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16th June 2008
27th May 2008 Taylors of Leeds have been retained to pre-assemble and weld the main steam pipes and have now fitted them to the smokebox finally. The regulator cross shaft and other back head fittings have been finally fitted. The regulator quadrants and stops are still to be fitted and will be done when the cab is taken off again. The smokebox is being fitted out including the anti-vacuum valve and top cover. The blast pipe is being fitted for the last time. 22nd April 2008 MultiTech has completed the main steam pipe flanges. This will permit completion of the main steam pipes in the near future. A large number of gaskets have been procured for steam fittings and pipe joints. Peter Neesam has completed insulating the boiler and re-fitting the cladding including manufacture of the trailing wheel splashers. The drawing for the new banjo dome casing has been completed and is with the North Norfolk Railway for manufacture.
24th March 2008
The order for main steam pipe components was placed with Induction Pipe Bending Ltd at Sunderland and the components have been delivered. MultiTech will shortly receive an order to make the special flanged joints for the main steam pipes.
The boiler hand rail bosses have been welded to the boiler and the hand rails made.
The cladding sheets are effectively complete – the North Norfolk Railway has been commissioned to make the banjo dome casing.
We are waiting for quotes from Atlas at Oldham and Anglering at Birmingham for the main steam pipes. David Elliott has also received a quote for individual bends from Induction Pipe Bending Ltd at Sunderland who can make individual bends for fabricating into finished steam pipes.
The hydraulic and boiler tests were successfully completed on the planned days, after some late night working. The hydraulic test was successfully completed on Monday 7th January 2008 in the presence of John Glaze (Boiler Inspector) and Paul Molyneux-Berry from the Deltarail VAB.
The boiler was lit up for the first time by Dorothy Mather on Wednesday 9th January and allowed to warm slowly. Pressure was raised initially to 100 PSI on the following day and the live steam injector tested. This was fed from the DRPS loco water tank in the NELPG end of the building with the aid of several fire hoses kindly lent by NELPG. With the water tank delivery pump running, sufficient water was delivered to the injector to enable it to start first time. Pressure was subsequently raised to 175 PSI to further test the injector which continued to function correctly. On Friday 11th January, the formal steam test was carried out under the direction of John Glaze and Paul Molyneux-Berry and was successful. Towards the end of the steam test we had low water pressure in the area and the local fire brigade helped us to replenish the supply.
Since then the loco has been taken back inside the works, the boiler drained, once cool, the smokebox, tubes, firebox and grate pressure washed and various fittings removed to enable construction to be resumed. 20th December 2007 Between acting as assistant to other people and fettling inside motion parts for Ian Howitt, Peter Neesam has continued with the cladding including making and fitting washout door escutcheons. The superheater header has been successfully fitted to the locomotive. In the meantime, in collaboration with GN Steam, the steel steam pipe extensions which connect the lubricator and blower steam supplies to the front of the boiler have been made up and are in the process of being fitted. This needs to be completed before the superheater elements have been fitted as access is difficult with the elements in place. Steve Wood has assembled the blast pipes and blower rings ready for Tom to braze the blower pipes together. Mick Robinson has been making the fiendishly difficult seal assemblies where the main steam pipes pass through the outside of the smokebox to reach the outside cylinders. He has also drilled the smokebox for fitting the steam valves to the mechanical lubricator and auxiliary whistle pad, plus the elbow for the turbo-generator exhaust. He is about to fit the adaptor which allows the atomised oil/steam feed to the inside cylinder to pass through the smoke box. David Elliott has visited The Tested Spring Company in Birmingham and they have quoted for miscellaneous springs for the locomotive including the reversing shaft balance gear and the cab door closing springs. He will order these shortly. We are awaiting a quote from Barnshaws Section Benders for the main steam pipes from the superheater header to the cylinders. 14th December 2007 Preparations are being made for the hydraulic testing of the boiler fittings following the successful testing of the superheater header and prior to the boiler’s steam test in January. 27th November 2007 Sufficient “Tough Toys” 2 1/8” dog balls have been acquired for the superheater header test.
22nd October 2007
A rig has been made for hydraulic test of the safety valves, as the original test by South Coast Steam was not witnessed by a NoBo man. We have also tried to do a trial hydraulic test on the superheater header, however the balls used to seal the holes in the header have started disintegrating before we could achieve enough pressure - this after David Elliott had conducted a test on a trial ball in the press where it was successfully subjected to a load of one ton, about three times the expected load on the superheater header. The good news is that there did not appear to be any leaks from the casting itself. In the mean time he is in pursuit of more robust balls. Once we have a successful trial test, the man from Royal and Sun Alliance will be invited to witness the test on the superheater header and the safety valves.
16th September 2007 Having fitted the boiler to the frames, the smokebox has now been attached to the boiler. The 88 holes on the front ring end of the boiler were extended through the smokebox ring and the smokebox itself, holes countersunk and 88 dummy rivet head bolts fitted.
The superheater end and top covers are now being fitted (they have been on before but without the bolts on the back edges which pass into the smokebox ring). The superheater elements were delivered on 14th September, so the superheater header and elements can be installed as soon as the hydraulic test is successfully achieved. All the bolts and shims and the boiler expansion plate have been made and the boiler is now in its final position. 13th August 2007 The cladding over the back-head is also almost completed.
The hopper ashpan is effectively complete except for setting up the door mechanism, which can be done when the boiler is in the final position. The rocking grate was successfully tried on the boiler before the boiler is fitted. GN Steam has delivered the damper operating mechanism which can also be fitted when the boiler is bolted down.
The casting for the new chimney has arrived. Many of our readers will be aware that in order to comply with a Network Rail requirement for the height of the locomotive to be reduced from the 13' 1" of the original A1 design to 13' some modifications have been necessary. This has already been achieved for the cab by modifying the profile of the raised section of the roof, and has been incorporated in the new boiler design to reduce the height of the safety valves and the dome. The chimney is almost the last stage in this process, the remaining item being a detailed change to the design of the whistle to enable it to be mounted lower down on the cab spectacle plate.
March 30th 2007
7th March 2007
6th March 2007
The ashpan has also been completed (by Great Northern Steam Ltd) and has been returned to Darlington Locomotive Works where it will now be trial fitted to frames.
16th February 2007 Peter Neesam also continues to work on the boiler cladding and boiler bands.
We now have a new pattern for the chimney and this has recently been delivered to the foundry.
15th January 2007
Work also progresses on fitting the clothing sheets to the crinoline rings.
Meanwhile, round at Great Northern Steam in another part of Darlington the ash-pan nears completion
August 10th 2006 The boiler successfully passed its hydraulic test at Meiningen on Monday 10th July witnessed by Bob Bramson (VAB) and John Glaze (Boiler Inspector) and Trust representatives. The boiler was painted and prepared for shipment, being loaded onto Allelys’ low loader on Thursday 13th July. The boiler arrived at Darlington on Saturday 15th July and was safely unloaded on Sunday 16th July by MSD Crane Hire with movement into DLW overseen by Ian Howitt.
July 2nd 2006
12th June 2006
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Taylors of Leeds have completed the fabrication and installation of the main steam pipes in the smokebox. The Kylchap Cowls have been fitted which substantially completes the smokebox with the exception of the concrete floor which will be fitted after the first movement as it is advisable to check the middle cylinder main steam pipe bottom joint for leakage before it is concreted in.
The fire arch has been cast in-situ which enabled the fire hole door mask to be fitted which in turn has permitted completion of the back head cladding. GN Steam has manufactured the fire hole leg guards and these are now fitted to the backhead.
The chimney has been properly attached to the liner and set up in the correct position over the blast pipes and bolted to the smokebox – it has since been removed to facilitate access to the smokebox.
Insulation and aluminium foil has been delivered and is being fitted to the boiler, followed by the cladding sheets.
The blast pipe assembly including blower rings was fitted in the smokebox for the steam test as were the chimney and liner. A large number of gaskets and quantities of packing material have been obtained for the steam test and beyond. The smoke box was partially sealed using mastic to enable the blower to function.
On Tuesday 6th November, James Prichard from Royal and Sun Alliance attended DLW to witness the hydraulic tests on the superheater header and the safety valves – all were successful. As a consequence the superheater header is in the process of being fitted to the boiler.
The smokebox is now fully (and permanently) fitted to the boiler and the smokebox saddle. The superheater side covers have also been fitted. The superheater elements have been received. A trial fit of one element has been made to the header and to check for fit in the boiler flues has been made.
Cladding of the boiler barrel is largely complete.
Recently delivered to Darlington has been the the large spun disc pictured here. This was made by Tanfield Metal Spinners at Washington, Tyne and Wear and will have a segment cut from it to form the flange around the upper part of the firebox backhead clothing sheet to meet the rear wrapper clothing sheets. This is a cheaper process than the alternative of making a wooden pattern and panel beating sheet steel to shape.
This picture shows the height difference between old and new.
At the other end of the boiler work proceeds with the grate - this is now in the process of being trial fitted to the firebox:
Multitech (Featherstone) are now machining the superheater header and seen here as it appears today.
The boiler backhead cladding plate has now been trial fitted:
Around at Great Northern Steam work continues on the ashpan.
The crinoline rings are largely completed and we are well advanced on rolling the clothing sheets - still some work to do on the tapered one.
The rocking grate mechanism is now on order. The firebars have all been cast (by South Lincs Patterns of Spalding) and have been delivered to Darlington.
Today the A1 Trust working with the Severn Valley Railway successfully tested the safety valves that will sit atop the new boiler soon to be delivered to the UK from Germany.