News Update - December 2010
Engineering Update
The severe weather during the month led to the cancellation of two of the planned working parties, though we managed to complete the machining and drilling of the pony truck centres. All horn guides and horn blocks are now machined and painted. A start has been made on the fabrication of the backing plates for the liners for these items.
The newly machined pony truck centres in position awaiting fitted bolts to secure each centre to its stretcher.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
2010 has been a year of steady progress, with a welcome absence of the Bank and Royal Mail gremlins that afflicted us last year. Let us hope the New Year will continue in the same vein!
While headlines in the hobby press have been stolen this year by some other newbuilds at present under construction, we have kept to our original intent, which has always been to build 82045 in a logical, structured, phased progression. The first phase of the project (the frame assembly) is nearing completion as the year draws to its end, and we are confident that we have provided the soundest possible foundation for its continued success and wellbeing.
To summarise what we have been doing, Tony has provided the following notes:
- various frame stretchers, both horizontal and vertical, have been machined, drilled, painted and bolted in pending riveting
- strengthening channels and corner brackets have been bolted to the insides of the bufferbeams
- buffer shanks have been restored, painted and fitted but not the actual buffers yet (new springs needed)
- horn blocks and horn guides have been cast, machined and painted
- support stretchers for front and rear pony truck centres have been fabricated and machined; the pony truck centres themselves have been machined and drilled. Outstanding work is to attach the pony truck centres to the stretchers with fitted bolts before the whole assemblies can be bolted into the frames pending riveting
- radial arm support stretchers now just await boring of the king pin holes and fitting of bushes before they are bolted into the frames
- some of the six horn ties have been machined to fit the gaps in the frames. Work not yet complete.
- firebox support bracket awaits machining
- smokebox saddle under construction by Dave Hewson. Contract placed for machining it.
- patterns for several items are complete and ready for a visit to the foundry, e.g. spring brackets, brake hanger support brackets and - most spectacular - the left-hand and right-hand motion brackets.
While we are finishing the year with a healthy bank balance, 2011 is expected to bring with it considerable demands on our resources as we start to plan for the driving wheels and at the same time place the order for the pattern for 82045's cylinders. Fortunately, one pattern will do both cylinders, but we are looking at a cost of around £25,000 for the pattern alone - more than the total cost of building the complete no. 82044 in 1955, which seems scarcely credible! Consequently, we cannot relax our efforts to build up our funding base, so please think seriously about joining us. For existing members, please spread the word about 82045 and see if you can recruit your friends for this most practical of causes.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks for all the generous support that we have received during 2010, and to promise you all once again that we will continue work at full pelt during the year to come towards completion of the 82045 project at the earliest possible date. A Happy and Healthy New Year to you all!