Maintenance Update (pipe, silver, cut-off, leak)

Friday 24th

I happened to be cycling beneath Laverton bridge as 2807 was running round the Fire & Drive train.  Got the thumbs-up from Chris, who was fireman.  Something of a relief!

Saturday 25th

Bill reports:

" I showed up today at Winchcombe, though it was very quiet in the Siphon on my own. I managed to complete the painting activity as per Fred's plan, and I stopped around 2:45 pm because I needed the paint to dry before going any further. Anyhow, I spent the next 45 mins or so on the platform at Winchcombe taking in the event of the War Weekend, which I found to be very interesting, and it seemed to be a great success with the public."

Monday 27th

Carpo reports:

"The good news is that the joint twixt safety valve body and LH clack appears to be dry but we had to fail the engine last night because the leak on the pipe joint under the footplate deteriorated significantly during the course of the day.  Although I had rostered 2807 to cover this Tuesday's diagram I will instead roster 7820 which means that 2807 won't (hopefully) be required till Friday 8th May on an F&D course.

This gives us a chance therefore to sort out various items of pipework that requires attention on 2807. I would like to suggest that with your help on stripping and assembly we should be able to undertake the copper pipework in the evenings this week and possibly at the weekend with a view to having a steam test on either Wednesday 6th or Thursday 7th May."

This pipe that feeds steam to the LHS injector has a silver-soldered joint in it, and it has been leaking quite badly lately.  It fills the whole cab with steam when you have that injector on (and it is, inevitably, the one most commonly used).  Well, Jamie [Loco Dept] very kindly took the pipe off today for us.  Carpo adds: "He was discreet enough not to show anyone the rather **** poor attempt at silver soldering which finally let go yesterday".  Having considered the options, we are planning on re-soldering the joint; the alternative being to replace the joint with a flanged connection.  We had investigate the latter, but exactly where to position the flange was up for debate - space beneath the cab floor is at a premium!

State of latest issues on the report card:

16: LH injector leak; escalated to Category 1 (i.e. loco failed) {see above}

17: [JW] Regulator very notchy. Sometimes not opening until half way across quadrant.  Seems like pilot not opening occasionally. {Illogical.  If the regulator handle moves, one valve or the other will move! If the pilot sticks the main will open instead.  Could be this driver has not got used to the new pilot valve operating?}

18: [JW] Cannot always engage full forward gear. {see Wednesday, below}

19: [JW] Die block cheek plate LH very loose.

20: [IC] LH injector feed pipe leaking at clack joint.  {see Monday, above}

Tuesday 28th

Stuart reports:

" I have just found this on youtube, if you have not already seen it, it is well worth a watch.

STEAM LOCOS IN PROFILE: The GWR 28XXs
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEcbxXP0SnM"

… in which there are many scenes shot on our line, and 2807 does feature several times.

Wednesday 29th

Most of the effort today was directed at the leaking injector steam feed pipe.  Bruce & Gil worked on it all day.  They took the pipe apart (two sections plus a sleeve).  It was clear to see that the silver solder had formed a seal around the end of the pipe, but not sealed the whole sleeve.  A new, longer sleeve was cut (from some pipe that Carpo had, I believe).  The pipe ends were cleaned, and excess solder removed. This took Bruce an absolute age.

Gil made one gasket (one still needed for the other end of the pipe).  Carpo (assisted by Bruce and also Mark Y [Loco dept]) silver soldered the sleeve to the pipe, and then Bruce cleaned the other half of the inside of the sleeve.  Then the three of them silver soldered the end pipe into the sleeve.  I accidentally took a video of this.  I meant to take a photo, but the thumb-wheel had got turned on my camera ….

Meanwhile, John G had cleaned the J-cock cover.  Having seen that the repaired J-cock was no longer leaking, he fitted the cover back on the smokebox.  Then, John painted the covers both sides of the smokebox!  Later he cleaned the copper pipework in the cab (again!).  From time to time, John assisted with the work on the steam feed pipe, too.

I cleaned three rail chairs (LMS, MR and LNWR). 

Apparently, issue 18 has been logged that a driver could not get 2807 into full forward gear.  So, I went to have a play!  Neither could I.  I looked at all of the rods and eccentrics, but couldn't see a problem.  So, Bruce & Gil spent a few minutes, watching & listening while I waggled the reverser to & fro.  It transpires that the reversing rod from the reverser to the lifting links runs through a guide on the running board just in front of the cab … and in full forward, it hits the end of the guide slot!  Why?  Why now?  Has it been like this for long?  We haven't changed anything (there's not a lot you can change!).  See the diagram below: JW couldn't reach the 76% cut-off, only the 73% notch!  David wondered if the newly fitted lever catch was so precise whereas the slop in the old one enabled 76% to be engaged?

Thursday 30th

Jamie and I hydraulically tested the pipe and its joint.  We had to remove the injector steam valve from within the cab, to bolt it onto the end of the pipe, to be able to block it off!  The other end had a blanking plate clamped on, which had the water connector for the hydraulic tester.  We pushed it up to 200+ psi and there was no sign of a leak from the joint.

Jamie cut the gasket that we hadn't managed to get done on Weds.  We then threaded the pipe down through the other pipes and damper levers.  It needed the drain pipe from the gauge frame to be removed, and a floor plate, and the bracket across the top of the fire hole to which this pipe (and two others) are clamped!  But we got there in the end.  …. but not until after had Jamie spotted that the pipe was going the wrong side of the leading damper lever … and how he got that clamp bracket back in place … ???

So, we lit a warming fire, with a view to doing a steam test tomorrow.

Friday 1st May

I relit the fire this morning.  While it was getting going, I clambered over the eccentrics and motion between the frames looking for anything untoward.  Apart from agreeing 19 - the cheek plates' rivets are loose - nothing there!

Turning to issue 18 about full forward gear, I removed the roller from the guide that is along the RHS running board.  Then pushing the reverser into full forward I could see that the roller position was 1/8 inch too far forward.  Nothing has moved (I checked the guide bracket bolts; checked the reverser lever frame, checked the rocking shafts).  The only thing different is the new catch that David made for the reverser.  I can only think that the old one was sloppy and could be made to engage full forward.  Bruce is dubious about that, though.

Gil turned up, so he & I played with the feed pipe leak adjoining the clack valve (issue 20).  After much loosening & tightening, and later using the injector, we could see water dripping out of what looks like the end of the pipe, rather than the actual joint between pipe and clack.  Carpo suspects a fracture in the pipe.  Gil's ordered some new pipe.

Re. issue 16 (the leaking steam feed pipe that was silver-soldered yesterday). Success!  No leak at all, right up to full boiler pressure.  However, you can't fail to notice now that there's a steam leak from the back cover of the injector!   Doh!!!  It was lost midst the steam from the pipe joint leak, before.

Bruce also couldn't keep away, and popped down to see how things were progressing.

In my spare moments (!) I guided Ashley in lighting fires in the Manor and the 42xx, which will be in service over the weekend.  2807 will not be in service until a fire & drive next Friday.

I don't know about the others, but I'm taking the weekend off !!!

Roger