Engineering notes

The main activity since the last update has been the assembly of the springs, though still incomplete at the time of writing. The more usual method of attaching the springs to the axleboxes of a wheelset prior to installing the whole assembly into the chassis was not adopted by us for a number of reasons. This means we are now moving the springs and associated bits under the chassis for assembly which involves a certain amount of moving the loco slightly on its length of track and jacking one end up a bit and then likewise at the other end.

The cladding for the front cylinder covers has been made.

Pivot liners for the pony trucks are being machined.

An order has been placed with Israel Newton & Sons Ltd.for the manufacture of the foundation ring for the firebox and forgings for some components of the brake rigging are on order from Somers Forge Ltd.

Shop early for Christmas!
2019 Calendar

Our 2019 calendar is now ready and may be purchased from Barbara at a cost of £7.50 (includes P+P). The calendar is a pictorial memento of the wheeling of 82045 in April 2018 and we are grateful to our friend and supporter Steve Harris for his coverage of the days events and for allowing us to use his images.

Please send a cheque payable to “The 82045 SLT “ (£7.50 per calendar) and your address to Barbara who will post your order to you.

Publicity and Fundraising

The first meeting of the new sub-group charged with raising upwards of £200,000 to complete 82045 met for the first time on June 8th. It proved very productive, with a number of interesting ideas at present being kicked around. There's no magic rabbit to pull out of a hat here, but we will do our best to achieve our target. There will be more on this subject next month.

Main Line Running

Well, this has certainly set the hare running, and got us a nice piece in the latest issue of Steam Railway, if nothing else! I've had scores of replies since it was aired, first on the National Rail Preservation Forum, then in our May updates. Thank you to all of you who have replied up to now: almost all replies were civil and well-argued, with only two people saying (by no means rudely) words to the effect that "If you do this, I shall withdraw my support for the project". As I said at the outset, I've no strong feelings one way or the other and just want to test the water.

I have yet to draw up a detailed inventory of responses. The deadline isn't until 31st July and I will also be doing a piece in the September Newsletter, so that all our members, including those who are not on-line or who don't read Steam Railway magazine, will have a chance to have their say. To date, the majority opinion is that this is a tantalising prospect but probably, at least at this stage, best left to one side while the necessary work is done, on both engineering and publicity fronts, to get 82045 up and running, and concentrate our energies to this end. Can't argue with that. If anyone is really taken with the idea and has the financial wherewithal to fund it, please get in touch with Chris. Again, more next month. Above all, "never say never", as my Stanier Mogul Fund friend John Bowater once said to me in a different context.

Sponsorship

Following on from the piece in last month's updates, I am pleased to say that we have received a cheque for £900 in respect of sponsoring one side check spring beam, also an offer to sponsor two check spring brackets. Very many thanks to the two 82045 members concerned. This leaves, at the time of writing, the following pony truck assembly components still available for sponsorship:

• one remaining side check spring beam @ £900
• two remaining check spring brackets @ £250 per bracket
• four sets of side movement retarding gear @ £1,500 per set

Please get in touch with Chris if you can help out here: 82045 looks great even as an 0‑6‑0; it will look even better as a 2‑6‑2!