The buffer beams were of timber construction with steel 'sandwich plates'. The timber was completely rotten and so both buffer beams were removed and confirmed as scrap. All new dome headed bolts have been manufactured and are awaiting new timber and steel plates to be cut and drilled.
(Pic - Old front buffer beam plates - timber in between was compost!!!)
The cast iron Smokebox Saddle was cracked right through and required welding. The design is or much light construction than the later style Barclay locos and had obvious suffered from fatigue cracking over it's life. An Additional horazontal frame stretcher has therefore been welded into the frames below the front draw bar to relieve the stresses.
(Pic - View from below the smokebox saddle, the crack can be seen running all the way through the casting - the crack through the rear can just about be seen when you know what to lo0ok for!!!)
(Pic - View of the front end repair, showing the horazontal stretcher, weld, and strengthening plate)
(Pic - View of the rear of the casting, showing the two weld liness required)
The springs have already been tempered and the spring hangers have now (as of last week) been bored out. All new spring hanger pins are currently being turned ready for re-fitment of the springs.
The guide brackets which the sping pillars run in were all completely worn out!!! After attempting to build then up with weld, I have concluded that I am much better off making new ones. Two done, six to go!!!!! (yet another job for my week off!!!!)
The horn guides were all removed and machined to make then true. The rear guides have all been re-fitted, but due to a bodge job carried out by one of the locos last operators, refitment of the front guides is taking slightly longer than expected!!!!
The brake hanger pins were all removed, cleaned up, and re-drilled to remove the split pins which had been snapped off inside. These have now all been re-fitted!!!
The hangers themselves have been modified... the ones carried in service last time the loco ran were perfectly ok, but rather rough flame cut items, so I have 'tidied' them up a bit with some generous grinding and fettling!!!
The wheel have been recovered from their long term storage in a corner of the site and they are now being cleaned and painted ready to go back under. The tyres and journals have already been turned, and a new crank pin fitted, so only a paint job now required!!!
Bearings are now my next big push. The originals were scrap and rough castings were produced. These castings need machining and fitting the axelboxes/journals, and I am currently getting quotes.
Boiler
Other than a completely rotten smokebox, the boiler appears to be in good condition. All of the boiler cladding supports have been removed, the firehold door running removed and a thorough wash out has been carried out. The regulator assembly will be removed this week and hopefully a boiler inspection carried out next time the boiler inspector is on site!!!
Other work
The bunkers have been taken away by my father who has very kindly offered to dismantle and repair these. New steel should be arriving for the sides next week, so these should be done before too long!!!!
Over the coming week, I have a welder on site to make a start on repairing the water tank. That will definately be a VERY good job out of the way!!!!
(AB776's tank gets wheels for the first time in 13 years!!!! - For a very short time as it is move to a location for repairs to be completed)
I will add further updates as and when I can!!!!
In the mean time... here are a couple of pics of how the frames look now. The tent which they had lived in for some time, had to be removed due to weather damage, so the partly painted frames witnessed the light of day!!!!
