Workshop Update 25th October 2017

Wednesday, 25th October, 2017

Following its return and initial dropping into the frames, the boiler has now been correctly positioned and the smokebox trial fitted to make sure it was correctly aligned with the boiler. The smokebox was then removed and the compensating ring ground down to be a precise fit, which involved heating it and hammering it in place over the new boiler section.

We then pulled the loco out of the shed, using our refurbished Simplex diesel shunter and with a crowd of onlookers, lifted the smokebox on our gantry crane, jacked up the boiler in the frames and using chain blocks pulled the smokebox onto the boiler. A bit of a struggle followed and the smokebox and compensating ring holes were lined up.

We are now ready to drill through the smokebox into the boiler and rivet the assembly together.

Fire irons for the loco have been cut, shaped and welded together.

For the ELR Steam Gala we pulled 80097 out of the workshop and onto platform 1 to show off her newly returned boiler and smokebox assembly. She attracted a lot of attention over the weekend and many visitors came onto the footplate.

Pictures are:

Lifting the smokebox onto the boiler

The compensating ring and smokebox fitted

80097 at the ELR Autumn Steam Gala