News from around the works - 2010

August 2010

813

Work has been progressing very well on the boiler of this locomotive. Work is focusing on preparation to remove the current steel inner firebox. All the side stays and roof girder bolts have been released. Work is currently focusing on removal of the foundation ring, this will be followed by removal of the inner firebox, after which there will be some assessment of the repairs needed.

The photos show Andy Alder burning out the steel stays on the doorplate, and also a shot of the boiler on its crown, ready for foundation ring and inner firebox removal.

Photos by Duncan Ballard.

July 2010

813

The GWR 813 Fund owned locomotive entered Bridgnorth Boilershop on Saturday 10th July 2010. On Monday 12th July, the cab roof, tank, all cladding and insulation were removed, and the boiler was lifted from the frames. It is going to have all the boilertubes removed, then a start will be made on removing the steel firebox. A decision on the necessary repairs required will be made once an internal inspection can take place, and a full strip down completed.

Photos by Duncan Ballard.

Talyllyn Railway No2 'Dolgoch'

Work has recently started on Talyllyn Railway No2, which as many people are aware is a very historic locomotive, not only in age but also for being known as the locomotive that effectively kick started the Volunteer operated Preserved Railways all over the world. Work has been focusing on the riveting of the new barrel section, including the two new butt straps. The new outer firebox wrapper has been made and supplied. The Girder angles are currently being manufactured for the tubeplate and doorplate. And the Copper Firebox wrapper has now been completed, this will hopefully be followed by the flanging of the other copper firebox plates.

Photos show the riveted up barrel section, and completed Copper firebox wrapper. Photos by Duncan Ballard.

June 2010

80080

The Hydraulic and Steam testing of the boiler of PRCLT owned locomotive, BR Standard Tank 4MT, 80080 has been completed at Bridgnorth Boilershop. This extensive boiler repair has been at Bridgnorth since the last quarter of 2007, so Friday 11th June 2010 was a very significant date. John Glaze was the Insurance Inspector overseeing this project and its repair, so he had to ok the Hydraulic test to 290psi, this was achieved on Tuesday 8th June, followed by the Steam Test at 235psi on Friday afternoon. The Boiler passed the tests with no problems, and has passed to the Network Rail Group Standard GMRT 2003 or MT276 as it was formally known. This means the boiler is fit for use on Network Rail metals, should the owners wish to do so. I would like to offer my thanks to all have been involved in this project, and it has become the first job to be finished since the re-launch of the Contract Engineering (Boilers) last July.

Duncan Ballard, Boilershop Contract Foreman, June 2010.

Photos by Duncan Ballard

42968

The Stanier Mogul Fund loco has recently been re-united with the Stanier tender she was paired with for a number of years in the mid 1990's. 45110's tender has been returned from Barrow Hill were it has been on display with 45110. This is due to wheel flats developing on the 42968's own Fowler tender, and to enable the loco to continue in service at this busy period, the swap was the sensible solution. 42968's tender is a possible early candidate for the new wheel drop, although a period at Barrow Hill to be paired with 45110 has not been ruled out.

Photo by Duncan Ballard

686 'The Lady Armaghdale'

The Warwickshire Industrial Locomotive Preservation Group owned locomotive was withdrawn from service last September in need of a full boiler and mechanical overhaul. Recently whilst the Wheeldrop works have been under place, the opportunity was taken to store the locomotive in the Paint Shop whilst a decision was made on the locos immediate future. A decision has been made, the loco has now lost its character blue livery, and is being restored to its ICI guise of 686 'The Lady Armaghdale' in full lined cherry red livery. We are trying to match the red to the shade the loco was in when it first arrived at the Severn Valley Railway in July 1969. John Gittings has got the loco up to full undercoat and it is hoped to have a photo of the completed loco on here soon, before her transfer to the 'Engine House' at Highley were she will be on display for the immediate future.

Photo by Duncan Ballard

BR Style Lavatory Pans

Lavatory pans are now available for sale.

Available in White or Primrose, we have had the mould made to reproduce the Lavatory Hopper with the outlet incorporated in the base. Suitable for use in LMSR, LNER and BR Mark 1’s of type BSK, CK, BCK, BSO, BFK and FK. They are also used in certain DMU types, as part no. 0018/017918.

Priced at £150.00 + VAT.

Pleas contact Hugh McQuade at Kiddermister Carriage Works.

April 2010

34027 Taw Valley

Here are some photographs of a recent visit to Roger Pridhams Boilerworks, in Tavistock. 34027's boiler repair has been contracted to be undertaken at Pridhams and it has proved to be far more extensive than was ever imagined. In fact it could possibly end up becoming one of the most comprehensive rebuilds undertaken in preservation. The boiler has had a new front barrel section, which has included a new front tubeplate and craddle/saddle section. New firebox sides have been fitted and marked out, the outer throatplate has received repairs and awaits new sections of plate to be welded in. The inner firebox is almost a completely new construction, it has received a new doorplate, wrapper and tubeplate. As it currently stands the original throatplate remains but this awaiting manufacture of the new throatplate, this will be welded in place before the firebox is refitted to the boiler. Outstanding major work still includes new thermic siphons, outer steel doorplate, and completion of the channel ring. After these have been completed full assembly will be able to take place.

Wheel Drop Progress

As can be seen by the recent photographs, there has been substantial developments with the wheeldrop project. The hole is nearly finished and the main drop is expected on site shortly for installation.

Photos by Duncan Ballard

80080

The boiler is now in the 'final' position, i.e. upright and is receiving finishing off work prior to its hydraulic and steam tests. Recent work has seen the completion of the smokebox tubeplate riveting, fitting of the remaining copper and Monel stays to the wrapper and throatplate sections. All washout plugs are now being fitted, all small tubes are fitted and expanded and fitting of the superheater flue tubes is expected to be completed shortly. The boiler will still require all tubes to be beaded, all doors and plugs to be fitted, a quantity of copper stays to be riveted over and all fittings or blanks to added.

Photos by Duncan Ballard

March

No 2 Dolgoch

The Severn Valley Railway's Contract Engineering department is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the contract to build a traditional style riveted boiler to replace the life expired one that has been fitted to Talyllyn Railway, No2 Dolgoch. This project is being funded by the Talyllyn Railway Society, Steam Railway Magazine and has been awarded grant aid by the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council. The old boiler was delivered to Bridgnorth Boilershop on Thursday 4th March as a template and reference point for the new build. A new boiler design has been drawn up by Graham Morris to a working pressure of 160psi and will feature a copper firebox. The new boiler has been designed with more original features than the previous Hunslet construction which still present the Boilershop team with a few new and interesting challenges. This will be the first completely new boiler to be constructed at Bridgnorth in preservation. It is hoped to post updates on this project as the components are made and fitted.

Photo: Gary Boyd-Hope

Photo: by Duncan Ballard

Wheel Drop Progress

Work has continued to progress on the Wheel Drop by the contractors in spite of the 'colder' winter we have had this year. The pictures show the current hole with the reinforcing piles clearly visible, and a good idea of the size of the hole can be gained from this picture. The other shows the largely deserted yard which has become very muddy as a result of the earthworks. 5164 has been at Bridgnorth all winter and has undergone repairs to the slidebars and other required maintenance. 42968 has recently returned from a short working visit to the Great Central Railway, and has undergone a washout and steam test examination.

1501

The boiler was removed on the 4th February 2010 to commence the start of the boiler's heavy overhaul. Graham Beddow (shown burning out steel stays on the doorplate) has identified some areas to address and to date (3/3/10) the steel tubeplate has been removed and a replacement will be required. All crown stays will require renewal, as will large quantities of copper stays that were not changed last overhaul. The copper doorplate has had all its stays removed and it is planned to remove this plate to enable a repair to the lower copper section. Whilst this is removed it is hoped to carry out any repairs required on the steel doorplate. The Foundation ring will also be removed and repaired as required and a large quantity of the Monel stays fitted in the 1999/2000 light repair will require riveting over. Also required is a new smokebox wrapper, the door and ring will be retained for re-use as these have been changed in recent years.

Photos: Duncan Ballard

February

34027 Taw Valley

Work has recently focused on the alignment of the new left hand cylinder block. To set this up and to check the alignment we use our Optical Alignment equipment to check the alignment of the cylinder to the slidebar bracket. The main frames have also been aligned, this will enable correct set up of the axleboxes. This piece of equipment was used at Doncaster works and would have been used in the set up and correction of many LNER locomotives, large and small. New valve liner castings have arrived and it is hoped machining will commence on these shortly.

Photos: Duncan Ballard

January 2010

Happy New Year to all from The SVR Engineering departments. Hopefully we can continue to report on news on internal and contract activities for various projects and activities in 2010.

As can be seen in this recent shot, Bridgnorth did not escape the recent snowfall. Luckily the weather conditions have not delayed the start of 2010's big project - The Wheeldrop.

A last photo of the old main repair/inspection pit before the digger set to work, recent excavations being focused on removal of the concrete from the old pit road.

80080

Recent activities have focused on finishing off all crown stay fitting and tooling, riveting up of all new steel wrapper sections and riveting up all the top section of the firebox copper tubeplate. New mud doors are being bedded and fitted into position on the new lower firebox sections. Ross Cooper has also finished fitting all the copper patch screws to the copper doorplate and tubeplate flanges. Palm stay holes have been tapped and hopefully the boiler will be turned back onto its crown for steel tubeplate and foundation ring work.

Photos: Duncan Ballard

News from 2009