It was a tad damp this morning. Bruce had started painting rail chairs by the time I arrived. Together, we painted and lettered quite a few. By lunchtime, there were about six ready for restocking. On the way to Todders, I called in at Winchcombe and they had sold 2 boot scrapers. When I got home, there was a message saying they'd sold two more! Carpo had been too busy to set a warming fire on Tuesday, so was unable to do a steam test today. However, WSR-Mike volunteered to do one under my supervision (thus saving me the hard work .. mostly). Carpo agreed. I took Mike through the routine, with Bruce tagging along as a refresher. The newly fitted (LH lower) mudhole door was weeping slightly, and will no doubt "hiss" tomorrow, but it should then bed itself in. Bruce checked the nuts on the tender brake hangers. We are under instruction that these be checked weekly in case they come loose. GWSR has requested that the bolts be made longer and split pins fitted to prevent the nuts dropping off.
Thurs 17th
I had to go to Gloucester Royal Hospital, so could not assist Carpo. Luckily, no one else went to assist Carpo, because he got way-laid, and didn't do the steam test! He agreed that I should do another warming fire on Friday, and he would do the steam test (i.e. set the safety valves) on Saturday.
Fri 18th
Lit another warming fire!
Sat 19th
Still 10 psi on the clock when I arrived at 10.30, and the Loco Dept were stoking up the fire ready to spread it over the whole grate. John had already started on needle-gunning and wire-brushing rail chairs. During the week, I had a phone call ordering 4 GWR in brown, to which the gentleman added two GNR, making a total order of six!
Bruce went round the tender checking that the nuts and bolts holding the brake hangers were all tight. The only one that he has detected as being loose at all was the rear LHS which we had removed to rectify the pivot pin. There is no sign of any others working loose.
Bruce also assisted with the steam testing. Gil was cutting up sheets of metal ready to fabricate a new lower half for the rear section of the ash pan. I was painting rail chairs (but you might have guessed that).
Meanwhile, Carpo kept popping up the ladder and tightening the safety valves each time she blew off. I had been a tad concerned about leaving the loco with a warming fire over night, because the springs had not been tensioned at all. We had no idea at what pressure they would blow off. It turn out that they blew at about 30 psi, If they had blown at, say, 10 psi, the boiler could have lost a lot of water over night. Photos attached show the pressure gauge reading 220 psi and the safety valves just "feathering" (it's not a cloud!) as Carpo completed the testing.
Bruce spotted a couple of minor steam leaks - the "pep" pipe (aka slacking pipe) was dribbling, indicating that the tap was leaking (and also that there was pressure in the steam feed to the injectors, which in turn implies a leak in one of the clack valves). However, Neil Carr said clacks often leak; and Carpo was happy enough. One of the injector covers also has a slight steam leak. A union on top of the "steam fountain" in the cab also had a whisp of steam. Jobs for Wednesday! So, it all looks "go" for 2807 in service on Saturday for our AGM.
Roger
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