Part 14: Frames, boiler and other parts—July 2001

Frames

Drilling of all the major mounting holes in the frames is complete. The new cross stretchers are in the process of being machined.

Boiler

After finding further cracking in the throat plate immediately above the foundation ring, it was decided to remove the bottom 11 inches of the throat plate. This has enabled another troublesome area, the front mud holes, to be dealt with. This is being done by way of welded in sockets for washout plugs.

Along with a flanged section for the top of the firebox tube plate, replacement throat plate steel has been hot formed to shape. This involved a large amount of LPG and oxygen to provide the heat, and the use of heavy wooden mallets to belt the steel into shape. Wooden mallets are necessary to avoid bruising the steel when bright orange hot.

One of our retired members who no longer gets to Quorn, Charlie Rosewarne, enthusiastically assisted with the provision of timber, shaped for mallet heads.

The new flange piece for the firebox tube plate has now been fitted, and is in the process of having the rivet holes drilled. Test riveting has been carried out to provide the boiler inspector with samples of our work.

The new longitudinal stays have been manufactured from bar stock which has then been built up at each end by pad welding. We decided on this method as we could find no-one handy who could upset forge the ends for us. These are now being proof machined for magnetic particle testing,and will then be screw cut ready for insertion.

Drilling the rivet holes in the new steel for the throat plate

Other bits and pieces

Project supervisor John Lyas, moulder, and PRR volunteer David Phillips, discuss the mould for one of the new cylinders
The partially completed mould for one of the new cylinders
John Pudney fitting a pony truck axlebox
From top left, a new builder's plate, the snifting valve goose-neck, and two feedwater check valve bodies and their valves

The cylinders are dragging their heels a bit, but moulding has commenced preparatory to casting them.

We have cast new tender axle box bearings on site, as well as new phosphor bronze axle box horn slides. These have been machined on site and the bearings white metalled.

The cab roof timber work has been largely completed by students from Marleston campus of Douglas Mawson TAFE.

During one particularly wet evening, we suffered a minor flooding of the work shop. The biggest casualty was the moulds for the new axle box bearing castings. These all had to be re-made.

The tyres have been shrunk onto the tender wheels using a home made gas ring. The pony truck has now been re-assembled and awaits a locomotive to support.

Making an iron core for the magnetiser for the Stones generator

Bryan and John visited Puffing Billy Railway to gain some insight into the use of the squeeze riveter that they (and now us) have borrowed from Barry Tulloch of NSW. The riveter has now arrived at Panorama and will be soon put to work.