Latest News

 

December 2021

With the wheels now moved to the opposite end of the shed ready to come in for work we
have started to machine the axlebox underkeeps all as part of the work towards getting
45163 back on her wheels.

 

The relocated wheelsets covered up after moving to offer some protection until we have
cleared space inside the shed to be able to get them undercover. This is planned to
happen very early in the new year.

 

We have had one set of driving wheels inside the shed for a long tinme but the remaining
two were marooned at the wrong end of the shed with no means of moving them for a
long time. Due to some recent ground works on the adjacent plot to us we have now been
able to get a lorry and hiab in to lift and move these two wheelsets to the opposite end
of the shed ready to bring inside to work on in preparation for re-wheeling.

 

September 2021

The team at the Severn Valley Railway have been busy manufacturing patterns for us again,
this one is for the cranked steam pipe that mounts to the smokebox tubeplate for the
blower and steam lance feeds. It is cranked to get it over the superheater header.

 

We are currently busy machining cab window runners, these are the bottom ones, top ones
still to do.

 

This is a new operating rod being made for the Driver's side injector water valve. The old one
can be seen on the right, the worst corrosion was on the other end which sits under the cab
floor and was why a new one is required.

 

July 2021

We have now started work on re-building the cab. Here the new sides are in place, we've been
shotblasting various parts recovered from the old cab that we can re-use and are machining
new cab window runners all in preparation for mounting on the new cab side sheets.

 

May 2021

We rely heavily on our forklift and it has been invaluable since we've had it so we thought
it was long overdue some TLC, whilst it was still able to pass it's LOLER exams
there were a number of areas that were starting to show their age and wear. In May
an extensive programme of work was completed on it to ensure many more
years reliable and safe service.

 

April 2021

Tender fall plates trial fitted before the hinges get rivetted in place.

 

Temporary assembly of the cab floor rear support prior to riveting.

 

New tee castings for the vacuum train pipe, these are used where the train pipe tees
off to the ejector and to the drivers brake valve.

 

New dust guard castings made for the driving axleboxes.

 

February 2021

Despite not being able to have any work parties at the moment work on 45163 has
continued. A set of new brake crossbeams have just been forged and machined, seen
here at Stephenson Engineering, where they were made.

 

The pattern makers at the Severn Valley Railway have been busy making patterns for some
parts we need. There are three of these tee pieces in the vacuum train pipe. We had one
complete one, one with a broken flange and one was missing so we need two new ones cast
from this pattern. The pattern is on the left and the corebox on the right. The piece made in
the corebox is placed in the mould to make the casting come out with a hole through it.

 

This is a pattern for the flange required to be brazed to the end of the pipes that will
attach to the tee pieces above.

 

These patterns make a left and right hand dust guard for the main driving axleboxes.

 

This is the finished pattern for the main body of the driving axlebox underkeeps, this has
turned out to be quite a complicated pattern as you will see from all the associated core
boxes in the following photos. A lot of thought must have gone into this by those clever
pattern makers at Bridgnorth, to work all this out.

 

The core box to form the inside top of the underkeep.

 

Core boxes for the filler plug.

 

The rest of the core boxes..