As you can see (below) we have been very industrious and made very good headway especially as the weather has not been at all favourable during the last month with heavy deluges of rain (and most of our work is done outdoors). We found that the drive shaft was badly bent and had to be straightened before we could weld up the journals. We have devoted most of our time during the last month in assembling, riveting and caulking the boiler as you will see from the attached photographs. I have also fabricated the new front axle pivot for the boiler and I am now involved in manufacturing the smoke box and then I will start on the fire box. If all goes well I would like to think we should have the boiler completed towards the end of next month. We have also fitted and riveted new spokes in the front wheels.
LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS
During the last month the wheels for O & K Locomotive 12493 and 12140 were re-gauged and re-profiled. The wheels for O & K Locomotive No. 11112 were re-profiled only.
A wheel on O & K Locomotive 11112 gave us a problem as one of the wheels refused to move but after much ado we sent the wheel out to a bigger press to resolve the problem.
Re-profiling went reasonable well apart from very hard spots on the flanges.
All these wheels were completed and are awaiting collection.
Straightening the drive shaft
Finished Tube Plate
Completed Backhead
Finishing touches to Locomotive Wheels
Riveting up the Backhead and Throat Plate to the Top Wrapper
Horn plates riveted to Firebox end
Job done
Fitting Boiler Barrel to Firebox end
It's in
Drilling and Reaming Throat Plate
Fitting new spokes in front wheel
Riveting in spokes
Front axle support for Boiler
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Update 20th January 2008 |
This last month we have steadily been carrying on manufacturing the boiler and have progressed extremely well considering that we have been hampered along the way as we have encountered serious rainfall combined with Eskom load shedding of electricity services. During the rains we have retired to the workshop and have done a lot of necessary machining of firebox stays, nuts and studs, gear blanks etc. We did get the smoke box and the smoke box door manufactured and this was attached to the boiler. The long stays were also fitted. This now completes the outer boiler, all to be manufactured now is the firebox and re-tube which I now shall be busy with.
Riveting the smoke box
Tube plate fitted to boiler
Smoke box and axle pivot fitted to boiler
Smoke box door fitted - smoke box complete
A bit of plastic surgery on smoke box chimney base 0710 - Still a way to go as we have none of the broken parts
Firebox crown nuts and studs for girder stays
Boiler door re-furbished
Cylinder foundation nuts and bolts
Firebox stays with gear blanks for steering and gear change Keith Stevens
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Update 18th February 2008 |
Due to a problem with the firebox tube plate material (which had to be returned to the suppliers) progress with the firebox was held up. I was hoping to have this completed about 3 weeks ago, however new material arrived and I should have the firebox completed and fitted next week.
Nevertheless, we have been kept very busy in the numerous items we have manufactured. Apart from the firebox we have re-bored the cylinders and fitted to the boiler, also new piston rings, cylinder covers and valve covers complete with top safety valve cover have been manufactured and fitted.
We have also completely overhauled the Differential including new bushes and pins on the planetary gears and the main centre bush of the Differential has been skimmmed and the relative bevel gear on which the Differential runs has been machined, sleeved, machined again to suit the Differential centre bush.
Countershaft journals have been welded up and re-machined and the Bearing Housing has been re-bushed.
During the last month we have also fitted steel bands to the wheels and have sent them to the relevant people to have them rubberised.
Keith Stevens
Smoke Box Chimney Base repaired
Re-boring Cylinders
Re-boring Cylinders
Welding steel bands to wheels ready for rubberising
Wheels ready to go for rubberising 0730 - Loading wheels
Cylinders fitted to Boiler
Machining Differential
Main drive pinion welded up and re-machined
Countershaft Journals welded up and re-machined and Bearing Housing re-bushed (on the left)
Drilling Planetary Gear Pins for removal and replacement
Pistons fitted and new covers manufactured for the Cylinders and Valves
Riveting Firebox
Wheels in the process of being rubberised
Re-bushing Planetary Gears
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Update 3rd March 2008 |
Keith Stevens has sent these photographs clearly demonstrating the steady progress on the McLaren Traction Engine.
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Update 18th March 2008 |
This report is somewhat shorter as the month was taken up with manufacture of the Firebox and fitting this to the Boiler which was quite a mammoth task, but it fitted like a glove. It was fitted in the presence of an independent Boiler Inspector. We have since riveted up the Foundation Ring
and the Firehole Ring and have fitted the Stays (150 in all) and we are in the process of riveting them over. There are now only 30 ends to go.
We have also manufactured the Eccentric Straps and Quadrants and Double Eyes for the Valve Gear, as all these parts were missing.
We have now received the materials and are proceeding to manufacture the Tender and the Tanks and the new Boiler Tubes will be attended to shortly.
Regards
Keith
0780 Tapping out the Stay Holes
0781 Manufacture of Eccentric Straps
0782 Firebox Stays in position
0783 Eccentric Straps fitted to Crankshaft
0788 Riveting over Stay Ends
0758 Firebox being lowered into the Boiler
0759 Firebox being lowered into the Boiler 0760 Almost there
0762 Firebox in place - fits like a glove
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Update 11th April 2008 |
A lot of work during the last month has been entailed in the manufacture of the Tender, this is almost complete apart from riveting which we shall be doing next week. We managed to locate a place in Pinetown where we could buy the rivets which has saved us a lot of work not having to make our own.
The wheels have now been returned after being rubberised and a superb job was made of this, these are now to be painted.
We are well under way in the manufacture of the Belly Tank.
We have had the necessary gears cut for the steering worm and gear change rack and pinion. I have also spent some time on refurbishing the gland followers and reversing quadrants, dyes and stop valve assembly.
We are expecting the tubes to arrive today and the re-tubing will be carried out next week. My next big project is to design and manufacture the safety valves to enable us to get a hydraulic and possible steam test on the Boiler.
Keith Stevens.
Front wheels rubberised
Offloading the rear wheels after being rubberised
Start of manufacture of the Tender
Tender almost complete
Making up frame for belly tank
Pair of quadrants and tumbling blocks along with stop valve assembly
Steering worm and high/low speed gear rack
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Update 16th May 2008 |
The engine is at the stage where all of a sudden it will come together. Here is a pictorial with captions.
1515 - Rubberised rear wheel
1516 - As the boiler now stands - rear view
1518 - Newly constructed Tender
1520 - Rubberised front wheels
1522 - Rear wheel
1523 - Assembled crank shaft
1526 - Rear axle box
1528 - Steering worm
1529 - Tubes annealed and swaged with motion quadrants on the top of the tubes
1531 - Boiler - front view
1533 - Boiler cylinders
1534 - Smoke box tube plate
1535 - New bushes fitted on secondary shaft housing
1536 - Fire box
1539 - Secondary shaft
1540 - Rear suspension box
1543 - Speed selector rack & pinion
1545 - Speed selector arm
1547 - Differential
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Update 20th May 2008 |
The long slog continues... Keith Stevens reports...
This project is still very much keeping us busy amongst the many tasks and different problems which we hit, but all in all things at long last seem to be coming together. This project has also made us much more proficient in riveting, which I am sure you will see from the pictures of the belly tank and tender. I was hoping to get a hydrostatic test on the boiler last week but have had to wait for boiler door jointing, hopefully we will attend to this shortly.
In the last few weeks we have re-tubed the boiler, manufactured and fitted the boiler doors (which was a week's work in itself), manufactured the belly tank, completed the tender, manufactured the ash pan and manufactured and fitted the chimney.
At the moment I am busy re-bushing the front wheels and attending to all the necessary parts for the front axle assembly. I will then be able to attach the front axle and wheels.
The pictures enclosed depict the following :
0805 - Governor valve and spindle assembly
0806 - Riveting up the Tender
0822 - Completed Tender
0823 - Fitting top plate on the Belly Tank
0824 - Cutting bottom plate of the Belly Tank
0826 - Annealing tube ends in sand
0828 - Manufacturing chimney
0829 - Manufacturing boiler hand hold doors & dogs 0830 - Tubes fitted (note slight cutaways on the smoke box front to enable us to get the bottom tubes in)
0831 - Manufacture of ash pan
0832 - Ends and sides of Belly Tank partially riveted
0833 - Chimney fitted
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Update 25th June 2008 |
This last month has been extremely busy. The biggest task I have undertaken is the manufacture of the safety valves so that we can steam the boiler.
This has been no mean feat (regrettably I do not have pictures to send with this report as there was a fault with my camera and I lost the pictures. We have also re-conditioned the steering chain drum and pedestal bearings and have fitted them to the bottom of the belly tank.
It was good to get the front axle and wheels on as it seemed to be a major breakthrough and the engine looks as though it is starting to come together.
Another big task has been making up a boring rig for boring out the drive pin hole in the rear wheel to make it round again. We have also manufactured all the necessary hubcaps and given them a coat of copper hammertone paint. Last of all a steering wheel has been fabricated.
On Saturday 21 June we steamed the boiler for the first time and apart from a couple of weeps here and there the boiler was tight. After one or two more steams it should be ok. We are going for 150 psi working pressure and the UK test pressure would be one and a half times that which is 225 psi which we have already had the boiler up to on the hydraulic.
We have also done extensive work on the boiler fittings, i.e. gauge standards, check valves, cylinder drain cocks etc.
Once the boiler has been certified for hydraulic and steam test, I can then fit the crankshaft and tender and assemble the engine ready for road trials.
The pictures enclosed depict the following :
Front axle and wheels assembled
Rear axle rejuvenated
Re-conditioned steering chain drum and pedestal bearings fitted to the bottom of the belly tank
Front hubcap attached
Wheel drive pin hole bored out from oval to round
Engine in steam
Steering wheel manufactured
Rear Hubcaps manufactured
Regards
Keith
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Update 28th July 2008 |
Over the last month we have been working 7 days a week to try and get on top of this momentum job. As you will see from the pictures we have made a huge dent in the outstanding work. We are feeling somewhat exhausted but as I have stated this must be completed as soon as possible. Hopefully by next week I shall be steam testing and running the engine.
Until the boiler has been certified, I cannot fit the Belly Tank and as the steering gear fits on the bottom of the Belly Tank we have no steering.
As always there are bound to be adjustments and modifications to be made here and there but everyone is getting excited to see this finally run, including myself.
As you can see we have manufactured and fitted all the rear suspension, complete with rear axle and Tender. We have manufactured and fitted all the valve rods, piston rods, cross heads, crankshaft, set the valves, manufactured and fitted the whistle, fitted the lubricator, manufactured regulator lever and also the blank for the final drive gear. We have repaired the winch drum as there was a big piece missing out of the side of it and manufactured a pawl for driving it. We have manufactured the driving pin for the rear wheel, also all the cylinder drains have been fitted along with the necessary operating arms.
The Tender and Belly Tank have been painted and the wheels lined.
At present I am busy making up the reverser arm so that the engine can be run.
A lot of this work is of my own design as there are no drawings and this has been very pressurising but nevertheless I think I can say we are on the downhill run.
Regards
Keith
The pictures depict the following
0842 Rear suspension, tie bars and springs and top collars
0844 Belly Tank painted
0845 Rear wheel lined with drive pin fitted
0846 Winch repaired
0847 Gauge standard (safety guard yet to be manufactured) and test cocks fitted along with rear suspension
0848 Connecting rods, valve rods and crosshead and motions fitted
0849 Whistle and lubricator now fitted along with main regulator arm
0852 Starting to line out Belly Tank
0853 Differential ready for fitting
0854 Manufacturing reverser
0855 Pinion gear blank
0856 Rear axle in position
