Tag: 5305 Locomotive Association

Welcome to the November update.  

Not much to report on this month. It’s frustrating to report that there is still no firm news on the tender lift at present. Work has continued on the tender. We have removed the old paint and the rust around the at the rear of the tender around the water fillers. The area has received several coats of primer and undercoat. Some areas of thin plate will need the attention of the welder.

In the Machine Shop, work on machining new casting for the Blast Pipe cap. The new roof stay bolts are finished and ready to fit. The GCR has invested in cylinder boring equipment. We were planning to do a cylinder rebore as part of winter maintenance in a few years’ time but as the locomotive is dismantled at present, we are planning to rebore the cylinders in the new few months.

Once the tender is lifted there will be a huge amount of work to do. The rear bogie frames will need preparing for painting. The underside of the tender will need preparing for painting. The brake rigging will require final painting and reassembly. The water pipers under the tender will need reassembly. The more people we can get involved the quicker progress can be made.

If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk. We are  a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations to fund components or the purchase of the wood for the new cab floor, please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand.. If you would like to get involved without getting too dirty, our sales shop at Loughbough is open during events at the GCR. We’re always looking for people to man the shop and you get to see the loco’s going on and off shed! Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk 

Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May 

Chairman 

Firstly, apologies for the lack of reports over the past months. It has been a very frustrating period with very little progress to report. To move forward with the overhaul, we really need to get the tender bogie overhaul completed. However, we have been unable to lift the tender to run out the rear bogie as the MPD staff need the tender to be mobile for a major shunt. This is being held up by slow progress on the O4’s rewheeling. We have been assured that it will be completed very soon and continue to speak to the MPD and GCR management on the matter.

Work has not come to a complete standstill, however. The nuts of the first 4 rows of roof stays and the associated roof stay girders have been removed. The threads on the girders have been taped out. The manufacture of the new roof stays has begun in the machine shop.

In the Machine Shop, work on machining the valve ports on the valve liners has continued with the last one to be completed in October. We will then focus on the new casting for the Blast Pipe cap. 

On the tender, the whole of the cab end has been thoroughly cleaned and painted. This work has identified a couple of places below the cab floor level where the build up of coal and water against the tender has significantly reduced the platework thickness. An area has been identified which needs replacement and a coded fabricator is being lined up to come in and let the new platework in.

If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk. We are  a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations, please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand.. If you would like to get involved without getting too dirty, our sales shop at Loughbough is open during events at the GCR. We’re always looking for people to man the shop and you get to see the loco’s going on and off shed! Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk 

Once again we apologise for the lack of reports. Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May 

Chairman 

Welcome to the April update.  

A last-minute call from the GCR for the Class 33 to be turned out for the Diesel gala at the end of April meant that all available hands were rubbing down and painting the bogies and bodyside of the Class 33 

Work has commenced removing the nuts from the first 4 rows of roof stays. However, the first two rows of stays are different to the other rows we need to replace. As I said last month, we have not   been able to locate the modified drawing. A second opinion was sought before we got too far into the process. This indicated that the best was forward was to cut access holes in the firebox sides. This was something we had done in previous overhauls but were trying to avoid this time. It was well worth it though as a couple of broken stays have been found which will be easier to deal with given the improved access. 

In the Machine Shop, work has progressing on machining the valve ports on the valve liners. We have also now received the new casting for the Blast Pipe cap, which will also require machining. 

Celebrate Sir Lamiel’s 100^th birthday with us.

June 21^st marks the 100^th birthday of Sir Lamiel. A celebration is planned at Loughborough. We hope to be able to draw the frames out in to the sunshine. Our sales stand will be open selling second-hand models, books and other items. Our volunteers will be on hand to show visitors round Sir Lamiel and there will be birthday cake I’m assured. All knights and 5305LA members are invited to come and see the engine and to celebrate her birthday. 

If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk. We are  a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations, please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand.. If you would like to get involved without getting too dirty, our sales shop at Loughbough is open during events at the GCR. We’re always looking for people to man the shop and you get to see the loco’s going on and off shed! Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk 

Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May 

Chairman 

Welcome to the January update.

After the Christmas and New Year break our volunteers are back on site at Loughborough.

After discussions with the Boiler Inspector we now have a clear plan of action on the roof stays. Work has commenced to remove the nuts from the first 4 rows of roof stays. The stays will be measured, threads cleaned and new nuts fitted.

Further progress has been made, when weather permits, with external descaling work on the boiler. The work is now focused on the firebox and backhead.

As reported last month, we’re still waiting for a big shunt in the shed which will give us the opportunity to lift the tender. A start has been made of refitting the brake work to the front tender bogie.

The motion and crank pins are being polished and covered in fresh oil to protect the clean surfaces.

After some machinery movements in the Machine Shop, work has restarted on getting the valve liners prepared for refitting.

If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk. We are  a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand.. If you would like to get involved without getting too dirty, our sales shop at Loughbough is open during events at the GCR. We’re always looking for people to man the shop and you get to see the loco’s going on and off shed! Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk

Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May

Chairman

Welcome to the October update.

As I’ve previously reported, the valve liners have been cast and are now in the machine shop being machined to size. The piston valve heads have all been de-carbonised and examined for any cracks and damage all looks to be in good order and fit for further service.

The Boiler Inspector has asked for 2 rows of roof stays to be removed and replaced. This is not the easiest of tasks. It will require the removal of two large pieces of boiler plate to be removed to access the top of the firebox. Looking at the boiler, there is evidence of previous practice. It would appear that the whole top half of the boiler over the firebox was cut out and lifted off, judging by the large weld lines. That’s not something to take on lightly! A further discussion with the Boiler Inspector will take place before we start cutting anything out.

We’re waiting for a big shunt in the shed which will give us the opportunity to lift the tender. This will enable us to replace the front bogie and remove the rear bogie for overhaul.

If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk. In addition to our shopping list above, we are also at a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand. Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk.

Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May

Chairman

Welcome to the June update.

Once again, work has continued  on the frames. The bottom of the cab sides, running plate and running plate framework has been needle gunned and primed. The running plate top has received two coats of undercoat black. The inside of the rear splashers has been cleaned, primed and undercoated. Apart from a few final cleaning and painting jobs the frames are virtually finished presentation wise. The cab sides and splashers will remain in red primer until we do the final painting when Sir Lamiel is all back together.

The three cracked valve liners  have been removed and the bores cleaned out. An order will be placed for casting three new liners which will need to be machined before fitting.

A start has been made on cleaning up the motion in preparation for refitting. Interestingly, whilst cleaning the driver’s side connecting rod the number 787 appeared. King Arthur 30787 Sir Menadeuke was scrapped in 1959.

The work on the boiler is in the final stages. The new grate carriers have been trial fitted ready for some serious riveting to the bottom of the firebox and foundation ring. On the superheater header all the studs have been removed and are in the process of hole taping ready for new studs. The front tube plate studs for the header have been removed and the holes rethreaded. The studs for the clacks on the boiler sides are also being removed.

It really feels like we’ve turned a corner this year. The locomotive is coming together and even with a fair bit of red oxide, it looks good with new paintwork. As I’ve said before work can continue at a much quicker pace if we had more people working on the locomotive. We have had a couple of new volunteers recently but there’s always room for more. We are working most weekends  If you would like to get involved in the overhaul and join us on a working weekend, please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk We are also at a stage where we can outsource some of the technical work. This obviously will impact our cost plans. If you are able to offer us further financial support through donations please go to https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/ We also accept donations of railway related items and books to sell in our shed shop and sales stand. Please contact us at comms@5305la.org.uk.

Thank you for your support for the overhaul of Sir Lamiel.

Alan Berck-May

Chairman

Once again I apologise for the lack of monthly reports recently. As you are aware we have been unable to make much progress due to the asbestos found behind the cylinders. The NRM quarantined the frames and tender pending remediation work to remove any trace of asbestos. At the end of February a scaffold tent was built around the engine and contractors have spent the past month cleaning the frames and surrounding areas. The tent is expected to be removed during the first week of April. We are standing by to quickly paint all the newly cleaned areas.

Things have not stopped completely though. We have continued work on the boiler. The replacement stays have been fitted. All the lap set screws have been replaced. The tube plate holes for the large flue tubes have had their threads taped. The replacement tubes are on hand ready to go back into the boiler. We then plan to complete hydraulic testing to make sure everything is ok. The grate carriers were found to be extremely worn. New grate carriers have been produced and trial fitted ready for reviting. 

Once we get back to work on the frames we plan to refit the slidebars and prepare the frames for lifting as we need to check the axle boxes and journals. 

It’s now a few years since we launched the Knights of the Round Table to help fund Sir Lamiel’s overhaul. Some of the Knights monthly donations are now coming to an end. We would really encourage Knights to maintain (or increase) their monthly donations to support Sir Lamiel’s overhaul. Every contribution make a real difference. Without your help the overhaul would not be possible. All donations can now be made with gift aid. https://www.sirlamiel.org.uk/monthly-donations/

Once again we apologies for the lack of regular reports over the past few months.

Thanks for your help and support. We are looking to have a members day at Loughborough in May. Look out for further details once we have developed our plans. 

Alan Berck-May

Chairman