Load Trials

For those that haven't already heard, Tuesday and Wednesday saw 6029 performing what we hope are the last of the testing completed which will allow us to submit  the change notification paperwork which in turn will allow the network owners/regulators to get on with the process of approving the loco for regular service.

Tuesday saw the braking tests and detonator testing completed between Fyswick and Canberra and Wednesday saw the load test to Bungendore completed.



The load test was required to prove that there were no issues hauling a train over the grades that are to be encountered in service, and meant that we had to take a train, at slightly more than the maximum rated load to Bungendore and back to prove that the load was well within the locos capabilities. In this case we took several of our stainless sleeping cars, two diesels and a couple of power cars to make up a load of almost 600 tons. The maximum load for 6029 in railway service on the Canberra branch was 650 tons. In order to reduce wear and tear and reduce maintenance issues, a decision has been taken to reduce its maximum load by a small amount.


As the weather has been overcast and windy, lighting for pictures was less than favourable, however Howard does have some nice pictures for us, and Bevan's video is as usual, is very nice. An added bonus was a picture taken from a slightly unusual vantage point by Bevan's son, Ross... See if you can work out how he did it. I was told that the train went up the hill so fast that it was hard to get ahead and set up for the next photo, so that alone would suggest that there was no issue with the load.

There have been a lot of inquiries as to when we will be able to start hauling passengers. There is unfortunately, still no way for us to say when this will happen. With the tests completed, we are now in the hands of people whose job it is to sign off and issue us with the necessary approvals and paperwork. The time that this will take is an absolute unknown, and it has been known to take several months. It is now spring in Australia, and if the approvals were to take too long, we will be up against another problem, that of our summer and the fire bans that prevent us from using any steam locomotive for a period due to the risks of starting fires.

As soon as we know of any dates or information relating to when we can start running, it will be posted both here and on the museum's site, Canberrarailwaymuseum.org 

6029 is now back in the shed having run the 200km round trip to Goulburn. The purpose of the run was to complete the necessary signal interface testing. Goulburn is controlled by signal circuits and it had to be proven that the locomotive can be seen on the track and that it activates the interface circuits. The good news is that the signals engineer was happy with the results and the testing will now move onto the next stage of the plan.

We stabled overnight in Goulburn workshops and it was a very cold start to say the least, at minus five degrees C. Getting out of a warm bed at 5 am was not a good start but the light up crew had to start even earlier. The reward was the start of the run at 8am with the exhaust steam putting on a spectacular sight as we left Goulburn on the way home.



The two day run was a succession of testing and gradually increasing the speed as each test parameter was proven. The last part of the run home was at full speed and we are happy that all went well. Having said that we still have a way to go but at this stage it’s a cautious thumbs up at this point.

We have received some criticism that we were not able to advertise in advance that we would be out on the network. We don’t apologies for this as the testing is a critical element of ensuring and demonstrating that all is well to network and industry standards. We have advertised on our web page that tickets will be on sale soon but we can’t pencil a firm date until the notification of change is completed including testing and network registration.

I have been asked "how do you guys seem to just get the job done with no fuss" both in terms of the rebuild and the roll out of operations. The fact is I am very fortunate to lead a team that is well qualified in engineering, training and operations. That’s not to say things won’t go wrong as they most certainly do and often when you least expect them. Having a team that can fix the issue whatever it might be is critical, but the key word is team.

So what's next? For me, it’s countless more hours in front of a computer completing all the required documentation. We have a full load adhesion load test planed on the Canberra branch in the next few weeks. Again this won’t be advertised and we would like to remind all to please observe the network rules of trespass.

The first runs will be on the Canberra branch and tickets will be available at http://canberrarailwaymuseum.org/ . If you are interested, regularly check our web page and this blog for details as they come to hand.

Our next workday is Saturday 6 September at the museum. Please keep an eye on the web page for advanced ticket sales and please support us by purchasing a ticket or several.

Goulburn Trials

By now, some of you may have heard that the Garratt has made it as far as the mainline in Goulburn. ...Tuesday saw light engine Canberra-Queanbeyan and return with no issue and Wednesday was Canberra-Goulburn with the return trip to Canberra performed Thursday.



There were many aspects to the trial that I will let Alan explain in a future post, but we can be very happy that the Loco got there and back with very few issues, and none of them are major.



The primary purpose for travelling to Goulburn was to prove the locomotive was 100% compliant with track circuitry systems. A signaling engineer was on hand and along other officials from John Holland, performed testing both in Canberra yard as well as on the way to and at Goulburn.



Tunnel clearances were high on the list to be tested and were found to be greater than expected through the Pine range tunnels which is great news for us. Remember that the trials we are doing are no different to what a new loco must perform and pass before being granted permission to run on the network.



As we work through the testing programs laid out for us, we are incurring some rather large direct costs and as such, we are still very much open to donations. As an example, we used some three to four thousand dollars worth of coal on the return trip to Goulburn and that is just the start... This Loco will never be cheap to run and the sooner we have revenue earning trains behind us the better, but that can only happen once we have completed the testing program and have the approvals in place...Still a little way to go.

A Few Miles

As with any restoration, the first few miles are often the most critical, and this is no different for us. On Friday, a week after the first moves around the yard, we had the first of several scheduled visits from the network inspectors to have a look at the loco and to demonstrate to them some important aspects of the loco and its performance. Howard, our master behind the lens was around as well and took the below images....



If you think it looks cold, it was... in some parts of Canberra it was snowing, but not in Kingston... Would have made for great images of it had. With a few miles now under the wheels, a list of small issues has been created and many have already been crossed off.

We have made it a very long way with this project, and for us, the ride is not yet over. Now as we start the testing that is required to satisfy both the regulations and our own internal procedures. We need to be satisfied that the loco is ready for service and need some time to train the crews that will operate the loco and the maintenance crews how to move from the restoration phases into the operational maintenance.

I know that you would all like to know when we will be out there hauling trains, and I wish we could tell you when that will be... Unfortunately, at this point we really don't know. There are so many tests that have to be completed and signed off, unfortunately, many of these tests are dependent on outside factors and the successful completion of prior tests. Keep a close eye on the blog and as soon as we know anything new, it will be posted here. In the meantime, there will still be updates and info on what is happening and I am sure, many more photos as well.

Friday was the day, it really was!

With just a little fanfare, and a huge amount of work by Alan, Ben and Sean along with many others in the last few weeks, 6029 moved under her own steam for the first time since the early 1980's on Friday the 25th.

The ABC News team were on hand and produced a news article that is certainly worth a look... Click here to have a look... There is a video clip there to watch as well.

Here are a few photos as well... It goes without saying, that the loco looks absolutely wonderful, just have a look at the gloss in the paint, and it will be improved on before long as well, as this current coat of paint is temporary, so you can imagine how good it will be...



More info of the day and extra photos will be posted very soon, there are a few having a very well earned rest to celebrate the day, they have earned it!

Lights, Valves and the Pits!

Last weekend was just another balmy winter’s day in Canberra – 4 degrees at sparrows, 7 by smoko and 10 at lunch and that was about as good as it got. The wind was lazy – it went straight through you rather than around and some genius had parked our beloved Garratt in the shed right by the door to create a fantastic venturi effect (those on the boiler course take note of the learning and ability to use new words recently learnt!). But this did not deter the hardy team members who fronted up.

The Cardew valves are automatic water release valves designed to prevent damage to the cylinders if water was to be carried over from the boiler and trapped in the cylinder while the loco is moving. The valves have been lovingly reconditioned by Ian and Glenn and now awaited refitting. They also had received a degree of polishing that the author is sad to say has raised the bar significantly in what has to be done to the rest of the bronze, brass and steel fittings around the engine.

Each valve (there being 8 in total) sits on a bracket that is a sense a spring. The spring looking something like a “C” on its side is bolted to the base of the bunker. This provides the ability for the valve to move and still remain attached to the pipe that is attached to the cylinders – in other words without the spring the pipe and fittings would be under stress whenever the frame and bunker move in different directions, which of course they do.

So 3 bolts/nuts each, one pipe per valve and two large nuts to clamp each pipe we were set the task. As is usual, trial and error produced the best way to mount these heavy valves. Each pipe’s tapered unions were both polished and cleaned, black Dixons required for sealing was applied and then tightened. The hard part was aligning the pipe to the valve and the fitting on the cylinder head. It took an hour for the first so things were not looking too good at smoko. The lads however had worked out the best way and by lunch 6 were on and 4 of those were tightened down. It was looking good for afternoon smoko, what could possibly go wrong? for a change, nothing! All 8 valves are now sitting on their brackets and tightened down. When hot steam for the testing comes along these will be tightened further.



While one team were busy on the Cardew valves, others were engaged on equally important tasks. New sand pipes needed bending and fitting and painting. More painting! The cab roof vent frame needed welding to complete their fitting – this required sanding and prep work before welding. It also called for lounging on the cab roof while holding a welding torch. As the roof is timber lined we could not run a full bead down the length of the slides so strategically placed welds and sealant will seal out most of the precipitation we may encounter.

In 1952 the mention of  ICE radios in the steam world would have been looked upon by those in the cab as very alien. Ice would not have had any connection to a radio/location device and the use of a radio for a steam locomotive would not, most likely, have never even crossed anyone’s mind as being a tool of trade. 6029 had electricity in those halcyon days, but only for a few dim cab lights and the almost equally dim front and rear head lamps –  the old steam turbine was both 32 volts AC and only capable of around 500 watts, or about 15 amps...

In this modern world with modern regulations and safety concerns,  we need modern radios, lighting and more before we are able to hit the road, or in our case the track. The ICE radio needs a shade under 20 amps when transmitting, and if we had retained incandescent lighting around the loco, we would simply have trouble generating enough power.

With that in mind, modernization was the only path forward, and to that end, LED and HID lighting has been sourced and fitted along with control systems to allow control and monitoring of the systems from the cab. The modernization has allowed us to stay well under 500 watts during night operations, while having much more light available to us than ever before. The old wires and conduit on the loco were completely shot, and so to feed the new lamps front and back plus the associated paraphernalia we have rewired the entire machine.

Attentive readers may remember some mention of a large box being mounted to the coal bunker with wiring harness and other cables running through a feeder pipe. It was to house batteries, radios and other key elements of the electrical fit out. Well that idea looked and did become a functional nightmare so plan “C+” was hatched and put into place.

The batteries will now be housed in the original tool locker that sits at the rear of the bunker, just behind the coal space. A insert is has been prepared to hold the two batteries – they are not your average “D” sizes either, designed to allow greater than 4 hours of night time running without the turbo in operation, should it fail for some reason. The battery cables – two red and two black running from them were threaded down metal conduit that is now welded inside the lip of the tender. Safe from lumps of coal and muck. They then run down the feeder pipe and along with the antenna cables into the cab by bridging the gap between tender and cab. Of course these sections will all move in while the locomotive is in motion so flexible conduit is needed. So you can imagine the effort to thread all these cables and then decide how best to route them into the cab to join up with the circuit breakers, switches and assorted other things like radios and speakers. The ICE radio is now housed, and hidden, in its own box within the cab.

So if you notice extra bits and bobs hanging down, across or between frame sections, rest assured these are necessary items required now for safe working on the main lines... a lot of care has been taken to preserve the original fabric and appearance of the loco, and most will be hard pressed to see the modern fittings, except maybe in the cab where it has been unavoidable with the addition of the safe working equipment. Our 1950’s colleagues would definitely understand these new items and the challenge of where to locate them. Computers and radios are not good friends of steam, coal and water at the best of times, but times have changed and now they must learn to live with each other.

During the previous week other items have had to be attached if we are to run this locomotive on the main line – a speed measuring mechanism had to be fitted. This is a not negotiable and required addition. A new frame has been built and small crank operates off the driver’s side nearest main driving wheel. This in turn provides the rotational force to drive the speed register. This is well disguised and viewers will see an unpainted picture in the attached pictures – a credit to welding skills and metal work in general to create the frame and achieve alignment.  It is a necessary evil and might be the most noticeable external addition...some may say  it changes the lines of the locomotive but none the less, tight budgets and being a donation from interstate we have moved on.

Sundays cry was “To the pit to the pit” – 3016 had left on a trip to Bungendore and 6029 was moved out over the pit for the first time in a very long time. The encrusted muck and coal was so heavily caked on that hammer and cold chisel were the tools of the day.  It was time to give the underside a once over and look for things that might be out of place and as we have done so much work on the loco over the last few years, without the aid of pits and sheds for much of it, it was time well spent. Brake rigging was inspected and in some areas cleaned along with a general once to check for and identify any loose or missing bolts. Its one of those jobs that you need to get dirty doing, and it wont be the last time either.

The locomotive is rapidly approaching inspection by the network officials and then it will begin its first trials and tests under very different rules from when it first left the factory and last ran for that matter. There will soon be the heavy beat and loud whistle of a locomotive that has not traveled under its own steam since the early 1980's, moving up and down Canberra to Queanbeyan  line as we test, certify and retest and make ready for its full commissioning and return to passenger duties. Exciting isn't it? We think so!

Progress and More Progress

Planning for the first network steam testing is progressing well and we now anticipate starting testing in early August, subject to approval of the network authorities. We still have to fit a Hassler speed recorder and an ICE radio for network communications, but we don’t anticipate any problems here.



The critical path plan has the team focusing on the completion of all outstanding work on the firebox and the smoke box. As the static steam tests are now completed the brick arch was cast and fitted with relative ease. At the smoke box end the smoke stack was aligned and welded into place. The screens x 3 that arrest the sparks of coal were fitted with surprising ease. The end result being the boiler is for all purposes now completed.
6029 has now been shunted into the paint bay ready for an overall color of basic black. But having said that it’s the middle of winter in Canberra and the conditions are not conducive or ideal for painting. With the conditions in mind it has been decided to go with a basic black for now and to go for the full original 1950’s configuration including red pin stripes over the summer months.



This coming weekend we will be working both days with still lots to do , all welcome.

MKR and Master Chef vs. 6029 Cooking Master classes and other stuff!

The cold has hit Canberra; snow has reached the mountains and frosts the windscreens of the cars. Of course not all is lost – the shortest day passed last weekend and so have a few key milestones on the path to our first inspection.

The wiring for the electrics has really been underway for some time but the last week has seen some accelerated progress. As mentioned by Alan we are rapidly approaching testing days and certification so, everything needs to be ready. This has provided incentive to the electrical fitter, aka Andy to deliver some critical steps in the wiring harness fit out. The critical lengths of wire running from the generator to the main bus have now been fitted. Previous wiring to head and tail lights already completed. The bus must carry all power to charge batteries, run lights and fittings and also the critical ICE radio. Clearly, most of this gear was never even dreamed of when 6029 was in the foundry being cast and beaten into shape. As a consequence there are many electrical engineers and experienced people engaged to advise of their needs for the specialty equipment and what power and voltage they need. So Andy is running lots of thick cable down conduit that is narrow and restricted – lubricant has been required.

The radio aerials and connecting wiring has been installed on the coal bunker and the metal sides and ends for the radio and battery box delivered.

Passing on from the electrical components we moved to the steam side of things. The air compressor some may remember at Easter showed a lot of leaks around the glands and the lubricator (for those with a good eye and memory) seemed to stick at the 90 degree position in its rotation. So the compressor was tested and pushed and shoved and finally it revealed its problems and spoke by belching steam from a gasket. The low pressure cylinder was only generating about 15 psi rather than 70 psi. This was causing the lubricator to fail – simply not enough pressure! Secondly why was the pressure so low? The gasket had blown and allowed steam and water to never fully move to the next stage of the pump and the exhaust. This finally came to a head when the pump just stopped and sent steam and water out through the gasket. A minor setback, but better to happen now than later when we are out on the road. A new gasket will be laser cut from the original drawings and all will be replaced.

Some heavy work has been conducted in the smoke box over the last week or so. Ben has been aligning, replacing and repairing the mounts and screens for the smoke box. To do this, alas, we had to take the chimney and blast pipes out so combined with the compressor on a pallet we do not really look like an engine any more. But only temporarily! There are many pieces to fabricate in the smoke box and having no pattern, Ben has had to make the components based on cardboard templates. The boiler if you remember is an authentic 60 class boiler but it had been converted for use in a saw mill so many unnecessary fittings had been blue tipped and spanned away. This has meant some extra holes and cutting and use of the English language in ways some thought very creative.

But the fun work just does not stop coming! And not to be out done by some  TV shows the 6029 Cooking Classes commenced last week with the recipe known but the scope and extent of the effort not fully realized. Chef Shaun took to the challenge so well that he offered a master class last weekend on how to make fire arch bricks. So in front of a number of keen house bound chefs watching on from bar stool and to the dulcet tones of 4403 shunting back and forth, Shaun showed his skill in mixing the required batch of mortar garnished with stainless steel sprinkle to add that strength factor. What a mix it was! A heavy duty mix master finished the mix and with a deft hand Chef Shaun demonstrated why he is a class leader in this art by plopping the mix into 4 molds cunningly prepared earlier. There are 6 to 7 rows of bricks spanning the fire box plus a cast in place in the base row. Shaun and Ben have and will be busy! Those chefs still able to stand after this demonstration will no doubt remember this master session for many months to come when they see the coal spraying in and reaching to the back of the brick arch that Shaun built!

So some truly good progress has been achieved over the last few weeks, with lots of fabrication, lagging and painting being performed. The driver’s side needs paintings so hands on deck for sanding and preparation work.

Steady and deliberate steps are happening even between official work days and this is keeping the whole project on track – great work from every one.

  

A bit of a double header today with some info from the last two workdays. Lots has been happening and many thing have been completed, so pull up a chair and check out what has been happening...

Sunday 18 May 2014

Today saw a number of things being attended to, one of which was the final fitting of the smokebox cover that covers the top of the front end throttle. This plate, which belongs to the original boiler and smokebox assembly, needed some work to get it attached properly. to achieve this, Malcolm, Ewolt and Greg spent most of the morning struggling with blunt drill bits and half charged batteries to drill the last few holes to hold the plate securely to the smokebox.

Malcolm managed to get himself into all sorts of weird positions in the smoke box between the super heater elements and the smokestack to push bolts up from underneath so that a nut and washer could be fitted from the outside... Needless to say that with the soot from recent steam tests and a bit of silicon to seal things up, the boys were just a little dirty as they moved onto the next task. Hopefully we wont have to take the plate off for a number of years. Andy was again toiling away on the electrical conduits in preparation for pulling cables in the next few weeks.



Sean and Mike and Howard were hard at work in the firebox, re installing the grate mechanism now that the ashpan was back on the loco. The job started easily enough, with parts passed into the firebox and returned to their proper positions, but the easy stuff was soon over and the linkages had to be refitted while lying on our backs in the ashpan, in doing so, we also removed the option of exiting the firebox the easy way, though the door. Pictures show some of the process of putting it back together. Once the mechanism was back together, the only exit available was through the bottom of the ashpan.

Alan and Malcolm returned the drivers side injector pipework that had been removed to make way for the ashpan and by lunch, that task was pretty much done. Sean was also seen working on new gaskets to seal the hatch on the rear tank, something you don't worry about on most steam engines, but very necessary on this one if you want to keep water in the tank on an incline.

Next up, the task of finding and eliminating air leaks was attended to... several were found under the cab floor, in almost inaccessible places. Some contortions and a few choice words later, Alan and Mike had eliminated the biggest ones and were now in search of smaller ones. By the middle of the week, Alan was able to pronounce the air system free of leaks, which was quite a milestone... The brakes now work, properly!

Saturday June 7

The list of outstanding job has been getting smaller every work day. With the initial static steam tests completed work is now focusing on the ash pan and the smoke box. The ash pan flushers had to be fitted and drilled in position to ensure the water would spray on the hot ash in the pan away for the fire bars. The skinny guys were selected as they could fit up through the bottom of the pan. Thanks to David and Malcolm, yep the skinniest guys in the team. A test for flushing was completed by hooking up the fire hose and all went well.

Ben and Alan reworked the ash pan spark screens and fitted new mesh to the fireman’s side. The final fit proved successful with all gaps in specification. A final coat of hi temperature all over black and it all looked as good as new.



The sand system small bore piping and last remaining sand pipes were fitted. This also included the install of the flexible hoses that run from the boiler cradle to the engine units. The six pipes were made all new utilizing the old end fittings.

The sand system tested well with only minor leaks detected and repaired. De sanding pipes now have to be fitted as mandated by network rules.

Steve Preston and Andrew Bridger commenced the install of the ICE radio with the configuration issues now sorted. Some new equipment boxes still have to be made and installed. Thanks to Andrew and Steve for the expert help and the long drives from home from Canberra.

The 60 class were never fitted with speed recorders but it is a network requirement to have one fitted. A search around the country and a cry for help has yielded a good result. The 60 class driving wheels are the same diameter as the Tasmanian M class and as luck would have it the Don River Railway has a spare speedo drive in stock. Thanks to Dennis Camplin and the DRR for making this vital gear available.

In terms of the overall project the rebuild of 6029 is now coming to an end. The compliance documentation has been submitted to the National Regulator and network owners for approval. At this stage and all being well the initial trials we commence in July. However the testing phase will take some months to complete. This will also include crew training and certification. Our affiliated RTO Go Train Industries have completed the operating manual and lesson plans.

As safety is our highest priority, the testing will be rolled out progressively in line with the approved risk assessments and network rules. A friendly reminder is extended to all interested observers and photographers that accessing the rail corridor without the appropriate authority is prohibited and in fact is viewed as trespass by the regulators. We encourage everyone to enjoy their hobby while acting responsibly and observing network rules. Representatives of the network managers will be present during our trials and are likely to challenge anyone within the corridor.

If you want to get up close and personal with 6029, Canberra Railway Museum is now open every day and 6029 will be on display when not operating so you are most welcome to visit and have an up close look.

Alan Gardner.

Smoke Box Cleaning and Other Stuff

The cold weather on Saturday and a team consisting of all Sydney based and out of town volunteers, save for one Canberrian, were in for a bit of a temperature shock. The first glimpses of winter had settled in and numbers were affected by colds and man flu. Sympathies to those partners managing this type of situation.

Our days task list consisted of a couple of manual jobs along with the odd strategic one. The ash had been dropped out of the fire box just after the Easter steam extravaganza and this left the team with access to remove the grate and rocking arms. Knowing that the task of cleaning the firebox took about 6 hours, the team worked out that 3 of us could remove the grate in 1 hour. Removal of the grate had to be accomplished by climbing inside the firebox door then lying flat on the grate so one did not accidentally rock ones foot through an opening and then commence to remove the grate. Regular readers may remember this technique being used in reverse and the associated photos when we were installing the grate. Removal was necessary to allow the ashpan to be re installed under the loco, as clearance for the task is , well, limited!

The components were first passed out through the firebox door and then later when an opening had been made lowered through the grate to someone on the ground under the grate. That person then passed to the stacker who loaded them onto the one and only pallet that could be found. This meant a couple of trips for the forklift to relocate the filled pallet to the storage area for unloading and return. The tedious actions of sliding to the center, rocking and lifting of all the cast grate components took approximately one hour and this included the removal of the support braces and rocking arms.

The electrical conduit has been in Andy’s care for a while now and he noted with some glee or was it dread that about a million miles (OK an over estimate but lots of it) of special wire had arrived ready for wiring up the lights and everything electrical. He continues to cut, align and thread pipe and makes interesting anecdotal observations about lights being mounted differently from the original position. If we write a history of this restoration Andy is one primary source for a number of facts and stories. 

Wiring is a challenging task and given the length alone it is a feat to get your head around, but let’s not forget the need for new, never fitted wiring to support devices such as radios, work lights and batteries, and this is not a role that can be taken lightly as demands on turbines and switching require significant technical knowledge. The work on site and from those behind the scenes is significant and needs recognition.

Next on the agenda was removal of a water pipe – the one from the injector on the driver’s side to the clack valve on the top of the boiler. This needed some clever alignment and precise handling with the pinch bar to extract, being made of copper, it needed delicate hands. Delicate is relative though to the size of this pipe and other pieces. All this work was in preparation for a key piece of work (the strategic piece) – refitting the ash pan back under the firebox. To quote “some say, that many years ago this was done with a forklift and delicate balancing...” (Some myths are true by the way) so much to the astonishment of the team it was agreed that a similar technique would have to be adopted to replace it.

Welding of the ash pan has proceeded well with the ashpan being repaired with the addition of new material to replace the gaping holes from years of use and abuse. 

Having cleared the grate away to temporary storage we realized that jobs associated with using the loco are starting to reappear...Following the four days of steaming over Easter, the job of clearing the smoke box has returned. As it turned out, and because of the static nature of Easter, the boiler tubes were full of un-burnt coal and ash, so we needed to blow these out with compressed air.

Two of the team took up this challenge and suitably clothed (NOT!) and wearing dust masks they ventured into the smokebox. A credit to both the team members – John and Bruce – check out the color of their faces and clothes in the photos. As John put it, the smokebox would be good enough to eat off when he finished – and it was. Bruce decided that he wanted to take up the job of blowing the tubes with the air line. Either he felt this was a cleaner and easier job or he simply wanted to cover the rest of the engine and cab very fine black coal dust. Not to worry he was wrong on the former and correct on the latter. After two solid hours the team became a bit worried he might be lost in the bowls of the smoke box as no sign of him was evident except for the odd dark cloud of dust coming from the firebox end of the boiler. Come knock off time these two apprentice firemen were satisfied and proud that they had cleaned the smoke box and flues from a proper fire for the first time in countless years... Thanks guys – truly solid and hard work and done with a smile!

Towards the end of the day we cast our eyes around for some challenges and our eyes fell on a valve – so the driver’s side hind (LH) valve was located and inspected. The bore was lovingly polished and polished and polished and then polished again just in case. Roger worked out that an oil soaked rag on a stick was great for oiling the rear of the valve bore and he also did the piston bore for good measure to stop rust accumulating.

The valve’s rings were oiled along with any thing in close proximity including clothing so that the valve would slip into position easily. Lifting was awkward but positioning to get the rod aligned with the hole at the rear of the bore was harder. Lucky Ben has strength and stamina – with a gentle push from behind he was able to persuade the valve to go in. As luck would have it, it went in too far, so out it came a few inches and to allow us to insert the spring, seal and associated rings, then with gentle persuasion it was pushed back in! The cross head pin took the most persuasion even to the point that it was discussed we may have not cleaned the taper well enough. But all was saved by the persuader commonly called a hammer. We now have two valves in! Yippee!

There are many more things to do like inserting 20 new studs into the front steam chest face for the valve covers, attaching the exhaust steam line under the ash pan, fitting the grate, again, and attaching the water works to the ash pan, fitting dampers to the ash pan (readers might note that the ash pan was is on the critical path) and last but not least is the rings. At the risk of boring the reader – we need your assistance on these as we cannot go anywhere without them. Please see how you can help.