Overhaul update
No longer on its side, the boiler has been turned onto its top to give better access to the lower part of the firebox (at the top in this picture) for reaming and tapping stay holes as well as completing the riveting of the foundation ring.
Here we can see the boilersmith’s working platform set up against the right hand side of the firebox which suggests that work may be taking place on this side …
...which indeed proves to be the case. Towards the top of the picture several stay holes have been reamed to size and threaded ready for new stays to be fitted.
The silver objects behind the ladder are the reamers and taps that are used to carry out the work seen in the previous picture.
Mention was made in a previous report that the boiler handrail mountings needed replacing and here can be seen what is left of two of the originals prepared for welding new bosses in place. The lower one in the picture (upper on the boiler) is for the handrail whilst the upper one in the picture is for the exhaust ejector pipe which runs along the left hand side of the boiler below the hand rail from the smokebox to just forward of the cab.
In the main shed work continued on trial fitting the cladding at the back of the left hand cylinder - note the long stud at the top.
The two rear portions of the cladding can be seen here and the long stud has been moved to a lower position to temporarily help hold the parts in place. (A number of longer studs will be needed to complete this work and will be made in due course on one of the company’s CNC lathes).