The Future for 2807 & 2874?

Saturday morning was yet another case of the day job getting in the way... it will happen a few more times between now and the end of the year I'm afraid.  If anybody out there wants to guarantee weekly updates on this blog, simply let me know what the winning Euro millions numbers will be on any given week, and I'll do the rest!  In the event, I was able to shake off the shackles of modern day slavery gainful employment  by lunchtime on Saturday and make my way to Toddington.  I'll confess that I was ten minutes later than I needed to be, as Mrs Blogger chose the very moment that we were about to set off to rather excitedly point out that we had a visitor at the bottom of the garden and suggested that I take a photo for posterity.

Vulpes vulpes

As already mentioned, I waited for a good ten minutes, but not a single LNER D49 turned up in pursuit.

Anyway, I digress. The race trains were running on Saturday, hauled by Foremarke Hall.  They had been cancelled on Friday as the race course was flooded and the races were cancelled. All the other locos else were lurking in the shed or the yard. Of those, the first item of note was that a small team led by Phil had removed the piston valves from 4270 with a view to de-coking them.

A nicely cleaned up set of valves...

...looking just about ready to be re-inserted into their bores.

I'm afraid that I can't bring you more information on that project as nobody was around to ask about it when I was there.

35006 was being put back together after her hydraulic test and a washout.

Bryony (L) and Peter cleaning the dome cover ready to go back on 35006

Tracy and Eleanor decided that cleaning the grime off of 3850's axle boxes was the job for them.  Foolishly I decided to be gallant and assist them in removing a few of them from the relevant container, a grave mistake! I had forgotten quite how heavy axle boxes are.  My suspicion is that Tracy and Eleanor hold considerable shares in a private hernia clinic somewhere and were busy trying to drum up business.  They were rather easier to shift once they had been manoeuvred out of the container and placed on a trolley

Eleanor guiding a trolley and a couple of axle boxes..

Tracy (L) and Eleanor starting to clean a couple of 3850's axle boxes

The axle boxes to the right have recently been done and belong to 2874.

Speaking of 2874, by the time this blog reaches you, it will have ventured onto road 6 outside the shed and have had a marquee erected around it.  Grit blasting will be about to ensue.  Before that could happen though, some further preparation was required.

Keith (L) and David fetch 2874's pony wheel (photo courtesy of Martin Ginger)

Mark uses extreme heat to cut out the bolts holding one sand box...

...on the other side, they were in good enough condition for David to simply undo them with a spanner...

...everything assembled and largely ready for grit blasting.

Back to 3850, Mike has fabricated a stand to place the new cylinder block upside down on to facilitate the attachment of the extension frames.  It's based on a wasted smoke box section.  Waste not, want not!

Dan applies a protective coat of paint to the new cylinder block stand

The cylinder block is expected imminently.

Little of 76077 aside from the boiler is at Toddington at the moment, the kit of parts that make up the rolling chassis is currently at Loughborough for assembly.  I am anticipating a report on the progress that has been made in the near future.  Meanwhile, Andy was busy preparing the interior of the 76077 group's container.  It already has nice insulated walls & ceiling and has the looks like it will soon become a useful place to work. 

Andy busy creating the 76077 workshop... is that snake in the top right about to strike?

And finally, the mess coach "Banksy" has struck again.  I have no idea who the culprit is, but during the course of Saturday, the artwork below appeared on the notice board:

The future for 2807 + 2874?

A Garrett flavour of 28XX has a curiously odd appeal to it and I imagine that it would be a bit of a crowd puller.   The problem is, as the more astute amongst you will have noted, that this involves one boiler and two tender tanks, whereas 2807 and 2874 between them possess two boilers and just the one tender. Under these circumstances, our resident artist really should have chosen to draw a 28XX Double Fairlie. Had they suggested the future for 2873 (which has a rolling chassis, but no boiler) and 2874, this might have been rather more credible. On an artistic level, points will have to be deducted for drawing a Collett cab rather than a Churchward one and they have attached the connecting rod to the wrong wheel set on both ends.  At least he or she correctly omitted the later Collett tool tunnel alongside the firebox.  Judging by the use of inside steam pipes, they chose to draw 2874's boiler rather than 2807's.  It's at about this stage in a restoration/new build project's lifecycle that you start receiving questions regarding the livery that it ought to have, coupled with dire threats should you inadvertently choose the wrong one. In this case, the matter should be taken up with project's CME, AKA the tooth fairy who has the answer to this and many more questions besides and she will be delighted to enlighten you... just as long as you leave all of your teeth (real ones only, no dentures please) under your pillow tonight.