WN19 - Hot day Flugel for a change! - By Kerry Young

23rd November 2006

And what a pleasant day it was to be sure. As you know, you can never be sure what's in store when you arrive up for the day and today I learned that it was 'trial fit the bunkers and cab day'.

I was on deck just after 7am. A good way to be in the rush to beat the rush. No, I wasn't first on the scene. I came upon our Ray driving a weedeater, and he'd been there a while already...........

So early the sun hadn't got in there yet, but you can see him working away there. (Valley Line on the left.)

Mention of the Valley Line............

What a sight, curving away to the left there. Peter J. has been in and joined up a length I see.

Early on, Lyttelton Engineering came in to raise the boom on the crane. I was involved so couldn't get a shot during the chaos, but here the driver is stowing the rig. (Wilf, this is a Palfinger PK 19,000.)

We had some work to do with the flat top trolley, but we were hampered by accumulated rubbish in the grooves of the track. Never let it be said Jolly Roger does not do anything that comes his way. He cleaned out the grooves and then swept the concrete. That's a big smile he's wearing too, because he spotted the camera!

Away we go. Steve Fergusson left and gentleman John right, placing the rear cabsheet. The right and left bunkers are already in place ahead of the sheet.

Back we go to pick up the cab. This is the reason we had to raise the boom. The cab roof is well above the lowered boom lift height when in place.

There is much fitting to be done. Readers who saw the bunkers before we cut them off prior to cleaning the frames, will remember they were splayed out at the top very badly. This was partly due to the fact that they did not sit right down over the mudguards for the rear wheels. Look towards the rear of the arc for the guard and you will see where we gascut the bunker to take off the worst of the material before cleaning up the fit.

There will be quite a few who have not seen the valve gear of this engine. Look now, for when the boiler is on, it will not be possible to get a good picture. That curved bit of wood is actually supposed to be holding the valve gear in mid gear, but it seems to have been moved!

Quite some time later and here's the cab perched in place. The point of all this, is to square the panels, align the edges, mark the holes for drilling and trial fit everything we can before the boiler goes in and makes everything so much more difficult. With the amount of fitting we are having to do, it is proving to be a very well worthwhile exercise. You can now see the coal bunkers in place, on either side of the boiler. (When it is in.) The presence of the gas axe suggests that there is some heavy adjusting to do. Because this locomotive lasted so long in service, in its last days, all the repairs were very untidy and rough. A good paint job covered a multitude of sins. Sins we are now correcting.

Just before 'knock off'. You know everyone here and yes, there's even Sir Colin, sitting on the shunters step of the 'Tr'. The afternoon came out quite hot and fighting all the misfits became a bit tiring, so we were pleased to just sit for a few minutes and have a chat.

So that's another week gone. My how time flies when you are having fun. Roll on next week. Cheers, 'K'.