No one around! I called in at the siphon in Winchcombe - no one there! I went over to Toddington - no one there, either! So, I painted a couple of rail chairs and buzzed off home!
Many people praised the effort put in by the chaps (and chapesses) getting 2807 running for the Supporters’ Day. For example, an email from Alan:
“It is praise time all round - solving the problem and also for pulling out all the stops to get 2807 working on Supporters Day. Well Done to everybody.”
Wednesday 19th
There were seven outstanding issues on 2807’s log:
1: J cocks are stuck. {This dates from July last year. The cocks concerned are from the manifold (aka ‘steam fountain’) to the W-valve. The pipes take steam at full pressure, and if one did happen to burst, the J cocks are the only way to stop steam engulfing the cab}.
22: Oil corks on motion in poor condition. Requires all changing. {What can I say? I would like to think that most drivers would simply have changed them when they take them out to do the oiling up in the morning, rather than putting the crap ones back in!}
23: Steam Test - safety valves blowing at 215-217 psi. {This is Jamie just recording the result}
24: [Vacuum] Reservoir flexible [hose] between engine and tender rubbing on water pipe. Monitor.
25: Gauge frame drain cock leaking by.
26: Vac reservoir slow to build up. Train pipe falling quickly.
27: Middle two [hydrostatic] lubricator glasses dirty.
Bruce tackled issue 24.
The flexible hose has to bend significantly between loco and tender, and was resting on a metal pipe, so the simplest solution was to wrap more rubber around the hose and secure it with copper wire.
Easier than removing a pipe and bending it!
John H and Mike S [both Loco Dept] tackled issue 25. This took more than five minutes! They had to dismantle the bottom cock, but couldn’t get the split pin out! [I hate split pins!] Then they had to remove the handle from the spindle so that they could take it away and machine it. Once refurbished, they reassembled the unit, fitting a fresh Klinger liner.
Bruce and I chewed over issue 26. There are many reasons why the vacuum might have been slow to build - a leak being the most likely! However, unless this recurs you can’t be sure that it is a genuine problem, or a passing problem. To track down a leak is a laborious task that can only be attempted when the loco is in steam and can create the vacuum.
Steve O [Loco Dept] reported and tackled issue 27. He removed the two sight glasses on the hydrostatic lubricator, cleaned them, fitted new sealing rubbers and filled up the glasses.
John G pressed on with wire-brushing and then painting rail chairs. However, there was a crowd of PAC-testing people who invaded our container and caused work to come to a halt.
I had initially called in at Winchcombe, where Gilbert, Fred and Bill were continuing the restoration of our siphon van.
Thereafter, I was completing more boot scrapers and then parcelling up two GWR ones for postal delivery. I’d had two requests by email for boot scrapers - one from Northumberland and one from Swindon.
Cotswold Steam & Wildlife Preservation Corner
The new wild flower garden has had a sprinkling of real soil over it. Berit Aherne has donated some yellow rattle seeds, and I have scattered various seeds from my own garden. On Tuesday it rained, and on Wednesday I hit the stinging nettles and briars with Resolva! Things are looking promising thus far.
Roger
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