Maintenance Update (bootscrapers, springs, brakes, cakes)

Tuesday 29th
F&W sold 6 boot scrapers, and Coffee pot sold 2, so I re-stocked both.

Speaking with Kevin (who was changing a spring on the 8F) it seems that it is not possible to obtain the correct grade of steel for making loco springs these days.  He said that it is the new springs that keep breaking; the old springs are fine.  The new springs keep going back for repair under warranty, apparently.  Seems to me that there's a wonderful opportunity for someone to start making loco springs with the right material - surely, there is enough demand in our heritage industry?

Wednesday 30th
Bruce & Geof were contemplating the loco brake linkage spacing.  The brake shoes on one side are relatively new, but on the other side they need replacing.  Newly cast brake blocks do not have the pivot hole drilled out (see photo).  You would expect that it is in a fixed and central position, wouldn't you?  Well, it should be!  But guess what …  The old blocks are well worn, but not equally so.  In fact, there's 1/4 inch difference.  This means that the closest block will touch the wheel, and the other will not (well, not immediately, anyway).  There is no adjustment on the linkages between the wheels, on our loco.  So, how can there be such a difference?  Surely they will all wear equally?  Unless … the linkages might not be the correct length.  They should match the wheel centres, of course, but suppose they don't?

Bruce & Geof got all of the linkages out of the shed and laid them down to measure.  Could they identify the problem?  See photo!  They decided that they couldn't measure accurately enough without having the loco there.  You see, if the brake hangers are not all suspended at exactly the same distance relative to the axle centres,  then the brakes would hang differently, which could account for the difference.

It was Mike W's birthday, so he brought us some cakes for pud.  Very kind.  Geof went home for lunch, so missed out, initially!  Bruce & I did our best, but there were just too many!  So, Mike said to take some over to Fred & Gil at Winchcombe (which I did, later).

While they were all playing with brake linkages and debating if anything could be done, I pressed on with boot scrapers.  P.Way arrived with a fresh pile.  They were working just round the corner, so brought round some BR(W) and GWR chairs for me!

A visitor asked what I was doing, and when I explained, he commented that the Forest of Dean Railway sell boot scrapers for £35, or £30 without the brush!  Now, remind me who it was that used to work in our group, but migrated to the Forest when 2807's restoration was complete ….

Saturday 3rd
Just me, today.  That is to say, Steve popped in for lunch, but as I had decided to go home after lunch, there was not a lot he could do.  It was too nice a day to spend it all boot scrapering.  I just painted a couple of chairs and a couple of dozen brushes; had a natter with Steve and then buzzed off home and got the bike out for a spin.

P.Way were working nearby, again, and donated a dozen more chairs - mainly GWR ones.

Still no news about when 2807 will be ready to collect from Tyseley.


Roger

Maintenance Update (siphon, bootscrapers, Tyseley)

Tuesday 22nd
Message received from Fred:
"We have agreed a date with the C&W Dept. for the Siphon G re-roofing and it is May 3rd.  We have been thankful for the dry conditions in "The Barn" and their help in getting the Siphon ready for this.  So it is now crunch time as they need the space for their own work again.

We would like some volunteers for this who would work alongside some of their chaps who have done it before on the Monster, which is 10 feet longer than the Siphon. Thanking you in anticipation."

I popped in to Winchcombe and Todders.  Slapped an undercoat on 12 chairs.

Wednesday 23rd
I popped in to Todders; slapped a top coat on 12 chairs.  Tony G called in to collect a GWR boot scraper.

Thursday 24th
I popped down to Todders while it rained, and did the lettering on the 12 chairs.  Delivered some new needles for our needle-gun (didn't fit them, though).

Saturday 26th
Wartime Weekend, and as we don't like walking all the way from the field to the yard, I suspect that no one attended.

Colin reports:
" I went down to the siphon sat to help Gilbert (and had to go past a check point to get in) with laying out the cloth for the roof so it flattens out  before the glue is put on.  We thought we needed 2 scaffolding towers so I moved them into the barn and assembled them then realised that they wouldn't  fit down the passageway just then an offer by C/W came along and said they had 3 tier towers we could use so I took ours down again.

In between this we had a visit from some reenactors who had missed their train and were being shown round.  They were most interested in our plans for the coach and when I gave them the pictures of what it looked like they were very most taken with them.

I move all of Rogers chairs into one pile and cleaned up where the siphon had been before as we expect to be in a different place when we come out of the barn.

Gilbert had finished the corner bracket so there is only one small insert to do on the roof.

The last thing we did was to assist David from C/w to fit the cloth on top of the coach.  This went on quite well although at one stage it looked too short, once it was put in position it fitted nicely.  You can see how long the coach is while doing this bit and it will take a lot of work to glue it down.

All in all a good day and all this in only 4 hours

Colin"

Sunday 27th
While on crossing duty at Winchcombe, I was told that the Turkish 8F had limped home on Saturday afternoon with … a broken spring !!!

Update from Tyseley:
" I regret to report that we have got a little behind with this project, partly because the standard axle brasses which we had ordered, proved to be an annoyingly small amount too short for this application as the boss faces on your wheelsets have obviously seen a number of remachinings which mean that your boxes require somewhat longer axle bearings to make up for this. We have managed to obtain a further supply of 4 and there are 4 more due on Monday. 4 boxes are complete with their brasses, and the guide faces should be completed today with the first wheels going back in Monday/Tuesday."


Roger

Maintenance Update (bootscrapers, siphon, die block, Tyseley)

Wednesday 16th
Just me, today.  I got on with boot scrapers - cleaned & prepared six, and then painted their bottoms.

Just as I was packing up, John Mayell turned up ready to help do some boot scrapers!  Excellent timing.  :-)

Tony Goddard called in to buy a 1911 GWR boot scraper and to order a GWR 1933 one for next week.

The Coffee Pot had sold 4 and the F&W had sold 2.

Colin B. also popped in, but only to collect a pressie from Stuart.  BTW: Stuart has now moved to Lancashire.  He will continue running the 100 Club, but we now have no-one to coordinate sales & stall activities !!!

Colin reports:
" Ann and I went to help on the siphon on Weds.  We had a really positive day Ann painting the outside of the ends of the coach . Me helping Fred remake the back corner post we found some rot in the solebar so were forced to grid out the bolts but it was not as bad as it looked and should be easy to fix.
 
I also helped Gilbert in fixing the support brackets which hold the sides in, and that  means that we are quite close for the roof fixing just one new bit being made by C/W to go.  All in all a good day

By the way the idea from Stu about internal fittings and dummies for siphon I should have said we were going to beg or borrow the stuff we need rather than pay overpriced antique type set ups.  Just thought I should say that.

After work the dog was platting his legs by the time we got home.  All these people on the road should be stopped! "

Bruce commented:
"I was at home doing my homework - making the spacers for the safety valves.  I finished them off on Thursday".

Wednesday's rumour:  They've just changed another spring on the Turkish 8F.

Thursday 17th
I nipped down to Winchcombe and acquired half-a-dozen Midland Railway chairs, circa 1900.  Took them to Todders on the workbench, in anticipation.

Gave a guided tour to three people, one being a P&O advocate up visiting from Kent.  No kind donation received.  :-(

Friday 18th
I compiled a new 2807 noticeboard for Toddington yard.

Saturday 19th
Gil passed through, principally to deliver the machined die block (the photo hardly shows how sparkly it is!).  David is going to take this home and get two side-plates made for it - laser cut.  He's also going to make the four rivets to sandwich the block between the plates.

Meanwhile, David cleaned an injector drain; made the split pins & nuts for the lifting links, and then spent the rest of the day playing with a tapered pin whose end had been abused to the point where there was extremely little metal between the hole for its split pin and the end of the nutty bit.

Dave decided to add weld to the top, building up the metal.  A five-minute job, of course, that needed all of the welding gear to be got out and set up.  Much welding and slag-chipping too place and then he could angle-grind the weld into something resembling a circle with a flat(-tish) surface.  The weld, of course, had bunged up the hole for the split pin.  So, David attempted to drill it out again.  This nearly worked, but the drill bit broke .. and the hole appeared to go sideways (not straight-through)!  David decided that the only solution was to angle-grind a wedge down to the hole, and weld it all up!  This did show that there may have been two holes originally - one bearing slightly to the left (as it were).  So, with a big V in the top, David began welding it again!

By the time he had welded it up, chipped off more slag, angle-ground it to shape, and drilled a proper hole … it was time to go!  But we all had a cuppa first.

Bruce had finally decided on the optimum hole-cutter and density of felt for making the lubrication pads for the eccentrics.  Thoughtfully, he made lots of pads rather than just two.  He finished off making the mesh dome (that improves the flow of oil behind the pads).  He'd also bought and brought some O-ring seals for the injectors, and fitted those.

I took the new noticeboard, fitted it in its case, and the chaps assisted me in erecting it in the car park.

Thereafter, I prepared six Midland Railway chairs 1899 ~ 1901 that P.Way had found for us.

On the way out, Bruce spoke with John Whatsisname, who just happened to have been at Tyseley yesterday.  They are still working on the centre two axles, but the axlebox slots in the frames have been squared up and aligned, and they are white-metalling the bearing surfaces of the boxes.  It doesn't look as though 2807 will be back with us by end of April, though!

We all agreed to take a week off (next weekend being the Wartime Weekend, and car parking is on the field, only, which is much too far to walk!).


Roger

Maintenance Update (felt pads, Tyseley, siphon)

Wednesday 9th
Only Bruce and myself (apart from a brief visit from Gil … up until he'd had his cuppa & biscuits!).

Roy Gamlin did call in and bring three more boxes of books for the FLA stall.  He adjourned for a necessary relief, and wasn't seen again!  He may still be stuck in the loo, for all I know!

Bruce is trying to get felt pads made to the exact size for properly lubricating the eccentrics.  Inside the "big ring" is a little hole (arrowed) which sits below a lubrication point.

In the hole should be a sort-of mesh that enables oil to spread over the top of .. a felt pad.  If the pad is too loose, the oil quickly flows past it and runs out; if it is too tight, the oil struggles to get through it (because of it being compressed); similarly, if the felt is too dense it impedes the flow …

It appears that the ideal diameter of the pad is 38mm.  Bruce has been using hole saws to cut pads (there's a row of them in the photo, of different sizes).  He has now almost a perfect fit.  He has obtained felt that is just thick enough (it must lightly rub on the bearing surface), and less dense than that which we had.  Furthermore, Bruce's logic says that a flat gauze does not allow oil to flow sideways across its surface, and hence the oil is not evenly distributed over the pad's surface.  So, using a large washer, Bruce persuaded the gauze to become concave.  Provided you fit this the right way round, it will hold the felt away from the base of the hole such that oil can spread over the surface of the felt.

Apart from painting rail chairs, I also painted Ls, Rs and Fs on the spacers for the safety valves - they need to be replaced in their correct positions.

Saturday 12th
Bruce reports:

" I was on my own for the first part of the day so I started by fettling the metal inserts for the lubrication system on the eccentric straps.

I then started cleaning some of the injector parts.

After tea break Steve arrived and we put the world to rights, we then carried on cleaning more injector parts.

Early afternoon we decided to call it a day, so Steve departed for Winchcombe and I took my homework home where I started making the spacers for the new square section safety valve springs."

Tyseley - David visited last weekend and reported
" I received the usual warm welcome and was plied with coffee (and the offer of biscuits). Bob Meanley was initially busy with another person, but I was soon taken to view progress. They have a special grinding jig for the horn guides, based on the one originally used at Swindon. This was set up through the driving axle guides and has a long bar that goes right through to ensure squareness across the frame. A similar bar is secured through the intermediate driving guides in readiness. The driving guides had been partially ground and they reported that they were not only tapered from top to bottom, but were also not square across the frames. The aim is to remove the minimum of material to ensure parallelism and squareness in all planes. When complete each axle box will be machined to suit its corresponding horn guide.

A problem will arise when grinding the right hand intermediate horn guide, in that the step will be in the way. This, along with the vacuum pump, will need to be removed. They suggested that it is reattached with fitted bolts, as it would have to be removed again should a future regrind be needed. The bolts will be fitted in stages, some being fitted while some rivets remain in place, to ensure the true position is not lost. It was interesting to note, by the presence of rivet head witness marks on the running board, that at some point the step has been moved back about an inch.

The gunmetal castings for the bearings have been obtained and six are machined with the white metal added. See the photo (of six of them) and one which shows the serrated edge, which helps to key in the white metal. They now just need to be machined to suit each individual axle journal. The remaining two are only partially machined."

Siphon van
I have had an email from Colin concerning the projected contents of the van when its overhaul is complete.  Briefly, I believe the plan is to have one half kitted out as a fruit/milk van, and the other end as a hospital van.  This covers the two intended uses of the siphon van at the date of construction.

Therefore, we are on the look-out for:
1) old-style fruit/veg boxes;
2) milk churns
3) two dummies (manikins) that can be dressed up as wounded soldiers.
4) wartime-style bed covers (khaki blanket, etc.) and mattress (palliasse)

Can anyone help in this regard, please? 


Roger

Maintenance Update (felt pads, siphon, Tyseley)

Wednesday 2nd April
It started with me all on my own!  So, I painted the (silver) lettering on some black rail chairs; fitted brushes, and boxed them up.

Mike arrived and, without any pressure or hint, volunteered to finish off the bitumen painting on the tender.  The tender being in the shed does help.

Finally, I slapped an undercoat on some more chairs, including a BR(S).

I needed to borrow Gil's right hand, so I retired to Winchcombe and caught him in the act of squeezing into a corner of the siphon van … probably heard me coming!  Hence the first photo montage shows what they are getting up to - him, Fred & Ray.  Gil said that the wooden edges and ends are almost complete, ready to fit the roofing felt.

Saturday 5th
Bruce was deeply focussed upon making circular felt pads to fit the eccentrics - these control the flow of oil, so have to fit correctly; too tight = no oil; too loose = floods and runs out of oil quickly!  Bruce was testing using a hole-cutter.  After much experimenting, he got the method to work, but the size of the pad was a shade small.  What he needs is a 40mm (outside diameter) cutter, which would leave a 38mm circular pad (i.e. cut out of the felt material).

Later, Bruce decided to begin cleaning the loco's injectors.  Also, they have a seal at one end which Bruce wants to work out exactly what it should be made of and what size.

I was just slapping paint on rail chairs, as usual.  I also applied a coat of varnish to our display/noticeboard and took home the inner board to re-arrange the display for this year.

Mike came along, yearning to finish off the can of bitumen paint by coating everything left on the tender … except, that is, the screens each side of the coal chute, which need to be painted black gloss.  He may have started on that, but I couldn't find him when I departed.

I called in at Winchcombe, where Fred & Gil were beavering away on the siphon.  While we were nattering, John & Jon Giles arrived for a butcher's.

Tyseley
I believe that David popped in there to check on progress.  As far as I can tell (from Gil), work is on schedule (i.e. for completion by end of April).


Roger

Maintenance Update (tyseley, siphon, gaskets, rail chairs, painting)

Tuesday 25th
Two things I'd wanted to do today were (i) brickwork, (ii) bike ride.  It rained on & off all day, so I nipped down to Todders instead.  Five boot scrapers sold, mainly at the Marketing Day on Monday!  Painted some black tops (makes a change from bottoms).

Update on progress at Tyseley, supplied by Bob Meanley:

"the first two wheelsets have been removed from the locomotive and the bearings dismantled. We have ordered and received all of the new bearings etc and are in the process of machining them so that they can be white metalled and pressed into the axleboxes. The white metal has been ordered and we expect deliveries in the next day or so as that particular supplier is always extremely prompt in expediting orders. We have undertaken initial measurements on the first two sets of axlebox guides which have been exposed by removal of the wheelsets and grinding works are now underway to bring them back to flat and parallel with each other. Once this is accomplished in the next day or so we shall be able to re-measure the guide faces and decide on the dimensions to which the axleboxes have to be machined in order to get the wheels in exactly the right place. That then allows us to adjust the brass liners on the axleboxes and re-machine them to the correct dimensions. Hopefully you will see that quite a lot is now going on and the first two wheelsets should be back in place in the not too distant future"

Wednesday 26th
Only Bruce & me at Toddington today.  Gilbert passed through before I had arrived, just to collect his nuts & bolts, then went back to Winchcombe to work on the siphon.  Didn't even stay for tea & biscuits!

Bruce pressed on with gaskets.  He has now made 10 for the vacuum system (see photo of new fitted, with old nearby).  There are just 4 pipes for the steam heating system remaining to have gaskets made.  Bruce says that JC tells him off for calling them gaskets - they should be called "joints".  Well, joints has several other meanings, so let's stick with gasket!

As the day began dry, I attacked a few rail chairs with needle-gun and wire brush.  Some interesting lettering: 

(i) There's one with no railway initials nor year, just the manufacturer TS&S.  Any ideas?

(ii) There's a BR(S) chair from 1952 with manufacturer TSB (and I don't think the Trustee Savings Bank had an interest in iron foundries - unless one went bankrupt, of course, and the TSB took it over!). 

(iii) And finally one marked as L(M)S.  Why is the M in brackets?  I assume it is London Midland & Scottish.

Carpo popped in to say that he had "borrowed" four of 2807's ferrules because he was about to fit pipework on 4270 and could only get the ferrules in before the pipework was fitted, so …    I've ordered a new lot!

Rain stopped play at 2.45 pm. 

Today's rumour is that the railway are interested in displaying out siphon van at Winchcombe station, once we have restored it and kitted it out.  We have in mind covering its two intended uses: (i) as part of a hospital train during WWII, and (ii) as a milk van (to hold milk churns).

Thingy Manor had an outing today.  Seemed to go OK.

Friday 28th
I varnished the SR (Malachite) rail chair, but then had an attack of the toothaches, so had to adjourn & visit Sventist (Sven, the Dentist).

Saturday 29th
Bruce & David tackled the loco steam heating pipes - cleaning up the flanges; finding new-ish bolts to fit and/or cleaning the existing bolts; making new gaskets.  Bruce remembered that there's one extra one for the tender-to-loco connection.

They finished by end of day, and David moved on to modifying new split pins to fit the castellated nuts on the eccentrics.

Gil & Fred popped in (ostensibly to collect some sales items, but it didn't take much to persuade them to stay for elevenses!).

Ingo arrived and I set him on painting toolboxes, mushrooms, etc., on the tender.  Talking of which, you never knew where it was going to be next, today!  First it was along our road, then Bruce lost it because it had moved across two roads and was hiding behind a coach; then I went to take a photo of Ingo painting, and the tender had gone again!  … with Ingo on it!  It finished up inside the shed, with Ingo still painting.

I painted 7 black bottoms and enamelled four black tops.  Then Gil helped me remove our notice board from the car park, and I started refurbishing that.

Maurice left a piece of biscuit in my shoe - not sure if this was a peace offering or a reject biscuit!

Fred, Gil & John were playing with the siphon at Winchcombe today.


Roger

Maintenance Update (tender, bootscrapers, welding, siphon)

Monday 17th
Nobody was there to see it, but our tender was turned round!  It is now facing south.

Wednesday 19th
Moveright were in the yard removing the "orange" tender that had been delivered for the use of Thingy Manor.

Bruce was first to arrive and decided to do some tidying up.  Spanners had been randomly distributed across shelves, drawers and surfaces.  He'd laid out and cleaned our set of Draper spanners, and identified the smallest one as being missing.  He then tackled the socket set (I say "set", it's a nearly-set with two missing and two strangers in the box).  Then he discovered a toolbox with more things in it … including the "lost" smallest spanner!  By the time Bruce had finished cleaning & organising, it was coffee time!

After coffee (actually, we drink tea) Bruce made gaskets for the blow-down valve.

Mike [W] arrived, after being un-diverted around a closed road, and exploring the scenic route to Toddington!  We set him on applying a second coat of bitumen paint to the rear section of the tender.  To be honest, that showed up the painted bits … and these could do with a lick of paint!  However, see pic of tender gleaming in the sunshine!

I did my usual thing: applied a top coat to 4 crimson chairs plus 9 GWR green ones (though one is a Southern Railway of 1942, so I will give that an extra coat of the dreaded Malachite).  Carpo had been in during the week and got our compressor certified.  He popped in today to tell us (though it was obvious from the note that he left on our whiteboard!) and had a quick bickie while he was there!  So, I could restart needle-gunning rail chairs, and tackled 4 from 1939 that I shall paint black - yup: 4 bottoms painted black before going home!

Fred & Gill called in, late in the afternoon.  Had a cup of tea & biscuit !!!  Gil says that Tyseley are machining the brasses for the boxes on the first axle.  Thereafter these will be white-metalled; then Tyseley will move on to the next axle.

Nothing else exciting, so I've included a photo of 2874's cab.  :-)

Today's rumour:  The suggestion that on Race Week Friday, Geof fell out of his signalbox, but manfully crawled along to the platform in order to collect the token from the incoming train, is a slight exaggeration.  However, he did trip over a signal wire and shoulder-charge a row of sleepers.  He's in some pain, but denying that it really hurts.  He's also proud of the wide range of colours down his arm, side, leg, knee and ankle.

Saturday 22nd
Chilly, with periodic, though light, showers.  It didn't stop Bruce & David from working outside.

David painted the water gauge frame (fun doing the white / black striped back plate!).  He was cutting longer threads on the new bolts for the drain cock linkages.  He also did a spot of welding on the flange face on one of the vacuum pipes - the one with the rubber hose on the end (see photo) … which he managed to set alight!

David also showed some bolts from the brake gear who was boss (cleaning the threads and making them do their job better!).

Bruce mainly worked on making gaskets for various sections of the vacuum pipework, assisted by Ingo during the afternoon.

Oh, Gil popped in at coffee time (!), autographed our annual accounts ready for the tax man.  He took the opportunity to speak with Rd in the workshop.  Rod later dropped off half-a-dozen bolts (see photo) that are destined for the siphon van.

I was painting lettering and fitting brushes to boot scrapers.  Painted an SR one in Malachite ( a yuckier green you never did see!).  I expect someone will rave over it, though.

I gather that Gil, Colin (and hence probably Anne) and Geof were working on the siphon at Winchcombe.  Colin reports:

" Today I arrived to find Fred had given himself a day off but Geoff and Gilbert were ready and willing. We put up the ladders and fitted the roof outside supports these hold the upright side pieces of wood on the two ends of the coach they also give room for the timbers to be overlapped by the roofing canvas .The shape of them are to the profile of the roof and  a lovely piece of work , our friends in C/W made them for us in three parts for each one.

We assembled them, and with some further fettling will look great,  one more piece of the coach finished

abiding memory of the day was Geoff sitting on the edge of the roof with his feet dangling over the edge.

A good day 

Colin"


Roger

Siphon Photos

Some photos from Saturday 15th showing the siphon at Winchcombe.

This is the bit that's been restored.

 

And this is the bit that hasn't.

Steve