Oliver Cromwell restoration project at the Great Central Railway - Part 4


13/1/07 I visited today for my eighth working session. The wheels have still not been refitted to the frames - replacement bearing faces for one of the hornblocks have still not been delivered. However, a fair amount of progress has been made on other items including the new smokebox, the front buffers and the brake gear. Work continues on the boiler - 288 firebox roof stays need replacing, which will be a big job. I painted the loco brake carriers and one of the tender brake stretchers in black undercoat.


the buffers fitted to the new front buffer beam - note also King Arthur class 'Sir Lamiel' in the background

three of the loco brake carriers that I painted today

the front tender brake stretcher and links that I painted today

the new smokebox out in the yard behind the shed, having its holes cut

one of the lubricator boxes, showing the handle for manual priming

one of the brass oil boxes on the rear corners of the pony truck

the cleading fitted to the rear end of the valve chest - note the insulating material inside the sheet metal

the right-hand rear valve cover and the slides for the valve crosshead. The curved plate inside the valve chamber presumably helps to direct the exhaust steam inwards towards the blastpipe

the tender vacuum hose support stay

24/2/07 I visited today for my ninth working session. A lot of progress has been made in the past month - the locomotive has been rewheeled, the firebox roof stays are being removed and a company has volunteered to make the new ones, and the tender body has been removed from its frames. I spent the day chipping the old paint and rust off parts of the tender frames. There were more volunteers than usual working today, and the goal now is to complete the restoration by the end of 2007 so that 70013 can be run at the GCR for a few months before being returned to the National Railway Museum.


the bogie, driving wheels and pony have been refitted to the frames, along with the brake gear and slidebars

one of the expansion links

the buffer beam with 'bash plate' and vacuum pipe

the tender frames that I cleaned with a needle gun today. The top stretcher has been removed and a new one was being fabricated today

the inside of the left hand (driver's) side of the cab, with the mounting bracket for the reversing gearbox

the right hand (fireman's) side of the cab. Note that there are fewer rivets than on the driver's side

the removable section of the old smokebox, showing the cutouts for the regulator cover and the regulator spindle mounting


29/3/07 I visited today for my tenth working session. Work has started on the motion gear - the expansion links have been refitted, and the radius rods and combination levers and valve crossheads were being cleaned up in readiness for refitting. The sanding gear has also been fitted. I spent the day painting the tender water filter boxes, and some other odds and ends.


the expansion links, die blocks and lifting levers have been refitted

the slidebars and valve guides

one of the filter boxes that I painted today

the fittings on the rear beam

the steam heating hose and vacuum pipe on the front buffer beam

a view forward along the top of the frames, showing the two sand boxes and the supports for the running boards

the sanding pipes between the right leading and driving wheels


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