Vacuum Braking (11) Implementation (5)

Following on from Vacuum Braking (10), it really is true that the whole pipe structure can be dismantled and removed and here it is laid out on Midsomer Norton station's down platform.

Front to rear vacuum pipework

The next job was to replace it all beneath the footplate and frames, then to complete the Stauff clamp fixings and tighten it all up.

The fixings presented another opportunity for the sky drill under the water tank.

Suspended on rails between the rails

The holes were tapped for M6 mounting screws (or, in this case, twice over as the tap tool broke and had to be left buried deep in the water tank metal work. It's covered by the clamp now so nobody will ever know!).

Clamp and hidden holes

Forward-most mounting clamp

Earlier I'd had trouble aligning the hole through the cab floor with the pipework's 'T' junction below. Having started to tighten up the clamps, the situation was beginning to get worse. Previously I'd enlarged the hole to a figure '8' shape; now the hole still did not seem to be long enough but this time I'd run out of space in the cab due to the sanding gear cross-shaft.

My only option was to put a kink in the pipe to realign it.

Joyce's Kink!

Now things were starting to behave themselves and I was able to fix another Stauff clamp and bracket in place to support the pipework from above.

Clamp, bracket and sanding gear cross-shaft (red bar) near the cab front

Finally a quick mock-up of the ejector (aka. jet pump, 'little sucker'), non-return valve and 'T' for the brake operating handle - all connected to the completed pipework below (and Joyce's hidden kink!).

Ejector and non-return valve

Now I'll be able to spend more time in the cab instead of underneath, flat on my back. Having said that, there's a lot more space below. Lonnie Donegan summed it up a few years ago: "There's not mushroom inside"!