Looking across the steam shed at Toddington from P&O - Yes, I know I've missed a bit on top of the boiler barrel!
It's mid-February as I'm writing this and spring is just over a month away, with the official start of the season in the Northern Hemisphere being on Monday 20th March. However, judging by the coverage of thick fog outside my bedroom window (naturally, I'd prefer to see a plume of steam!) and with little signs of life, I am yet to be convinced it is coming. My furry feline friends in this residence aren't showing any inclination of venturing out into the frozen wastes either for that matter, evidently preferring a state akin to hibernation next to a nearby radiator instead. Oh it's such a hard life for them!
Anyway, back in the land of the living (or should that be the land of the awake) things are progressing well in the steam locomotive department, in readiness for the start of our new operating season on Saturday 4th March. 35006, 7903 and 7820 have all recently passed their required 'Cold Exams' and will be put through 'In-House Steam Tests & Hot Boiler Exams' shortly. I have my fingers crossed that all will be well and everything goes to plan as it's quite a nervous time.
Chris Ardy next to a cleaner looking 36006, 7820 is on the right
One of the benefits of the downtime over the winter period is the fact that the locomotives spend far more time inside the shed then they ordinarily would during the operating months. Besides Winter Maintenance, this allows time for much more thorough cleaning to take place. Running steam locomotives regularly on a heritage railway is an invariably dirty process and it's important to try and stay on top of cleaning as much as is feasibly possible. Whilst cleaners are rostered on operating days, there is only so much you can achieve in the allotted time - It's usually a few hours at best.
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The reassembled drivers-side motion undergoing a clean
As many of you readers will know, Toddington Shed is not only where we store and maintain our operational locomotives, but also where some of the major restoration projects take place. Restoration and maintenance work inevitably creates a lot of dirt, dust and detritus which slowly builds up over time on the locomotives on shed, much like classic cars for example. The cleaning process is very similar in many respects to a car, with buckets, rags, sponges and soap required.
This is the result after a fair amount of elbow grease!
To say that I couldn't really feel my arms the following morning would be a bit of an understatement! Many people rave about going to the gym week-in week-out, but in my experience, volunteering in this department gives you more than enough exercise to render a gym membership surplus to requirements (although I appreciate everyone is different). I've never really seen the appeal of running on a treadmill seemingly travelling nowhere. With cleaning and working on these great pieces of British engineering, you can see the fruits of your labour as time progresses, which to me is priceless.
The cylinder block cladding looking a bit cleaner!
Whilst myself and Chris Ardy were cleaning, Steve, Bob, Chris and Jack continued with maintenance on the loco following the cold exam. This included the refitting of the washout plugs and mud-hole doors, amongst other tasks.
We also experimented with some heavy duty 'Tar & Glue' remover which seemed to work well removing the stubborn dirt.
A good day by all accounts with the drivers-side of P&O looking a bit cleaner than before. Only the rest of the loco to do!
In wagon news... The tank is now reunited with its chassis and is progressing well
7903 is undergoing winter maintenance and as previously mentioned, she passed her cold insurance exam and is being boxed up ready for an in-house steam test. Part of that work included fitting two new Safety Valves to the Safety Valve base. These will have final adjustment once she is in steam.
New Safety Valves - Photo courtesy of John Cruxon
Whilst this has been going on the Coupling rods have been off and the Crosshead’s split to have new lubrication felts fitted. The right hand coupling rod has had the thrust face on the rod built up with white metal to take out some excessive slide play. The picture shows the face built up and awaiting final machining. This has now been done and the rod has been refitted.
Right hand coupling rod thrust face - Photo courtesy of John Cruxon
Now for something a bit different.
This is a genuine Swindon works trolley that the Steam Dept. acquired years ago. It is very manoeuvrable as the middle set of wheels are set lower - The trolley rocks on that wheelset with the only the front or rear axle being in contact with the floor at any one time. It had become very tired and damaged and was unfit for use. However the Wednesday gang took it on and have used it as a stop gap job. It has new replacement timber decks, courtesy of the old Garden Centre, and two new wheels on the middle axle. The frame has been straightened up and then a quick coat of black Smoothrite applied to finish it off.
Swindon Works Trolley - Photo courtesy of John Cruxon
Last week we said our final goodbye to GWSR stalwart 4270 after many years of extemporary service. She was loaded and transported to The Locomotive Storage Company Ltd (owners and operators of The One:One Collection) site in Margate by Allelys Heavy Haulage. Fortunately, there were people on-site to witness her departure and arrival in Kent.
4270 stabled in the yard at Toddington not long before her departure
4270 ready to go - Photo courtesy of GWSR
4270 departs Toddington for Margate - Video courtesy of Philip Young
4270 arrives safely at Margate - Video Hornby Hobbies Ltd
You may remember in one of the recent blog entries that I mentioned the fact that 35006's speedometer and associated generator had been removed for maintenance. Some of this work has been carried out by Andrew Meredith.
It was discovered that water had got into the system which likely caused problems with the speedometers operation.
The speedo was dismantled and all the components were checked over accordingly. The wheel diameter box down to the generator plug were rewired as the existing cabling looked like old lawnmower wire which was soaking wet and corroded. Andrew sleeved the connections and drilled and fitted a split pin in the bottom of the plug so any water can run out.
Once reassembled, the speedo was checked by using a lathe running at several speed settings and it performed well.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Meredith
Photo courtesy of Andrew Meredith
Photo courtesy of Andrew Meredith
Last Friday was another day spent performing maintenance and cleaning on P&O, whilst work continued on 3850 and 2807. I gave the tender a good clean and tackled the fireman's side of the loco. The top of the boiler still needs doing!
If anyone has any suggestions about how we could turn the loco on its side or upside-down to clean, then I'm all ears. It would certainly make the task in hand a little easier for those of us including myself who are rather 'vertically challenged'.
Bob working on the damper mechanism on 35006
Steve refitted the plugs underneath the Thermic Siphons on 35006
Work on 2807 is progressing well and her boiler is due to arrive shortly.
Last week, a final internal examination was carried out on 3850's boiler at Riley's to the satisfaction of the boiler inspector, with tubing due to commence later in week.
3850's boiler at Riley's - Photo courtesy of DMLL
3850's boiler at Riley's - Photo courtesy of DMLL
Saturday was a busy day for 2874 and DMLL, with maintenance carried out on 7820's tender fireman's side water valve.
First reach under the recently greased tender and remove the valve; spend a couple of hours removing the crud; then simply lubricate and reassemble. Well done Keith and David. Here are a few photographs showing the process.
7820's fireman's side water valve being removed - Photo courtesy of Kenneth Sims
Easy does it and it's off - Photo courtesy of Kenneth Sims
Cleaning and lubrication underway - Photo courtesy of Kenneth Sims Looking much better - Photo courtesy of Kenneth Sims
There were 11 on site working on projects with good progress readying the 'Manor' for the annual exam, collating nuts and bolts for T1761, painting the tender footplate and 2874 running plate. In addition the workshop team were refurbishing a water valve. Further jobs to be done include painting a second topcoat on the repaired toolboxes and more footplate painting. No rest for the wicked as they say!
By popular demand, "Journey Through Steam" at Broadway Museum has been extended until 12th November – Open 10am-4pm daily. Further information can be found here: Journey Through Steam
Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett
Important Note:
New websites were launched earlier this month for both the GWSR and the
GWRT, thus any pre-existing bookmarks to the main blog page via the old
GWSR website will no longer work. The new websites can be found by
visiting https://www.gwsr.com/ (GWSR) and https://www.gwrt.org.uk/ (GWRT).
All of the departmental blogs can now be found on a new main blog page here: https://www.gwsr.com/knowledge/blogs.
Until next time folks, further news and announcements are on the way... maybe Tilly will be awake by then!
Alex (the sooty one!).
All published photographs are my own unless otherwise stated/credited.
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