Boiler Fittings (4)

A before and after pair of photos of the regulator sub-assembly:

Is it new or does it just look new?

Or how about a nice authentic aged look?

Which do you prefer? Sometimes authenticity is not the best way!

Sentinel Conversion Loco takes shape (3)

Mike Hart has been keeping me informed about his progress restoring Gervase at Elsecar Heritage Railway.

In my first article, Gervase was reported as steaming for the first time in 50 years and that Locomotive Maintenance Services at The Great Central Railway, Loughborough, would be completing the restoration work.

These photos were taken by Mike during activities at Loughborough on 7th February 2013.

New Side-rodding in place

Rear Cab View

New Axle Boxes to take the white-metalled brass bearings

White-metalling in progress

6-Feed mechanical lubricator for axle-box crowns

Near-side view with cover removed

There are some dates already pencilled-in for Gervase's first few steaming appearances this year. I'll help to spread the word when the pencil has turned to ink!

Keep up the good work Mike.

Boiler Fittings (3)

Having struggled with radially diverging screws for the steam feed manifold at the front of the boiler, many of the others have proved much easier.

Double flanged adapter for the safety valves
(This was the first gasket I made - I did improve later!)

Single Clack (non-return) valve for the cab's boiler feed pump

Double Clack (non-return) valve for the two engine-mounted boiler feed pumps

And, after about four attempts, the steam feed manifold!

The steam feed manifold (1)

This has been an educational exercise in screw-bending and grinding, drilling and filing fixing holes to fit and grinding the steam aperture in the manifold casting; not forgetting the removal of some solidified graphite grease getting in the way!

The steam feed manifold (2)

The next item to be fitted is the regulator valve assembly on the rear of the boiler. Hopefully it will then be possible to lower the superheater back into place on the regulator valve assembly and steam feed manifold. Looking at the above picture, the superheater pipes don't look too well aligned. Hmm, problems ahead.

And more gaskets to make!

Pulley - the other one - and finally

One picture was missing from my last pulley article - the pulleys actually in place.

Two pulleys facing each other

Compared to earlier photos of the cab such as the one in 1927 style remote control, there's a large boiler thing that gets in the way now but perhaps it's obvious why I don't want to insert a trip wire where there's limited space to move about.

Pulley - the other one!

In a previous article about 1927 style remote control, I said I would have to remake a pulley and bracket to route the cable used for remotely opening the exhaust pipes' drain valve.

So here it is:

Weld-joined angle iron pieces

The pin on which the pulley turns is M6 threaded at one end. It passes through the clearance hole on the right and screws into a threaded hole on the left. There is a lock-nut on the outside.

Pulley ends, not bookends!

A simple task? Well, only welding, grinding, lathe-work (yes, the pulley was too wide at first!), thread cutting, thread tapping and drilling were required.

Is this over-engineered? No comment (but it will certainly be strong enough!) and I did enjoy making it!

And it fits! See - and finally.