Maintenance Update (hydraulic, fire, steam, polish)

Saturday 2nd

Bill reported:

"I went over to Winchcombe as usual, and it was a very cold couple of hours in the Siphon until I realized it looked as though I would be on my own for the rest of the day. Nonetheless, I did get some painting and rubbing down done, though I decided to call it a day at lunchtime and drove over to Toddington thinking that maybe all our regular 2807 crew were there, but the only man working in our TPO there was John Tyler. Anyhow, after spending some time talking with John, I had a look around Rob's railway book sale and then drove home."

John cleaned up four rail chairs and blacked their bottoms.

Sunday 3rd

Unfortunately, I bumped into Carpo at the pub last night.  Apparently the leak in the top of the feed pipe to the clack got progressively worse after I'd left on Friday.  So, this morning, I was down there at 9 o'clock (before the family was up) removing the pipe cladding, and removing the pipe for Carpo to do a hydraulic test on it.  Hopefully that will reveal exactly where the leak is.

Carpo reported:

"Ashley H and I hydraulic'd the pipe and sure enough found a pin hole in the silver soldered joint.

"I did attempt to just add a touch of silver solder to the pin hole despite the almost certain knowledge that it wouldn't work (as it never does!) and sure enough after quenching, a crack had opened up all round the joint other than where I had touched the silver solder on. This could only mean one thing so then we undid the whole joint and the results can be seen in photo 114. Yet another joint with absolutely no silver solder penetration into the joint except at the point where the flame had been playing onto the bronze ring.

"I was able to clean up the existing ferrule … although ideally I would have made a new one. I was also able to clean up the pipe carefully and I am pretty sure the problem was simply a very poor silver soldered joint rather than a split or crack. The hydraulic revealed it to be structurally sound but with the steel flange covering the joints it's very tricky to say 100% for certain that there isn't something going on. The proof of the pudding will be in the steam test to which end we have refitted the pipe and put in a warming fire. Hopefully someone might be about to undertake another steam test ....."

Tuesday

… there wasn't!

Wednesday

Methinks that Clive, Paul and Chris [Loco Dept] might have been involved in lighting a warming fire (again) and ultimately raising steam.  As pressure rose, minor leaks were discovered, but the application of a spanner fixed all except the one where a gasket was missing!  It was mid-afternoon by the time full pressure was achieved, and after a close inspection by Carpo, she was declared fit for service.  They took her round to the old pit to drop the ashpan's contents, and finally Bruce & Gilbert refitted the pipe cladding and the brass bonnet.

Apparently there was a drop of rain first thing, so rather than sitting and counting the drops, John G took it upon himself to apply a first coat on the seven rail chairs that were in the boot scraper production line.

When I arrived (somewhat late) I painted ten brushes and then tackled some chairs.  John M popped in and gave me a hand for a short while.

After lunch, John G decided to go and polish the cab brassware again, but found the cab full of bodies.  So, he polished the drain cocks and cylinder relief valves (though the photo hardly does them justice).  Bruce also removed the injector rear cover and refilled it with PTFE to stop that steam leak.

So, 2807 is back in service!  Fire & Drive on Friday, service trains over the weekend.  She has about 10 steamings to do before having a wash-out, which is scheduled for 28 May (after the gala).

Roger