The Locomotive
Frames
Two frame plates from were ordered fron Corus Steel Cradley Heath at the beginning of October 2008.
Cut from steel measuring 39’ in length, around 4’ high, and 1 1/8” thick, the two main frame plates were delivered and cut at Cradley Heath at the end of March 2009.
Plasma cutting was used at Corus to cut the frames to the correct shape. This was a continuous process once the dimensions had been programmed into the CNC machine.
The frame plates were then transported to the nearby Boro Foundry for drilling to take place. Over 300 holes on each plate have been drilled.
Assembly is underway at the Llangollen Railway Works, by the team led by Dave Owen, CME at Llangollen.
Frame stretchers will be produced from polystyrene patterns and plans are already in place with a pattern maker and a foundry to produce these. Other stretchers will be fabricated, as the Patriots were fitted with both cast and fabricated stretchers.
New drawings for the dragbox and buffer beams have been produced, and these have now been made and fitted to 45551 at the Llangollen Railwauy Works.
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