During the overhaul for Sir Lamiel, we intend to do monthly updates about the progress we have made.
We’ve had a great start with our Knight’s of the Round Table Appeal with just over £10,000 pledge so far. There’s still a long way to go, so please spread the word far and wide.
Over the past month and a bit since we were able to share the good news, our team of volunteers have managed to complete quite a bit.
All the superheater elements have been removed. As they were only put in around 2-3 years ago, they should still be in good condition. They will be assessed and hydraulically tested to see if we can use them again.
The concrete floor in the smokebox has been removed to allow access to the blastpipe bolts. This took a number of weekends to remove as it included back breaking work with a hammer and chisel.
With the concrete floor removed, this meant that the blastpipe bolts could be warmed and removed. Warming one side of the nut causes it to expand and hopefully make it easier to remove. Failing that more heat can be applied to cut or melt the nut or bolt free.
The petticoat that sits directly above the blastpipe has been removed and inspected. It is well below the required minimal thickness and a new one will need to be bought. We suspect that this petticoat may well be the one fitted when it was last serviced by British Railways. The new petticoat will cost us around £2,000.
With the blastpipe, main steam pipes and the superheater elements removed, the boiler tubes are next on the list to come out. By the time you read this, a number of them may well already be out of the boiler.
The main aim and push so far has been to get to a stage where we can lift the boiler off of the frames. This will allow the boiler to be inspected and a number of work streams to begin simultaneously.