NEWS – Page 2 – Stanier Mogul Fund

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Overhaul update
Posted on February 6, 2020

Work has started to reinstall the sanding gear, both leading and intermediate sets on the right side are fitted, and also that to the leading wheel on the left side; the set to the front of the LH intermediate wheel is ready but not fitted. This allows access to the underside of the engine. Both trailing sand pipes are corroded through and will be replaced. The main steam pipes from the superheater header to valve chest lie in the lower right corner. These too have been found to be thin and will be replaced.
The superheater header has been dug out of storage. Although in good condition work is as ever needed. The Fund’s working party has retapped all stud holes; yet to be tackled is the grinding of the seatings for the two ends of each of the 21 elements.
Dismantling the old smokebox door continues and the two hinges are off and, of course, painted in grey primer.
The complete smokebox is to be replaced, including the ring against which the door closes. The new one has arrived.
Even the dart to keep the door closed is being made new.
The old, worn one and its replacement are here shown for comparison.
The foundation ring had been fitted temporarily to act as a jig for all the new steel which was fitted. Having done its job there, it is out again to allow the inner backplate to go in.
And it is easy to see that work on the new front tube plate continues prior to fitting it.
Outside the boiler shop, the ashpan now has its various door hinges bolted in place and the linkages for the hopper doors is being assembled.
DSCF2114 The time is approaching when the Smokebox saddle will be sealed up, so the final coats of silver paint have been applied to all internal surfaces.
It had been necessary to dismantle the drain cock mechanisms on both side of the engine.
The working party reassembled both sides during the day.
Soon to be refitted are the slidebars, just returned from contractors following regrinding to parallel.
Much of the working party’s work today was identifying many lengths of pipe to discover where they came from; many labels attached at removal having become detached or oil-soaked and illegible. Sitting on the running plate is the atomiser steam pipe from the shut-off cock on the side of the smokebox to the drain cock valve between the frames. The job was likened to a jigsaw: the more parts fitted mean fewer to identify and fewer places to fit them.
And, of course, the painters were busy! This is one of the boiler handrails, partly cleaned and with a first coat of grey primer.
On Saturday 8th February a team photo following successful fitting of the blastpipe baseplate.
Overhaul update
Posted on January 16, 2020

The smokebox door has had its inner liner removed to give access to the fastenings of its various fittings, including the hinges.
The rear face of the outer door, with the mounting points outlined in chalk.
Other smokebox fittings have appeared from storage, including both sides main steampipes from the superheater header to outside the smokebox wrapper.
Inside the smokebox saddle some wasted steel is being built up by welding.
A week previous, the remains of the studs for the blastpipe stand were drilled out using the magnetic drill and the threads recovered by the SMF working party.
Below, the water drain and connection for the front vacuum pipe is now fitted, waiting for the repainted pipework shown last time to be attached. This area is normally hidden behind the front running steps.
A general view of the rear of the loco, giving an idea of the number of fittings which have been attached, including the pull-off spring to the brake cylinder bellcrank..
...while the brake pull rod extending from there to the rear crossbeam is also on.
Also now fitted, but mainly to check functionality and fit of pins, is the reverser reach rod together with its steadying bracket part way along its length. A lot more work was done also on the lubrication pipework, and in the background a Fund volunteer has the tedious job of priming the feeds from the axlebox mechanical lubricator to ensure continuity of supply to each box with no leaks in between.
In the boiler shop, work on riveting the new backplate piece to the firebox sidesheets is well advanced.
With riveting complete also to the reinforcement piece between the original upper and new lower sections.
A small piece had to be cut from each side to allow access to the rear during the joining process. These too have now been made good. Seen also on the left is one of the rivets to the reinforcement between upper and lower section.
The copper inner backplate, which has been the recipient of much welding, has been removed from the welding bay prior to fitment once all riveting on the outer shell is finished.
The new front tubeplate which, as previously explained, was sent away to be drilled by sub-contractors, is back and will soon be fitted to the boiler shell.
Overhaul update
Posted on January 11, 2020

Both sides cab running steps are now permanently fitted and the work to mount the new injectors to them is advancing, more so on the driver’s side.
Here we see the injector bolted into place with the pipework attached. The new connections for the water bags from the tender are also to be seen.
Newly painted brackets ready to fit the other side’s injector.
This is the vacuum standpipe for the front buffer beam still attached to the cross pipe normally hidden behind the beam. It requires the usual paint treatment before attachment. Note the brake blocks ready to fit once all the brake rigging is in place.
Freshly painted parts, comprising a length of piping for the right hand feed water system, and parts of the firedoor operating mechanism.
The smokebox door has been brought in from the cold. It and its liner, uppermost, are to be replaced by new pieces.
Overhaul update
Posted on December 12, 2019

Work proceeds on the upturned boiler, with the stay holes in the right hand side lower firebox side being reamed out. This was the first stage: apparently the holes in the inner firtbox were ‘about two pence diameter’ while those in the outer plate were ‘about one pence’ diameter. Boilersmiths obviously use different units to other engineers!
On the other side, most stay holes had been drilled in the new side sheet. Later that day the reamer was moved across to expand these also.
At the back end of the firebox the new outer backplate is marked out for the drilling of its stay holes. Also seen are the pads for the various backplate fittings, bolted in place and ready to be welded to the plate.
Work continues on the inner backplate, with many holes drilled although those for the right upper flange (far right) are still oversize and need to be welded prior to drilling.
The flange’s top face with the drilled holes in close up.
The top feed housing is now ready, with two of the stepped studs per side fitted. The welded up holes for the original safety valves carried by this boiler can be seen.
One of the clack boxes which will be bolted to the top feed when the boiler is ready.
In the machine shop the big end brass pressed into the connecting rod last week is having its length trimmed to the correct size.
Meanwhile, on the loco the valve spindle crosshead is complete, bolted up and the retaining pins opened, meaning no further work is needed here.
The jobs list on the cab side has grown since last week, but all previous and some new items are already ticked off.
The rear of the engine shows that the rear vertical plate, tender fall plates and cab doors are all back in their rightful places.
The big job of the day was to refit the cab running steps. The engine is off the jacks and has been rolled forward about six feet - its first movement on its own wheels for over a year! This allows full, unimpeded access to the trailing end, hence the fitting of the steps. This in turn allows the permanent fitment of both side injectors.
Underneath the engine, a start has been made on reinstalling the brake linkage. This is the pull rod between the intermediate and trailing coupled wheels.
And on the vacuum side, the front standpipe has been dug out of storage and brought to the engine. It will, of course, need cleaning and painting before fitting.
And speaking of the painters, here is the cylinders’ mechanical lubricator receiving attention before going back on the running plate adjacent to its mechanical counterpart.
Overhaul update
Posted on December 6, 2019

We again start with the boiler and the right hand lower firebox side. This has now had all the stay holes and rivet holes to the foundation ring drilled out.
On the other side, the replacement lower section is finished welded and is having the same holes drilled out by the magnetic drill.
The Fund’s Archive was able to provide the original drawings of the firebox, from which the positions of the various holes were determined.
Various bits of redundant metal await disposal in front of the boiler: lower section of front tubeplate, bottom of the front of the barrel and part of the outer backplate.
The inner backplate welding work is complete and the various holes are being re-drilled to the original sizes prior to reinstallation.
Also on site is the new smokebox wrapper, currently a plain cylinder without holes for the chimney, blastpipe, etc. It will not be fitted until the superheater header is installed on the new front tubeplate.
The top feed casting is currently in the machine shop having some defects corrected.
These include having some wasted areas built up with weld, then ground flat.
The work also includes machining the joint face to the clack box. The three stud holes per side were also worn and have been re-drilled and retapped the next size up. Stepped studs will be used here to preserve the size of holes in the clack box faces.
Old and new blastpipes, stands and blower rings in company at the shed. The old units have been claimed by a member of the SVR fitting staff for further use - as a plant holder!
Work on the frames continues, with a small list of jobs chalked on the cabside.
The return cranks have been trial fitted to both side driving wheels.
The Fund’s working party witnessed the pressing in of a big end brass to a connecting rod. The two items are seen here on a trolley for movement to the press.
The rod supported from the lifting crane with the big end in the press and new brass positioned over its eye.
Close up of the two before pressing began...
...and after it started.
This showed that the key and its keyway were not quite in line, corrected by means of a hammer and drift...
...following which the pressing in continued...
...until the brass was fully home and the press’s ram withdrawn.
Parts awaiting final coats of black paint prior to return to the engine include the fall plates to the tender and cab running steps...
...while in the paintshop, SVR’s Mick Flint applies gloss black to the boiler cladding sheets.
Overhaul update
Posted on November 28, 2019

In the Boiler shop: The new flange on the side of the inner firebox backplate has had a series of pilot holes drilled prior to enlarging them to the correct size.
Meanwhile in the machine shop: The new casting that fits over the four exhaust pipes and joins the four exhausts into one has its base machined before the mounting holes are drilled. This casting replaces that seen in the next image.
As you can see this casting is well and truly life expired! The blast pipe sits on top of the casting and would was located by the studs that are still in situ.
The old blast pipe is also in the machine shop and will be replaced by the new version show next.
The new blast pipe with the blower ring sitting on top - both are being supervised by Patrick the machine shop mascot.
Overhaul update
Posted on November 21, 2019

13268 is still standing on the jacks area, although on her own wheels; this is simply because the road off the jacks is blocked by other locos. The loco is soon to be moved across to No. 5 road. With the wheels in place, other parts are being added, most notably the brake hangers and their crossbeams. The SMF working party was engaged on fitting the axlebox mechanical lubricator and making up its copper pipe runs, and permanently fitting the spring hangers, whose packing was being corrected by SVR staff. And touching up paintwork, of course!
The valves, their slides and combination lever are now complete on both sides, as shown by the splayed split cotters.
In the boiler shop, the new backplate is welded to its original upper section. Work is proceeding to grind down the weld and to prepare the surfaces for the addition of the pads for the various mountings, such as the water level gauge frames.
At the right hand side (left of the inverted boiler), the lower piece of the firebox is in place and bolted to the foundation ring.
The first run of weld attaching the lower firebox side is done, but a contract welder will complete the process.
The inner backplate has all its new flanges welded in...
so work continues in building up oversized stay holds, which will then be drilled out to their correct size, allowing original sized stays to be used.
The new front tubeplate has arrived as a blank. It must now be drilled to accept 202 x 1.75” small tubes, 21 x 5.125” flue tubes, main steam pipe and mounting holes, and six longitudinal stays. This work will begin soon.
The tender has not been neglected and is now sitting on all its springs. The brake rodding between the wheelsets is also complete, leaving only those from the actuating crossbeam to go on.
13268 Re-wheeling Video
Posted on November 11, 2019

On Tuesday 29th October, we caught on camera the moment 13268 became a Mogul again.
Overhaul update
Posted on November 2, 2019

The right side with coupling rods in place.
The left side rods have been removed for crack detection (none found) and painting their inside faces.
Just visible between the spokes is the spring hanger and associated nuts. When complete, these will be adjusted to set the correct weight on each wheel.
Right side combination lever has joined its opposite number and is now on the engine.
The right side piston valves have been removed for further work.
With the left side still in, but the removed cover shows it will follow.
Overhaul update
Posted on October 31, 2019

When we arrived at around half past nine we found both left and right hand coupling rods in place with the paid staff expressing their satisfaction with how they fitted. During the day the left hand set were removed again for crack testing which they passed with flying colours followed by having the backs of them painted (to prevent corrosion) by the works painter Mick Flint.

Meanwhile we got on with fitting the twelve spring hangers which we completed by mid afternoon although one needs to be checked by the paid staff as it was very difficult to fit properly.

The Right hand side looking towards the front of the loco with the rods in place.
The same side viewed from the front.
This is the Left hand side also viewed from the front.
The middle or driving axle with the trailing spring hangers (the big threaded things with the large nuts) in place. Note that the upper pivot pins and the split pins are not correctly fitted yet to allow for checking by the paid staff.
Our Engineering Manager taking a break before tackling the rear or trailing axle’s spring hangers.

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