Maintenance Update

Sat 13th.
I was otherwise engaged, so today I asked Bruce what had happened - he couldn't even remember if he was there or not!  :-))
Steve said he was.  Steve, John & others(?) certainly cleaned up a pile of rail chairs for me!

Weds 17th.
2807 had been red-carded.
The issue was that the T-valve which isolates the steam flow from the "fountain" to the condenser loops for the hydrostatic lubricator is not isolating the flow to the LHS coil. This means it cannot be shut off should that line break (i.e. would allow steam into the cab straight from the boiler, with no way of stopping it) – hence the Red card. The union beside the valve is leaking too which is why the problem with the valve was noticed. Should be just a matter of removing it, stripping it, and re-seating it.
Gil, Geof and Carpo worked on this during the morning.

Bruce re-did the inspection cap on the delivery end of the LHS injector, and cleaned the vacuum retaining valve (again).

It would appear that some of the reported issues are not clearly described, and indeed some are wrongly ascribed faults.  One does have to be careful before stripping down some component purely on the comment (and the purported fault) on the issues log!

I collected wooden wedges from Eddie (Carriage & Wagon) and played making boot scrapers all day.

Sat 20th.
Bruce removed the "pepper pot" and  measured the connection from it to the vacuum reservoir.  He's still trying to track down a potential leak there.

Gil borrowed a W-valve (sits directly below the regulator in the cab, and controls the oil flow to the cylinders).  The reported issue with ours says to re-pack it.  But you can't get at it to do so without removing the linkage connecting to the actuator from the regulator.  This appears to be a press-fit on our loco.  So, Gil was trying to work out if Carpo's was (on the 42xx).  We dare not remove ours today because 2807 is in service on Sunday.

John & Steve prepared 9 rail chairs.  This was below expectations, because the needle-gun kept running out of air!  We tried to find the problem.  We tried two different needle-guns, but they wouldn't work at all!  We replaced the front hose ... no difference; we replaced the rear hose ... no difference.  I upped the pressure in the hoses ... no difference.  So, we didn't fix it, and Steve had to keep stopping for the air to catch up with him!

Meanwhile, I painted 20 brushes and painted 10 tops plus 6 bottoms.

Anyway, the highlight of the day (for Steve & myself) was a ride in the class 45.  This "Peak" finally ran under its own power - in both directions!  We had a cab-ride out of the yard and up & down the line.  The team has spent 17 years acquiring the diesel, and then getting it going.  I had seen it many years ago in Camden sidings, after it had failed on leaving Euston.  It was one of the last Class 45s in service.  When they were first introduced (1959), the "Peaks" ran past my school, hence they are a bit nostalgic for me.  So, for the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group it was just like us up at Llangollen, when 2807 moved under her own power.  Having had the privilege of a ride in the cab on her first trip, I shall have to buy another share!

2807
is in service Sunday 21st, then Friday 26th (Fire & Drive) and over the 1940s weekend - Sat/Sun 27/28 April.
There is no loco roster beyond that date.

Roger