6989 gets an outing with the tender frame attached for the B.R.C. 40th Anniversary Celebrations in August 2009. Photo Allan Baker. NEWS FROM CHARLIE JONES - OUR CHIEF ENGINEER - January 2012. The boiler is now out of the frames and on the purpose made concrete base outside the shed. The steel firebox stays have been replaced. NDT testing has revealed cracks in the firebox outer wrapper corners. This is a known problem and a repair scheme is being worked out with our insurers. The small and large flue tubes have been procured and the large tubes are away having the bottle ends coded welded in place. The superheater header is also way being repaired. Work on the rest of the boiler will be comensurate with the funds we are able to raise. However, we hope to have the boiler ready for hydraulic testing by the summer of 2012. We are currently hampered by a lack of volunteers on the working parties. Notwithstanding this, we still plan to have the tender completed by summer 2012. Charlie SUNDAY WORKING PARTY DATES Charlie is on site most Sundays Contact Charlie on 01525 635860. WEEKDAY WORKING PARTY DATES FOR 2012 To supplement the Sunday work schedule, Jeff will be working Sunday and Monday every 4th week. Contact Jeff on 01278 781649 if you are interested in attending any of these sessions. 4th and 5th March 1st and 2nd April 29th and 30th April 27th and 28th May 24th and 25th June 22nd and 23rd July 19th and 20th August 16th and 17th September 14th and 15th October 11th and 12th November 9th and 10th December  Jeff
PROGRESS AS AT 12th JANUARY 2012. CURRENT WORKING PARTY: Charlie Jones - Team Leader, Jeff Jackson, Rod Wallis, Chris Tayler, John Spaul, Mike Tayler, Andrew Jones, Geoff F & Roger Fox.   WORK IN PROGRESS LOCO FRAME AND MOTION: 95% The frame and motion is completed. Although, due to it being almost 20 years since the journals were checked and passed as fit, we plan to drop the driving wheels to check the journals and bearings while the boiler is out of the frames. The locomotive and tender were reunited for the first time in 15 years on 2nd September 2008 when they took up residence in our new shed (the ex King shed). TENDER FRAME: 100% The tender frame and running gear are complete. BOILER: 25% We had a cold boiler inspection done by two different inspectors on 29th August 06. Their findings were that the boiler is in very good overall condition. The boiler was lifted on 5th May. The following work is required and in progress: Renew all flue tubes. Tubes procured. Large tubes having bottle ends fitted at Tyseley. Replace all firebox stay nuts. Done. Replace 800 steel stays. Done – some need length trimming. Copper welding to build up a small area of the front tube plate. Replace palm stays. Replace 40 copper stays. Rethread all washout plugs. Done. Replace foundation ring studs. In hand. Weld areas around the mud hole doors where slight erosion has taken place. Repair small cracks to firebox outer wrapper lower corners of back head and throat plate. Detected by NDT. Repair scheme to be agreed. The super-heater header was shipped to a specialist fusion welding company for repair and machining week 3 July. A new back head plate has been made. The boiler is being needle gunned to remove the old red oxide paint and it is being repainted in high temperature silver. 35% done. ENGINE CLADDING: 10% The steam pipe covers, safety valve bonnet and base and smoke box blower pipe cover are all manufactured and trial fitted, but are now removed and stored for boiler refurb. The firebox elephants ears have been collected from the SDR. All 8 crinoline bands are manufactured and trial fitted, but are now removed and stored for the boiler refurb. TENDER BRAKES: 95% The tender brake system is virtually completed and requires only final adjustment, fitting of spacers and split pins. TENDER TANK: 75% The tank base plate, rear and sides are located and the joints seam welded. New tank top rear corner pieces have been manufactured and welded in place. The tank skirt has been fixed all round to the base with dome head bolts instead of rivets, for ease of future maintenance. All baffles are tacked in place and are being aligned then rivetted/welded as we progress forwards towards the tank front. The tank front plate and coal shute are now tacked in position ready for seam welding. The water filler ring and water dispersion dome are fitted to the tank top. The toolboxes and coal bunker door supports are repaired and painted ready for assembly. The beading for the joints and edges of the tank has been removed from the old tank, cleaned up and is being rivetted to the tank. The front and rear grab rails have been remanufactured and fitted. Hydrant connections are fitted, one to each side just forward of the rear axle set. The water gauge float  mechanism is fitted. The water and brake columns are now fixed to the tank front. WATER FEEDS: 90% The hose couplings are fitted to the tender. The hose couplings for the loco injector water feeds are on order. The water valve controls are being refurbished and fitted. STEAM HEAT: 95% Manufacture and fitting of the "fixed" steam heat pipes is completed on the tender and is 95% completed on the locomotive. The drip trap casting for the loco has been procured and is being machined. The copper pipe for the feed to the control valve in the cab is being sourced. The pipes are 90% lagged on the loco and 100% on the tender. The flexible hoses for the steam heat on the front of the loco and rear of the tender are fitted. INJECTORS AND CLACK VALVES: 70% Both live steam injectors are fitted. The copper and steel water feed pipes between the injectors and clack valves is completed. (top feed pipes removed for boiler refurb) The injector live steam feed copper pipes are bent to approximate shape and are trial fitted on both sides (removed for boiler refurb). The injector overflow valves are fitted and the overflow pipes manufactured and fitted. The fixed injector water feed fixed pipes are fitted. LOCO BRAKING SYSTEMS: 90% All of the brake components and large vacuum pipes are on the loco. Approx 90% of smaller bore pipe work is done. The vacuum retaining valve is fitted and all 3 of the connections to it, including flexible hoses, are fitted. The pipe run from the vacuum retaining valve to the ejector is now made up and fitted as far as we can. The final section needs the boiler back in the frame and the ejector mounted. The vacuum pump has been refurbished and fitted. The pipe run to the cab controls is 95% made up. The Pepperpot Valve is fitted. We need to procure a vacuum non-return valve. Procurement in hand. The loco to tender vacuum flexible hoses are fitted. CAB FITOUT: 70% All of the cab components have been trial fitted and are now removed for the boiler refurb. The cab floor is part fitted.  LUBRICATION SYSTEMS: 5% The pipe fittings for the lubrication pipe work have been procured and work on fitting the pipes is in progress. ASHPAN/DAMPER CONTROLS: 55%: The ashpan has been refurbished. The hopper door operating fulcrum is refurbished and needs only brackets making up to fit it to the loco. All of the hopper and damper control rods have been cleaned up and painted ready to fit. LIVERY: 55% Both nameplates, 38G shed plate and smoke box number plate are fitted (38G refers to the shed code designation of Quainton by Steam Railway some years ago). We have made a bracket for the "Cathedrals Express" headboard and it is put on the engine for special events. The loco will be finished in Brunswick Green with post 56 tender BR logo. INFRASTRUCTURE The tracks into the shed have been re-laid with concrete in-fill so as to make the transfer of heavy equipment between both sides of the loco easier and safer. A redundant signalling cabinet has been installed next to the boiler pad and fitted out with 110V and 3 phase supplies to make it easier to work on the boiler. CAN YOU HELP? We are always in need of volunteers to assist with the restoration. You do not have to be a locomotive engineer -although it would be great if you are - there is plenty to do for all abilities. We run working parties most Sundays and Tuesday and Wednesday every 4 weeks ( see the schedule above) the whole year round. We always need more volunteers. If you want to help you need to be a member of the Quainton Railway Society - for insurance purposes. Interested? then contact Chartlie Jones on 01525 635860, or Jeff Jackson on 01278 781649 (before 20:00).
9 Jan 2012. Tender brake column now fully fitted to the tank. Photo Jeff Jackson.	12 th November 2011. Driver's side tender vacuum release valve fitted. Photo J Jackson.
20th September 2011. The hydrant connection on the fireman's side There is an identical one on the driver's side. Photo Jeff Jackson.	9 Jan 2012. Water gauge float mechanism fitted. Photo J Jackson.