News Update - August 2021
Engineering notes
By Tony Massau
Much of the pipework supplying oil to the pony trucks both front and rear is now done apart from final machining of the oil trays and lids. The steam pipe to the brake cylinder has been shaped to curve into the brake cylinder but further bending is required where the pipe comes up through the cab floor, ideally before the rear pony truck is installed when access will become more difficult.
Installation of grease lubrication pipes to the axlebox horn guides has begun. Various clamping brackets in connection with this work have been made.
Work is in progress on shaping the lifeguards which are fitted in front of the pony wheels.
Drilling of holes for the crown stays in the outer firebox crown sheet has been done.
82XXX IN BR DAYS
By Chris Proudfoot
Regarding the 'Castle' at Oswestry (see July notes), I'd like to thank Patrick Hearn and Ray Hulock for confirming that locos of the class did work through on occasion: the line from Gobowen was a 'Red' route. Patrick went on to give me some fascinating details of 'Castles' noted there in the early 60's. Once again, our members have turned up trumps. Well done, gents, and thanks also for the kind comments on the website updates.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
This will take place on Saturday 16th October at 2.00 p.m. in the Upstairs Lecture Theatre at Kidderminster Railway Museum. Goodness knows what the covid situation will be by then, but let's hope that the AGM will go ahead as planned and that as many of you as feel able will attend. There is plenty to tell you - all good, I'm glad to say!
There will be an update in September's notes.
Crown sheet of the outer firebox showing drilled stay holes. Photo: Tony Massau.
Two photos of the lubrication pipes on the bunker front inside the cab supplying oil to the rear pony truck. Photos: John Pagett.
Grease lubrication pipes to axlebox horn guides on the outside of the frames showing the grease gun attachment point. Photo: John Pagett.
The grease lubrication pipes on the inside of the frames. Photo: Tony Massau.
The penultimate 82XXX, photographed here by Chris Bryan at Durston, Somerset on a local train from Taunton. Although the shot isn't the clearest, this is a nice cameo of a lost world that many of us remember fondly. Thanks to Ivan Whitehouse for sending me this pic.
Under lowering skies, 82032 is pictured here back-to-back with Stanier 2-6-4 tank 42616 at Willesden. I can't make out what has been chalked on the cabside of the 82, so if your forensic skills are able to reveal the message, please let me know. I don't have a date for this photograph and don't know whether the two locos have been withdrawn: as far as I can see, they are intact and the rail they are standing on doesn't look rusty.
It's a shame that so few of the numerous LMS tanks made it into preservation: David Williams (SVR News Editor and Board member) told me that a Stanier nearly made it to the SVR from store at Lostock Hall but that the last two members of the class had gone for scrap a couple of weeks before he and colleagues visited the shed with the intention of reserving one of them. The Foreman offered them 43106 instead, and the rest is history! Copyright Derek Buckett, thanks again to Ivan Whitehouse.