NEXT WORK DAY REMINDER

1000 till about 1600
Near the overhead gantry
CANBERRA RAILWAY MUSEUM
Saturday 1 November

ALL WELCOME, workers especially so!

New Photos

Howard Moffat has just uploaded some photos from the early days of the project, check them out here to see how far we have progressed in 12 months. 

work starts on the centre frame

This Sunday's workday was a fairly quiet one, with Alan playing gaurd on the train to Bungendore and both Andy and Gavin traveling to Bungendore and back on the gangers trolley as fire protection. Peter R left early to drag the hydrostatic pump back to Sydney following the succesful tests during the week.

There were two new workers today, Paul Evans and Vince Patrish (sorry Vince, I know I have spelt this incorrectly), welcome to you both.

Work has started on cleaning and painting the centre frame. Panic Pete Gleeson and Paul got started with wire wheels and followed with primer on the area inside the frames, near the firebox. Vince was a late arrival but made up for it helping with the painting.

Pete on the heavy end of the wire wheel

Before

After

And during!

It is amazing what a bit work and some paint can do for the appearance.
Thanks to Paul Evans for the photos,

Marc and Mike worked on removing the superheater header from the old boiler. The smokebox door and front plate are off and work has started on getting the throttle shaft removed to allow the header to be removed. a few of the castings that fit around the throttle shaft are broken and will require replacement with fabricated units. The next workday should see the header out, when the attentions will turn to the steam dryer and dry pipe that need to be moved to the replacement boiler.

The next workday is Saturday 1st of November...See you there!

Project Overview

The project has now progressed to an interesting stage as we are now almost ready to complete our first steam test. The only outstanding jobs are to fit the three safety valves and the fire hole door. The privilege of blowing the first 60 class whistle in over 26 years has been set aside for our greatest supporter and ex NSWGR driver Percy Forester. We hope to do this some time in November.

The main focus will now be to remove the boiler cradle off the engine units and set it up level, clear of the ground to allow a full assessment and subsequent repairs. When completed the change over boiler will be lifted onto the boiler cradle. The attachment of the boiler and the cradle will involve the drilling and fitting of 48, one inch bolts and the expantion brackets on the side of the fire box. After the securing the boiler to the cradle, we can then progress to the fitting out of all of the auxiliary pipes and fittings. The cab is progressing with our friends at Eveleigh and 3801 LTD and when completed it can be fitted straight onto the centre cradle.

Some of jobs we would like to complete before Christmas are,

· The power reverser
· The reversing screw and stand (currently with Bruce)
· The smoke box shell, including a new floor
· Preparatory work on the fire grate
· Assessment of the boiler cradle

It is anticipated that the boiler will be lifted onto the cradle in the new year, however we will need to dig deep again as we will need $2000 for crane hire etc.


Alan Gardner

Project manager

the replacement boiler has passed its second major test

So friday the 17th of October has seen the official hydrostatic test of the replacement boiler completed, and passed as fit for service. This means that the boiler has to pass one more major test to be given its 10 year ticket.

The remaining big test is the accumulation test, in which the boiler is steamed as hard as possible, to prove that the safety valves are able to release all the steam the boiler can make and that the pressure cannot be raised above a safe working pressure.

Before we can do this test, there is a little work to do. We have to overhaul the injectors, repair some of the mountings on the boiler that were removed when it was converted to a stationary boiler, overhaul and fit the regulator/superheater header, fit a new smokebox floor, replace all the mountings for the firegrate/ashpan, fit the rocking grates, repair some corrosion damage to the ashpan, and the list goes on.

And while this is being done, other volunteers will be working on the rest of the engine. The centre frame needs cleaning, inspection and paint, all the motion needs to be cleaned, polished and crack tested. The hind tank will be stripped and painted...

As you can see, we need all the help we can get. Any form of support is welcome, come along on our workdays and have a look at the progress we are making, the next one is this Sunday, the 19th, at the Canberra Railway Museum.

hey, Vince..

thanks for your comments; which I thought were lost in the ether, but which are here, but under the first entry [dunno how that happens!]

A comment..you do not have to actually be on site to help us, for example, an ongoing issue is funding, we don't only want donations but help from folks who can do fundraising stuff for us.

Next Sunday, 19 October being the third Sunday is an on site workday. Lots to do!

So Superweek is over..

Here is what we achieved:

Old boiler out; thanks B and D Cranes of Canberra..and all the hours of work by Gav; Andy, Alan; Mike and the Vintage Hyster fork lift, which in turn recieved running repairs in the form of a new alternator, thanks to David Griffiths. Others helped too, Paul Quinn and Dave Malcolm amongst them.

New boiler tested; thanks again to those named above, to Barry Peffer for his wonderful work on cleaning and polishing fittings and to Roger Maynard for his one-armed painting.

Guest worker on a couple of days was Life Member Gerry Birminghan, who was able to drill out stay tell tales that were otherwise inaccesable. Great to see him, and indulge in some "remember whens".

Kerry Mellor assisted, particularly when rail bourne movements were needed, and at story telling time when my Michael was informed of some of the good old days stunts. I denied all such tales. Simon Cowling assisted with shunting.

Dismantle Power reverser; thanks David Carroll.

Boiler frame cleaning has begun, thanks to Paul Coulter, whose Father Ted drilled boltholes in a plate which provides access to the superheater header. This is one of many bits that have to be transferred from old to new boiler, and is a good example of the work that has to be done to remove the modifications made for stationery use..the plate was welded on the replacement boiler; which of course did not have the superheater.

And a hugh big thank you to 3801 Limited for the loan of the test pump; which was delivered to Canberra in the trailer behind the V8 Superute [made a big difference to the fuel consumption, too!]

Clean site up, using the Hyster and my equally vintage body. And Howard Moffat came along on Friday and in between photos also cleaned up the work site.

Thanks too, to the owners of the carriage in which Mike, David G. and I stayed; you will no longer have a problem with stale beer!

Rumour has it that the sound of a Garratt whistle was heard; but best fact from the week was the spanner in the works!

Pictures will follow.

Gavin is making a new smokebox floor; and at some time we will need another big plate of steel to make a new compressor mount [the stationary conversion took six inches away!]

Another 300 hours [task total 1300]...so we are about 20% into the job.

Next work day is Sunday 19 October..come long.. be part of this fabulous project. 1000-1600; Canberra Railway Museum.

Superweek day 3

Too busy to blog yesterday...
The second milestone for the week...The old boiler is out, thanks to our friends at B&D Cranes and our expert preparation. There was however a spanner in the works, literally.... there was some resistance at the firebox end which turned out to be an 1 1/4" railway fitters spanner that had been dropped down between the outer wrapper and the frame many years ago.