Engineering notes

By Tony Massau

2020 has not been the best of years for progress on 82045. Two lockdowns when work ceased and some restrictions in place when we are on site in an effort to keep everyone safe. Our own team of machinists work on Sundays when the full time engineering staff are absent and access to the machine shop is more readily available. The rest of us continue on our normal Mondays and Wednesdays but we are not allowed to form a crowd inside the workshops, only any three of us at any one time respecting social distancing is permitted. The outdoor work on the pony trucks has occupied us most of the time and as was reported previously the front pony truck was put on to its wheel set just before the second lockdown. A minor adjustment to the axleboxes was then discovered which will necessitate lifting off the wheel set again for a short time. This will be tackled as soon as possible in the new year. The axleboxes for the rear pony truck, which had not yet been fitted, have been adjusted accordingly already so they should hopefully go on and stay on.

Various lubrication pipe runs continue to be made and the steam supply to the brake cylinder is being considered whilst access to the cylinder under the cab is easier before the rear pony truck is fitted in position.

Cylinder end cover cladding and steam chest end cover cladding has been made. Quite a time consuming task particularly around the steam chests where various different pieces make up the whole.

Work is also in hand on brackets for the sanding equipment, parts for the rocking grate mechanism and support brackets for the master mechanics spark arresting screens in the smokebox. The latter may not be needed for heritage line use at the present time but it was thought preferable to fit the brackets into a new and clean smokebox than possibly having to do it at some time in the future when the smokebox will be dirty and very unpleasant to work in.

Firebox work continues with much marking out and some preparatory hole drilling underway on various individual sections so it will be a little while yet before the recognisable shape of a Belpaire firebox appears.

82045 in 2020

By Chris Proudfoot

I've just read through the notes I wrote this time last year. Time is a curious thing, isn't it? - truth to tell, none of us has any idea what it really is, when you come to think about it - because on the one hand it seems like only yesterday that I was writing them. On the other, though, it feels like an age ago: we'd just heard that a mysterious new virus had appeared in China, but that was a long way away and therefore little cause for us to be concerned. Little did we know.

Anyway, enough of that. I think we are all suffering from huge information overload, so I will cut straight to the chase, trying to avoid any references to political correctness, and sum up the state of play with regard to 82045. Most of what I said last year is still relevant, but it can't be denied that the events of 2020 have affected progress on the new locomotive and will mean that the completion date will be somewhat later than we'd been hoping. Last year, I suggested that we might be looking at late 2021 or early 2022, and I think you have to add at least six months to this rough estimate, bearing in mind the repeated lockdowns, plus the social distancing that means our chaps can't get their heads together, which is what they literally have to do for some jobs. It remains uncertain how long the situation is likely to continue, so we can only hope for the best. Tony has given you the engineering perspective on this in his notes, so I will simply say that, despite all the difficulties, the overall situation remains very positive: work has proceeded on all fronts to the absolute extent that this has been feasible, the project is secure, and we are already working hard to ensure that 82045 remains viable as a working locomotive for as long as possible.

The Future Fund, re-invigorated last year after a somewhat premature launch in 2017, has proved a great success, since many of our friends and supporters share our determination that the engine should not end up stuffed and mounted in the Engine House, nice as the Engine House is. While we can still draw breath, this will be a priority. There will come a time when we will have to hand over to younger folks - our friends at the Stanier Mogul Fund, far-sighted as always, have already grasped the importance of this - to take over the baton from us, and this will need to be addressed, sooner rather than later.

My colleague Ivan Whitehouse - he took some of the 'official' photographs when we ran the two Eardington specials with 1450 and 'Waterloo Sunset' with Taw Valley- has been busy rooting out photographs of the 82XXX in BR days, and I am following up these notes with a selection of ten very varied shots, taken in locations as geographically diverse as Machynlleth, Woking, Scarborough - and a mystery one. I've made a rough guess as to where this was taken, but I throw it open to you to let me know if you can identify the place. Looking through the images that Ivan has sent reminded me of how widely distributed these little tanks were during their all-too-brief lives.

Well, I think that's about it for 2020. The Winter Solstice is imminent, so we can look forward at least to its not getting any darker. Let's hope also that we can look forward to a better year next year. As ever, many thanks to you all for continuing to support 82045 so generously: we will continue to do our utmost to be worthy of your trust.

annum hoc meliorem exoptemus! (let's hope for a better year than this one).

Stay safe and stay sane.