News from around the worksDecember 2009 |
||
60007 Sir Nigel GresleyThe Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust Ltd recently contacted the Severn Valley Railway Contact Boiler team to undertake some running repairs on 60007 whilst she is based in Southall, London prior to a busy spell of Mainline running in December. This involved an on site visit to re-bead a small quantity of leaking tubes to enable the locomotive to be fit for her railtours on the weekend of 12/13th December. The Severn Valley Railway is always happy to consider such work at short notice, please contact Duncan Ballard to discuss how we can help. |
Photo: Duncan Ballard
Photo: Ross Cooper
|
|
43106The loco is now available for SVR service after the unforeseen repairs to its tender due to its derailment back in September. The SVR would like to express its gratitude to The Highland Locomotive Company who owns Ivatt class 2, 46512 at Strathspey, for the loan of its tender wheels to enable 43106 swift return to traffic. Without this loan 43106 would be sat idle until early 2010. As a result this loco is expected to see extensive use on the Santa and New year trains. New tender axles are expected for the tender in the New Year. |
Photo: Duncan Ballard |
|
66956695 has undergone its annual insurance exam whilst visiting the SVR. In this subsequent exam the SVR boilersmiths found a suspect number of copper stays on the doorplate. To ensure safety and reliability these have been changed and the loco has been re-assembled for its Insurance steam test. After this date it is expected that the loco will be available for SVR services. |
|
|
80080Recent work has seen completion of the throatplate patches, riveting on all palm stay brackets and also riveting on of new clack pads. The boiler has been turned down onto its side and fitting of all replacement crown stays is now complete, and work has also been undertaken on the copper doorplate and tubeplate flanges. Ross Cooper has fitted copper patch screws into these flanges. |
Photos: Duncan Ballard |
|
November 2009 |
||
1501This loco has recently returned to Bridgnorth works from the Engine House at Highley. Its place on display there has been taken by recently withdrawn 57xx class 7714 which will enjoy a short stay there until her return to Bridgnorth next year for pairing with the spare boiler. 1501 is seeing a small amount of activity, with stripping of the smokebox and a general loosening of all pipes. This is to speed up the process for the boiler lift next year, this boiler hopefully swapping places with 2857's completed boiler. |
Photo: Duncan Ballard |
|
152 RennesWork has commenced on the contract repair of 152 Rennes. So far work has focused on repairs to the saddle tank, including the removal of a 'dubious' NCB repair on the tank, and replacing the affected area of plate with a 'new' let in piece of material. Boiler work has so far focused on drilling out copper stays, all copper stays require renewal.
|
Photos: Duncan Ballard |
|
6695The 6695 Locomotive Group owned locomotive arrived at the Severn Valley Railway on Wednesday 11th November. This locomotive normally based at The Swanage Railway will be in use at the railway to assist in covering the Santa steam specials, after which the loco will probably receive some routine maintenance at Bridgnorth works during the winter 2009/2010.
|
6695 at Buckfastleigh April 2009.
Photo: Andy Matthews
|
|
2857Work has recently started on the 'bottom end' overhaul of locomotive 2857. All wheelsets and axleboxes have been removed and the frames are currently residing on the LT jacks in the main shed. Work has been concentrating on the axlebox horn guides, eliminating cracking which has been found in the frames. All fitted bolts have been examined and changed as required. All valve gear pins have been examined, and a number require replacement. The tender is now sporting its final top coat and only awaits signwriting into post war Great Western livery.
|
Photos: Duncan Ballard
|
|
No8/152 'Rennes'Monday 26th October saw the arrival from Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway of privately owned ex Mountain Ash colliery No8. This Austerity tank which formally saw service at Longmoor Military Railway as 152 'Rennes', possibly saw service alongside our resident LMR locomotive 600 Gordon. The boiler and saddle tank are to undergo attention in Bridgnorth Boilershop for a two/three year period. The work will focus primarily on the boiler and it is hoped that a start can be made on the boiler and saddle tank shortly.
|
Photos: Duncan Ballard
|
|
October 2009 |
||
60163 TornadoThe Severn Valley Railway is currently hosting the recently commissioned new build A1 class locomotive 60163 Tornado. The locomotive is working over the week Saturday 24th October until Sunday 1st November. The A1 Trust has used The Severn Valley Railway Engineering Department to assist in the construction of the 50th A1 pacific class locomotive. The SVR used its Bridgnorth facilities to turn the driving wheel centres prior to fitting of the tyres, and also the final turning of the tyres after they had been fitted to the wheels. The SVR carried out the frame alignment of the new frame assembly at Darlington. This work checks out the position of the cylinders, horns and motion brackets. The SVR supplies The A1 Trust with full water treatment supplies for the operation of the locomotive around the country.
|
Photo: Duncan Ballard |
|
GWR Pannier Tank BoilerThese two photos of the spare boiler formally fitted to 5764 (boiler number 7795), but now intended for future use on 7714. The first shows a general view of the boiler and the second the new angle ring as delivered from Accurate Section. The ring will be welded and machined before fitting to the boiler. Recent work has been focused on localised weld build up on the front barrel section, this will also be patched on the bottom, and also have the new angle ring fitted on completion. The copper firebox has also seen attention to the copper tubeplate, this has included re-tapping of the two large smoketube holes, tooling on all flanges and reaming of all small tube holes. |
Photos: Duncan Ballard
|
|
813813 recently returned to the Severn Valley Railway for the Autumn Steam Gala event. The locomotive operated for the three days on the gala, however while operating a number of faults came to light. On closer inspection it was decided to withdraw the locomotive for its 10 year overhaul, due to deterioration in the foundation ring area, and a number of leaking side stays. However this popular GWR 813 Fund owned locomotive is earmarked for a return to traffic again shortly, with a repair programmed to commence early 2010 at Bridgnorth.
|
Photo: Keith Langston |
|
6634These two photos show recent progress with 6634. First is a recently renovated buffer housing, with new buffer step plates, which are a SVR supplied available product. Secondly, old and new contrasts on the casing around the smokebox saddle. The left hand side of the casing is refurbished, using new and old material, with the right hand side acting as a pattern. Other recent progress has concentrated on the steam heat and vacuum pipe work, this all being made new in house. Refurbishment of coupling rods has also commenced, removing years of pitting from its stay in Woodhams scrap yard. |
Photos: Mark Vrettos
Photo: Duncan Ballard
|
|
43106It is widely known about the incident with 43106 on Monday the 28th September, details of which are available on the RAIB website. The tender has subsequently been released from investigation and we are currently dealing with the options available to return the locomotive to traffic as soon as possible. These options include borrowing wheelsets for a quick return to service, replacement of two damaged tender axles and repairs to various damaged components. It is hoped to have the locomotive back in service for the Santa trains in December.
|
Photo: Duncan Ballard |
|
September 2009 |
||
80080 Boiler80080 has recently seen work focusing on the forming of throatplate patches. This is a rare process to be carried out, and the forming of these is very complex. Our new arrival Paul Ashmore has overseen the forming of these assisted by John Brookes and Ross Cooper. The finished patches will be riveted and screw fitted to the throatplate area. Recent activity has also seen the refurbished copper tubeplate re-fitted to the firebox, closed up and prepared for re-riveting. |
Photos: Duncan Ballard
|
|
7714 Pannier Tank7714 which has been a regular member of the fleet since the mid 1990's has been withdrawn pending a full 10 year overhaul. The loco was due out for a 10 yearly overhaul next year, however this wasn't to be as the grooving started to become an area of concern on the lower firebox. It is planned to hopefully send 7714 initially to the 'Engine House' at Highley for a short period, however it is hoped this will be a short stay as it is planned to fit the 'spare' pannier boiler ex 5764 into the loco once its heavy boiler repair is completed. WheeldropPlans are in place to install a wheeldrop in the works. Further info on www.svr.co.uk
|
||
August 2009 |
||
Ivatt Class 4 4310643106 made her first movements in over twenty years on the 21st August 2009. This eagerly awaited moment captured by only a few was the culmination of a 'Heavy Intensive' overhaul which has taken place in the Bridgnorth workshops. Attention was focused mainly on the boiler, it required a new front barrel section, new front tubeplate, smokebox door and ring, 2 half side steel wrappers, bottom throatplate piece, new steel doorplate, removal and repair of copper door and tube plate, copper inserts to copper side wrappers, new crown stays, approx 1000 new copper side stays, new mudhole inserts fitted to the barrel, foundation ring was removed and repaired, all mounting faces machined and new studs fitted, and of course new large and small tubes fitted. Mechanical work focused on new valve liners, frame re-alignment, total rebush of all valve gear and motion, re-machined slide bars, replacement of most boiler fittings, all major items overhauled ie injectors and manifold etc. all new boiler cladding, new chimney and blastpipe arrangement, one new cabside and cab roof, new tender tank, new front and rear tender dragbox. Major repair work on pony truck, all tyres re-profiled and all white metal bearings replaced. |
Photo: Duncan Ballard |
|
GWR 66346634 arrived at Bridgnorth on Wednesday 19th August 2009. She is owned by the Waterman Trust and is here for full mechanical assembly, L&NWR at Crewe will provide a completed boiler for the loco and hopefully she should be complete and working within 12-18 months. |
Photo: Duncan Ballard
|
|
In the BoilershopWeek commencing 27th July 2009 saw the Left hand side shoulder patch formed on Standard tank 80080 which is undergoing contract repair in the boilershop on behalf of the owners Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, who are based at Butterley. This process involved use of a specialist heating gas and the use of two warming torches to enable enough heat into the plate, this was subsequently hand formed by Graham and Duncan. This process is a time proven repair and has been used on over 30 boilers on the SVR, for both internal and external jobs, Mainline and Heritage usage.
|
Photo: Mark Vrettos |
|
