiler No. 799 now turned onto its back in the boiler shop, the last of the copper welding to repair various stay holes is complete. The work required on the gauge glass frame pads is now also largely finished with the faces having been aligned with engineer’s blue and a sheet of glass. This is important to ensure the gauge glasses will sit completely square.
Some further fettling works on the foundation ring are commencing, which will then allow for it to be re-installed on the inner firebox. We have also made a start on fitting the new rivets on the bottom of the front tube plate. The next major task will be to rivet the lap seams of the inner firebox before we can fit the new outer plates and rivet the foundation ring.
Tender
We now have a finished tender chassis including floor, which is a huge milestone in what has been an almost complete rebuild of tender No. 3223.
Although the cutting, welding and riveting of the steel floor plates, as well as the valances, has been the primary focus, we have not ignored the finer details. The water outlet flange casting has been installed, and we have finished the underside of the chassis in gloss black.
We have fitted as far as is possible the vacuum and steam heat pipework and the steps have also been fabricated, ready for fitting at a later date. The tender is now ready for lowering off the sleepers currently supporting it, as we won’t need further access to the underside for the time being. This will allow work to begin on the internal framework for the tank, for which the first steel angles have been received.
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