Engineering Update - August 2024

The following update was shared with Members in issue 62 of The Warrior, our magazine for members, in August 2024.

Main Frame Assembly

The locomotive chassis finally moved into the workshop at Tyseley on 17th July, although not yet in its allocated position. The move took place over a number of days and had to wait until the repositioning of other equipment could be completed – a task with several dependencies. Other TLW projects that are currently being worked on are at present preventing 5551 moving to this location.

We have been allocated a space at the end of one road in the workshop, its final assembly position, and once there 5551 will remain there until it is finished. But thankfully we are at least undercover and will be able to restart work on the chassis in good, dry conditions once the support agreement (which is under active review) is in place.

Volunteer Days

Meanwhile elsewhere on site at Tyseley, we have been holding volunteer working parties mainly preparing parts ready for refitting to the chassis. Other parts are being cleaned following storage in less than desirable conditions around the move from West Shed.

We have reorganised and tidied our two containers, giving much better access to our various parts. We have also ordered a heavyduty work bench that will provide for much easier working than directly on the floor. Tyseley granted us permission to work in an area allocated inside their new carriage shed. This proved to be a very positive move as we could now make progress regardless of the weather. We have been able to crack on and complete one of the more urgent tasks, which was the cleaning and protection of several of our motion components.

Cylinders and Driving Wheels

Unfortunately, due to appropriately skilled staff shortages at Riley’s work on both the wheel set assembly and the cylinders has suffered further delays.

I am pleased to report though that after a recent visit to Riley’s the situation has improved considerably as evidenced a very busy machine shop due to an improvement in staff availability. At the time of writing work was planned to resume on the cylinders and wheels at the beginning of August.

Boiler

The boiler is now back in the HBSS workshop and as the following photos show good progress continues to be made on the work packages agreed with HBSS.

Fitting of the longitudinal stays, forming the fire hole, completing the foundation ring, and installing bracketry in the safety dome aperture has commenced. A plan is under preparation with a view to completing the boiler up to the initial testing stage in 2025.

Boiler Work Packages
Task 6 to 12

6. Finish all internal pipe work
7. Fitting of the Dome
8. Regulator and Steam Pipe fitting
9. Fit all internal Brackets
10. Fitting of Palm Stay brackets and stays
11. Fitting of Fire Hole Door
12. Finish front Steel Laps

Task 13 to 18

13. Finish Foundation Ring
14. Repair Copper Laps
15. Finish welding Backhead pads
16. Drill and Fit Corner longitudinal stays
17. Assemble and fit longitudinal stays
18. Finish Tubeplate

Task 19 to 24 (To Completion)

19. Fit tubes and flues
20. Fit washout plugs, mud hole doors and fusibles
21. Produce and fit mounting studs
22. Blanking plates
23. Hydraulic test
24. Steam test

Tender

The Tender Wheels have had the bearing journals cleaned, greased and protected, ahead of a planned move back to Leaky Finders in Devon, for fitting the axleboxes.

Update compiled by Kevin West, Design Engineer and Keith Riches, Project Director