Progress - 2010
The County Project has now been running for over two years and we have developed from an inexperienced team into one that knows what it has to do to deliver 1014 for the main line. Our skills and confidence have increased and we are all older, wiser and more experienced.
So where are we going in 2010? Assuming our wheels will be ready around Easter, the main initial effort must be to complete the bogie and main axle boxes to receive the wheelsets and turn 1014’s frames into a rolling chassis. A small, locally based, team has been assembled, to fit the wheels during the week, rather than on a workday. The technical paper on an alternative method for producing locomotive motion will be issued shortly, which should allow considerable cost savings on manufacture. A major challenge will be to locate a source of supply of EN 16(T) steel, the current industry standard for forged motion and Colin Evans, our metallurgist, is on that case. Conversion work on the exhaust is completed and it should be fitted early in the New Year. Final fitting of the rear splasher/running plate sections should be completed in January with riveting following, so providing us with a firm platform from which to move rearwards to fit the cab footplating/side sheets or forward to the front section. The saga of 5227 at Barry might be drawing to a close, sooner rather than later in 2010, so yielding vital brake and motion parts for us, as well as some brake parts for 2999. It is also hoped to be able to start a small works party presence every Saturday, in addition to our main effort every second Saturday.
03/10/2010 - Exhaust system as first fitted, prior to final tightening.
16/01/2010 - Exhaust system as finally fitted and checked.
Work commenced on cleaning the valve chest drains.
Meanwhile, brake cross beam stub end bearings machined.
16/01/2010 - Reverser worm and bearing following cleaning.
16/01/2010 - Removing years of gunge/dirt from the screw reverser.
The 'water jetting' paper and associated research is still on-going. KWG completed the CAD for machining any motion parts to be produced and has been passed on to machine shops to obtain estimates for doing such work. Investigations continue into the specification of steel required to manufacture motion - evidence suggests that employed for 5029, 6023 and the Steam Rail Motor meets the current specifications and would thus be applicable for 1014. As a result, more requests for estimates have been despatched to machine shops. By the end of the month, costings are still awaited for machining and forging, to complete the requirements of the final paper.
An assessment of the motion parts required for Lot 354 has been put in hand.
03/01/2010 - Completed oilkeeps. Need to be cleaned free of all swarf etc.
16/01/2010 - Oil keeps cleaned, then test fitted to axleboxes. Fit satisfactory, apart from minor fettling needed as a result of the casting process.
31/01/2010 - Completed sand core plugs.
Machining of axleboxes continued to a conclusion. Tidying-up and some adjustments remain to be completed - the latter including redoing the white metalling of the inner bearing faces to the front wheels, having been found to be too thin.
By the end of the month, a start was being made on gathering together the bogie components for assembly - this will be necessary to produce the rolling chassis and clear space in the workshop.
10/02/2010 - Machined tyre in gas ring furnace, being heated causing it to expand (David Hurd).
10/02/2010 -Wheel set being lowered into the expanded tyre. (David Hurd)
10/02/2010 - Wheel inserted into tyre - the tyre was then allowed to cool, thus contracting and firmly 'gripping' the wheel, to the point where it is immovable. (David Hurd)
10/02/2010 - One tyre having been fitted, the wheel set is turned over for the other driving wheel to be tyred - the tyre being seen in the background. Clearly shown too, is the hole for the crankpin. (David Hurd)
10/02/2010 - The evidence! !014's driving wheel with tyre fitted. (David Hurd)
For the project to be a success, planning is essential. A major focus was the assessment of the motion configuration, i.e. confirming which standard parts of G.W.R. motion could be used in lot 354 applications. So far it seems that a number of Hall and other standard components will be appropriate. Some, like the rear section of the Hall coupling rod, might be capable of modification to Lot 354 specifications. Much will need to be manufactured anew to meet the County specification, notably the front coupling rods and connecting rods.
Producing these, and a range of other smaller motion parts, is likely to be expensive and requires manufacturing processes no longer readily available. Hence the research into the concept of water jetting - the paper is still 'in preparation' as it raises a lot of metallurgical issues that must be resolved.
Meanwhile, consultations with a number of manufacturers are on-going and estimates sought.
13/02/2010 - Steel for undercab footplating - pre-shaped.
13/02/2010 - The valve chest drain - and the corrosion.
13/02/2010 - The one drain pipe that could be removed - corroded thread to be seen at the top edge of the image.
With machining of the bogie axleboxes complete, the final fettling gets underway. Two of the four had been completed by the end of the month.
Once finished, work must proceed quickly with machining and fettling the six driving wheel axleboxes - essential for wheeling the chassis this spring ... if all is to go to plan.
13/02/2010 - Fettling a machined bogie axlebox.
Both right and left hand splashers have been separated from the running plate and successfully aligned with their rear counterparts. Wheel clearances have been checked, showing a need for some minor work on the right hand front. By the end of the month the majority of the drilling and welding on the front splashers was completed.
The running plate has also been drilled in readiness for riveting, which will be undertaken by the Project Group following the riveting training received in late March and the acquisition of parts for the equipment required to do the work.
Work on the sandbox gear continues.
13/03/2010 - Right hand splashers aligned and ready for welding together and to the running plate.
13/03/2010 - Newly fabricated left hand rear sandbox trial fitted to frames.
13/03/2010 - Final fettling of bogie axleboxes continues. Oil keeps now being fitted.
Progress continues with the fettling of the axleboxes. The oil keeps to be fitted thereafter.
Once this is complete attention will turn to fettling the main axleboxes in readiness for re-wheeling the chassis.
27/03/2010 - Right hand trailing axle bearing trial fitted to axle.
27/03/2010 - Drilling oil return slots in oil keeps.
Work on the bogie axlebox oil keeps continues - drilling oil return slots to prepared for final assembly of the oil keeps and axle bearings prior to fitting to axles and bogie frame.
Eight bogie spring hangers cleaned in readiness for undercoating and fitting.
27/03/2010 - Felts fitted into two of the oil keep cages - other felts, cages and springs shown in foreground.
27/03/2010 Aassembled oil keep felts, cages and springs soaking in oil.
13/03/2010 - New information board at Didcot Railway Centre.
Developments on the valve gear/coupling rod/connecting rod issue suggest that the idea of water-jetting is inappropriate for our needs, besides being an expensive option. Furthermore, research into the compatibility of the Hall's valve gear and that required for Lot 354 suggests that a combination on new-build and use of components for a Hall would be acceptable in producing truly Lot 354 locomotive.
An inventory of needs suggests that new-build requirements will be:
1) Connecting rods - the cost of a pair of forged connecting rods has been received from Ufone (Walsall) - they produced similar components for Tornado and are known to the Society. As a result the cost of the blanks has been funded and agreement reached with Ufone, who will machine at a later date.
2) Coupling rods - costings to be sought.
Also needed - essential modifications to Hall-type eccentric sheaves to provide the 0.5 inch additional valve travel for Lot 354.
All other Hall valve-gear components are in common, many of which we have in stock.
08/04/2010 - Drilling holes for the crankpins (Dave Hurd)
30/04/2010 - 1014's wheel sets at Buckfastleigh - essentially complete apart from fitting the crankpins. They will be transported to Didcot Railway Centre in the very near future. Wheeling the chassis is scheduled for June/July (Jeffery Harper)
April was marked by good news and bad news relating to the County Set personnel -
Good news - Graham McEwen of Reading School has joined the team as a permanent member.
Sad news - earlier in the month Drew Fermor informed Mike Cooper of the premature death of one his students, also one of the County Set's youngest workers. Iain McDonald, also from Reading School, died in tragic circumstances around Easter. Iain's last contribution to the work on 1014 was on 10 April. His mother relates he regarded GWS and the 1014 project as his second home: observing that 'he never stopped talking about it'. This was reflected in his pleasant demeanour, intelligent approach, enthusiasm, reliability and positive relations with other members of the team. The County Set (and the 4079 Team) were well represented at Iain's funeral on 30 April, where Drew Fermor of the the 4079 Group and Iain's engineering tutor gave the eulogy.
Perhaps, one day, when 1014 is finally complete and running, it will represent a fitting memorial to his efforts.
Iain will be missed and we all hope and pray that he will Rest in Peace.
At the start of the month Didcot Railway Centre was host to a very successful G.W.R. 175 Gala . During the celebrations, the public were able to view progress on 1014. To mark the event, for at least the first weekend, the new, right hand side nameplate was fitted to the running plate.
01/05/2010- County of Glamorgan nameplate fitted (temporarily) to the running plate.
15/05/2010 - Newly produced right rear cylinder cover - machining commenced.
The machining specification of the new right rear cylinder cover has been under discussion, based on both original and Lot 354 drawings. The County cover has 18 stud holes and a thicker packing gland for which the casting is not suitable. We also have Hall pistons and rods. As the donor frame is from a Modified Hall, it is essential to ensure that parts like these covers are handed but identical to the ones already on the loco, i.e. to Modified Hall specification.
Machining has now commenced to the latter specification.
Work on the splashers continues to make progress. By the beginning of the month the splashers had been fishplated and connected with the correct round headed bolts.
01/05/2010 - Right hand splasher fitted. connected and primed. The left hand splasher is also completed.
29/05/2010 - Slot cut into running plate to allow the wayshaft lever to be fitted.
29/05/2010 - Correct round headed bolts fitted to motion plate covers. The right hand motion plate cover has been modified to sit correctly on the frame valance.
29/05/2010 - Frame angle 19 (the tee bar) repositioned on its end flange and refastened to frame angle 21.
29/05/2010 - Newly acquired riveting tool, with a selection of heads.
01/05/2010 - Painted bogie spring hangers
15/05/2010 - MPI testing the bogie wheel axles - passed successfully.
Storage issues occupied some well-spent time during the month as many of the repaired parts, formerly stored in the Pooley van have been moved into the Project Group's recently 'inherited' ISO container.
The Pooley van, meanwhile, will be fitted with more shelving units primarily used for tools, fasteners and fittings for work in progress.
19/06/2010 - Inside the ISO container showing some of the restored parts housed there. Hopefully, another shelving unit will be acquired in the near future for the smaller items.
19/06/2010 - Cleaned steam chest drain pipes - scale can be ascertained from shoe at bottom right hand corner of image!
Work on the steam chest continues. Drain valves, cleaned, freed and re-threaded. When nipples are repaired they can be refitted to the steam chest.
Rust is being chipped from the lower part of the cylinder block.
Machining of the Right rear cylinder cover continues.
The ends of the brake hanger pivot pins were drilled for split pin retainers.
Welders making two coupling suspension hooks, one of which has been fitted.
19/06/2010 - Newly manufactured coupling suspension hook placed on bolt holder of buffer.
05/06/2010 - View of new rear right hand sandbox as bolted to the frames.
05/06/2010 - Newly manufactured sandbox awaiting finishing, temporarily bolted to frames.
19/06/2010 - Fitting under-cab foot plating.
19/06/2010 - Repainting the temporary name-plate.
19/06/2010 - Applying frame filler to the bogie frames.
1-2/07/2010 - Releasing cross beam from linkage. This is one of two Churchward design cross beams recovered for use on the Saint - they are being exchanged for a later type of cross beam from Maindy Hall.
1-2/07/2010 - H44-type brake hanger almost released from 5227 - six of these were recovered.
1-2/07/2010 - Puller on H44 bottom boss
1-2/07/2010 - Chris C and Gary D. working hard to release brake hanger.
03/07/2010 - Link hanger bracket recovered - unrestored!
03/07/2010 - LaDonna with a restored brake hanger.
31/07/2010 - Link hanger blocks before and after treatment at SPX.
31/07/2010 - Measuring the faulty sand pipe. A slight bend was responsible for it not operating smoothly, consequently it will be replaced.
Early in the month the Hall class boiler support was removed from the frames. This will be replaced by a larger radius support to Lot 354 dimensions, which was part of a delivery of items received from Angle Ring Company.
Other items in the aforementioned delivery included eight angle rings, some of which are for the cab.
03/07/2010 - Removal of Hall boiler support.
17/07/2010 - Cleaning the reverser pedestal after stripping from remains of the much rusted and useless reverser tower.
17/07/2010 - Cleaned reverser pedestal.
06/08/2010 - Steel to fabricate a new reverser tower after delivery and awaiting welding.
17/07/2010 - Application of brains to the bogie issue.
31/07/2010 - Machining a bogie bearing.
31/07/2010 - Happiness is more shelves in the Pooley van. They are being filled rapidly!
Work Week - Satisfactory with quite a lot achieved. We had good week with an average of 8 on parade each day.
Dominating the work was riveting. Having received training and acquiring the necessary equipment, a County Set team undertook the task:
06/08/2010 - Heating the rivets (Matthew Wilkins' Father)
06/08/2010 - the riveting team - Heater - Ian King; Placers - Mike Cooper & I.C.; Riveters - Peter Donaldson & Matthew Wilkins. (Matthew Wilkins' Father)
06/08/2010 - Heating rivet and angle support to insert rivet (Matthew Wilkins' Father)
06/08/2010 - Riveting! (Matthew Wilkins' Father)
The right side of the frame has been riveted and front step, frame angles and rear steps are complete. Work was stopped on the left side because the lack of space caused by the racking raised H&S concerns over safe access and fire.
06/08/2010 - Front step riveted in place on buffer beam.
06/08/2010 - Frame angle fully riveted.
06/08/2010 - Riveted frame angle fixed to frames.
06/08/2010 - H44 Hanger brackets, derusted and primed.
H44 hanger brackets from 5227 at Barry, derusted, cleaned and primed, ready for 'action'.
Modification of the link hanger brackets has commenced - method statement and material is available to complete both the bracket and short links to Lot 354 specification.
Following the exertions and good progress of Work Week, things quietened down a little during the rest of the month ... but there is still progress to record.
A second link hanger bracket has been delivered to SPX in Newbury for blast cleaning (re: July report).
Modification of the link hanger blocks is now well in-hand - the pins are complete and bearings on one bracket bored to size.
21/08/2010 - some of the rods and levers as delivered.
21/08/2010 - fitting the under-cab footplating in place - note too the primed sandbox.
Left hand side progress slower.
11/09/2010 - right hand side under-cab footplating being fitted.
25/09/2010 - right hand side under-cab footplating fitted and bolted to running plate and valance.
The second link hanger bracket has been returned from SPX at Newbury.
Modifications continue - bearings on both brackets have been bored to size and taper pins fitted in preparation for fitting on to frames in October. NB. Gary Davies has manufactured all the taper pins required.
11/09/2010 - Working on the recently returned bracket.
25/09/2010 - Modifications in-hand.
11/09/2010 - Modified link hanger bracket almost ready for fixing to frames.
25/09/2010 - Weighshaft lever fitted to stub and awaiting fitting of key in slot.
Derusting of other small components continues, including the brackets in the cab for operating the sanding gear.
Manufacture of new piston valve chest drain nipples is in hand.
Front sanding rods ready for assembly and fitting to boxes.
02/10/2010 - Restored exterior of front sand boxes.
Manufacture of replacement drain nipples has been completed.
06/11/2010 - Nipple drain hole on the cylinder casting following removal of rusted remains of nipple. The thread has now been cleaned in readiness for inserting the replacement nipple and drain.
02/10/2010 - Newly manufactured cylinder drain nipples.
02/10/2010 - Refurbished piston valve drain pipe with new nipple attached.
Work continues on the left hand side of the cab, but at a slower, but steady rate.
09/10/2010 - Front view of reverser tower.
23/10/2010 - Lifting the reverser screw and pedestal onto the reverser tower.
In the course of a small celebration, railway enthusiast Simon Foote presented the Project with a G.W. whistle. It is one of the larger, lower toned brake whistles which all G.W.R. locomotives carried, officially for use during emergencies. This particular whistle came from a Hall class locomotive, but was also standard to the Counties.
For this donation we are very grateful.
23/10/2010 - Simon Foote presenting the whistle to Richard Croucher, with Mike Cooper and Keith Gilbert of the County Project in attendance. (Frank Dumbleton)
It was also agreed that LaDonna MacDonald would be the Project Group's 'house keeper', i.e. she looks after the organisation of the infrastructure (work area and Pooley). She has made a good start on clearing up the Pooley. In addition, she has responsibility for painting tasks.
Overall, a month of steady, positive progress.
Fitting to the frames of the link hanger brackets marked an auspicious stage in the reconstruction of 1014, namely the first step in reassembling the motion.
The paper including calculations etc. for the new motion steel were passed to Dave Ward, who recommended either two types of steel as being suitable. One of these is currently available and, all being well, will be subject of an order for six billets very shortly. From those, the four coupling and two connecting rocks will be machined.
06/11/2010 - First link hanger bracket bolted (temporarily) to the frames. To complete the task spring washers are required, which are being acquired.
06/11/2010 - Removing the errant rivet.
06/11/2010 - Newly manufactured larger nipples for fixing the drain pipe to the smaller nipples fixed into the piston valve chest.
06/11/2010 - Reverser assemblage on footplate.
06/11/2010 - It works!! Testing the reverser linkage.
06/11/2010 - Oil keeps trial fitted to axle box bearings.
When this work is finished reassembly of the bogie can proceed in readiness for the arrival of the driving wheels (due imminently) and production of a rolling chassis.
For the first time work days were cancelled because of the weather. 4 December was considered too cold for work to be carried out safely, so was cancelled. 18 December saw Didcot and surrounding parts being hit by snow. When the webmaster arrived at about 11.25 there was approximately 4 - 6 inches of snow on the ground and it was still snowing! Unfortunately, for the webmaster, the few who managed to journey through to Didcot, sensibly abandoned work for the day at 10.30. As a result, the County Set's Christmas 'bash' (and annual team photo) in conjunction with the 4079 team was also postponed.
The webmaster would like to express his respect for the crew of 3738 and the others who were working to provide a 'Thomas the Tank Engine' day for those members of the general public who also travelled to Didcot - it was not a day for the faint hearted!
16/12/2010 - Coupling rod billet being lifted from furnace.
16/12/2010 - Ingot being carried to press.
16/12/2010 - Ingot in process of being pressed into basic shape.
16/12/2010 - Ingot formed as a rear coupling rod.
It is possible that there might be sufficient spare material for the production of extension and eccentric rods.
And finally. Mike Cooper's annual review of progress achieved in 2010:
We are now at the end of our third year working on the County Project, which has settled into the slow but progressive movement forward of any long-term restoration. Luckily, we have assembled an excellent, durable and multi-skilled project team, morale is good and our results tangible.
Work-wise, some major landmarks were accomplished but a major one was not achieved. Regrettably, our wheels did not appear from Rileys, despite being promised for Easter 2010 and being continually chased by the contract manager, Dennis Howells. The delay has major implications for the project as, without our wheels, we cannot progress the six main axleboxes and from experience on the four bogie axleboxes, we know how long they can take to complete. Another task, which took an age to confirm, was our outside motion. Delays beset our paper on water jetting, which proposed to follow the Brighton Atlantic route. Value for money and risk assessments showed this method of producing the motion was unlikely to be cheaper and potentially held more project risk. However, from every black cloud there appears a silver lining and, following the approval of our motion steel and stress calculation papers by David Ward our metallurgist, we contracted with Ufone Engineering in Dudley, as our prime-contractor, to produce all our outside motion; this from steel that has an almost identical mechanical performance and chemical composition to GW Specification 19. Following another contact with Don Ashton, an ex-Swindon GW valve gear expert, we have decided that the internal motion will be built to Lot 350 specification; at 225 lb/in 2 cylinder pressure. The performance differential to the Lot 354 specification will be minimal and the use of existing parts/patterns will save considerably on project costs.
Parts from 5227 at Barry, required by both 1014 and 2999 projects, were stripped in July; the 1014 parts are now derusted, with the Stephenson link hangers overhauled and fitted to the frame.
Work Week saw a major effort on riveting the locomotive frame with assistance from the 3650 crew and Peter Gransden.
Now fitted are the cab lower running plates and reverser tower, while the reverser screw has been cleaned and overhauled, with the redesign and conversion of the reach rod to Lot 354 specification in progress. Corrosion damaged drain nipples on the valve chest drains were removed, the location holes rethreaded and new nipples manufactured. Also manufactured was a new rear cylinder cover, which is currently being machined, plus we have been gifted a whistle and a duplex gauge.
Our Pooley van is now an excellent project base with its own caretaker/store person, who has it organised and tidy, and our ISO is an Aladdin’s cave of completed parts. Our Chairman continues to locate backers for the project and his various appeals continue to yield a satisfactory financial return. Publicity-wise, we now aim to have copy for the preservation railway press every month and our website continues to be very popular.
Project wise, all of the above is very positive. We have made good progress during 2010 and I am optimistic that we can build on this for 2011 with some more significant achievements.