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| Summary | Latest news | Working Party reports | Working Party dates | CAD Drawings | Archived news and reports |
The October 2024 Working Party
With the intense effort of the last month or two in getting №134 ready for the Superpower event it was back to the more mundane, but nevertheless busy format of the working parties.
№134 turned out to be the star attraction at Superpower where it offered footplate rides as part of its need to collect 'running-in' miles, however a few days after this the loco had a day traveling back and forth between the limit of shunt at Dinas in order to collect yet more those miles before it could venture further afield. This it eventually did one afternoon with a trip down to Caernarfon and back to Dinas, then, once the service train was back from Porthmadog, it headed off up to Waunfawr. The trips were taken very slowly as part of the continual running-in of the loco, but also as the main purpose was to check for clearances along the way. №134 does stick out further in a few places than the Garratts do so we needed to make sure that there wasn't anything along the line that was foul and likely to damage things like the drain cocks on the loco.
Having done these trips it ended up with us having a number of items on the 'snagging list' for us to attend to on this first post Superpower working party as well as getting on with other jobs on the list need to fully complete the loco.
During the gauging runs to Caernarfon and Porthmadog we realised just how vulnerable the drain cocks are as these protrude lower than the protection afforded by the front buffer beam and cow-catcher. A small extension was duly added to the underside of the cow-catcher it the hope that this will sweep any debris away before hitting the cylinder drains.
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№134 sat at Waunfawr after
its gauging run to there (left),
and
a view of the drain cock protectors added to the underside of
the front cow catcher (right).
One job that had been puzzling us for a while was the fact that the panel that we'd put in at the back of the cab against the tender was not quite vertical indicating something somewhere wasn't as square as it should be. This was duly rectified and so the panel is now vertical.
More plumbing was done, and one was a re-route of the drain cock outlets. These, as it turned, out had a habit of showering ash and muck from the track onto the underside and front of the cylinders. These drains now point forward and away from the cylinders. We also mounted and plumbed-in a displacement lubricator to the steam brake. This had always been planned but the experience of running the loco brought it up the priority list.
On the underside of the loco, we tightened the brakes and attended to a pair of the pony truck axle boxes to pack them with a bit more wool to aid their lubrication. Another outstanding job that was started, especially now the wheels had seen some running, was to fit cotters secured with split-pins to the main driving wheel axle box tie bars to ensure they're unlikely to come loose.
Last to mention was the completion of the ashing out pit. Whilst the pit liner had been inserted we still needed to fit a protective angle against the longitudinal plastic sleepers to protect them from being damaged by hot ash.
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The finished ash pit now
has its side protectors added
There are a few more midweek days planned before the November working party so these along with the main weekend will enable us to progress many of the finishing off jobs needed.
The September 2024 Working Party & Superpower
This working party was timed to be the weekend prior to the railway's Superpower event on the 14th and 15th September 2024. The working party weekend was then followed by numerous days during the week following to prepare the loco ready for the event. This involved №134 moving under its own steam for the first time since withdrawal from service where it worked in South Africa. We then had a day and a bit to remedy a few issues before the weekend arrived, but more specifically to allow it to be present for a special Society's members train on the Friday evening.
Before the weekend working party however, several of the team together with some full-time staff had fitted the coupling between the loco and tender together with all the flexible pipework and safety chains. Hopefully this will not need to be uncoupled for quite some time.
The working party itself involved plenty of finishing off tasks, a bit more pipework needed to fit the slacker pipe, fitting the remaining pins and cotters as well as continuing priming the mechanical lubrication system.
One specific point of note is that we received our replica builder's plates. These had been organized by two of the team Martin and Ben and had just been collected from the foundry. Magnificent they look to.
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One of the new cabside
builders plates for No.134 (left),
and
a view of the tender-loco coupling together with the linking
pipework (right).
The fitting of cylinder and valve covers was progressed, the wooden cab roof fitted, as well as numerous other jobs.
On the Wednesday other finishing off jobs were completed, however, in the afternoon it was the much anticipated first movements of No.134 under it's own power. The fire was lit outside the shed and once we were ready, 134 took a few tentative rearward wheel revolutions back into the shed. Once happy she was then steamed back outside. This was then repeated for the assembled crowds, and followed with a few trips up into the headshunt and back.
With all this being well we took out the section token needed to get the station and made our way onto the main line and into the platform.
After looking at clearances there we headed back to the loco shed.
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The wood liner to the cab
roof taking shape (left),
and
No.134 in the platform at Dinas (right).
The following day some adjustments were made to №134 (and the platform!) and so she made her way to and through the station and into the North Yard. Here some more checks were conducted by operating on some of the tighter curves there before returning through the station on the other platform, again to check clearances. In the end all was well. At this point it was decided to take a short trip in the Caernarfon direction to just beyond the station limits and back. Again all was well.
With this done it was felt that №134 was ready to meet her fans at the Superpower event over the weekend starting with an appearance for a special K1 hauled train to Rhyd Ddu and back for Society members on the Friday afternoon/evening.
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Heading back to the loco shed on the Friday evening (Photo: David Oates).
№134 then participated as the star of the show at the railway's Superpower event over the weekend as well as some more running in a few days' later. This is NOT however, the end of the (restoration) story as there as still many tasks to be completed and so our regular working parties will continue for some time to come. Watch this space...............!
The August 2024 Working Party
Whilst work continued apace during the August working party, and for a few days beforehand, some of the work during this working party concentrated on getting 134 ready for its boiler test the following Wednesday.
The first thing to mention therefore, is that the loco did duly passed its steam test and so we will now be able to steam the loco in public. A major milestone achieved.
Before that day though, much was achieved during the working party and the few days before. Much as last time, a lot of that effort was centred around the pipework. Those familiar with a steam locomotive restoration will be fully aware that towards the end of the project, painting and piping seem to all you're doing! Whilst we've considerably 'broken the back' of the painting jobs it's the pipework now in full swing.
More of the larger bore piping was done by Bob, one of the full time staff, with more small bore being done on a volunteer basis.
We also started putting the rings onto the piston valve heads. A tricky time consuming job, but one that was continued with on the Tuesday and Wednesday following the working party. The driver's side valve is now in place however the fireman's side was being a bit stroppy to get in so will have wait until next time.
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A view of the large and
small bore pipework taking shape in the front of the driver's side of
the cab (left),
and
fitting the piston valves (right).
One of the volunteers was working on the window frames getting these ready for their final fitment whilst Ben was making a door handle for the front coal door, a door needed to stop coal ending up on the footplate whilst the loco is being coaled.
Outside the loco shed we continued making the ash pit to be used during disposal. We started this last time by digging out the trench and providing support for the track on a column of plastic sleepers. This time to stainless steel insert to the pit had arrived as a kit of parts and so was welded together in the shed before being taken outside and dropped into the trench. We now have an ash pit, although it still needs a few screws to securely fasten it in place.
We also started forming some of the grease 'candles' ready for lubricating the main motion once we're ready to run the loco. We've made an extruder that takes the blocks of grease that we get and this fits into the hydraulic press in the workshop. This squeezes the grease out into long candle shaped rods that then fits into the grease gun we were kindly sent from South Africa. We now have a few candles for the initial stages of running.
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The ash pit liner after
being assembled and fitted in the yard (left),
and
The grease 'candles' coming out of the
extruder (right).
On the tender a few minor jobs were done around the pipework at the tender to loco interface.
There were a few other smaller jobs completed, such as making a slot in the rear running plate for the ashpan lever to the ashpan door and replacing some oil pots that had started to rust, but all told the extended working party was a very productive session.
July 2024 Update
As per last month, this update covers various days of activity including the usual main monthly weekend working party for July. Whist the following is by no means a complete list of the work covered during the period it does give an idea of the varied types of jobs needed to complete the loco.
We've been able to make use of some of the full-time staff during this period and it has enabled considerable progress to be continued on the large bore pipework around the loco's superstructure and cab. This on top of more small bore pipework was also being progressed. All this has made considerable progress with the plethora of pipework needed before we can steam №134.
The cylinders and valve gear were also receiving the attention needed to their final outstanding items of work, although there's still the odd bits to finish off. This had included a slight repositioning of the valve heads to be in their precise and correct position in both forward and reverse gear.
The steam oil lubricator was filled ready for priming only to find a slight leak in the sight-glass. However as it was small the system was duly primed and all the pipework checked for leaks. Two minor ones were found so these were fixed as was the sight-glass leak.
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Oil appearing out of the
valve gland after priming the steam oil lubrication
system (left),
and
a bolt to mount the number plate being made in the
lathe (right).
We needed to make a set of bolts for mounting the cab side plates to the loco. These were duly made from solid brass bar and they will look very smart once in place.
There were two outstanding sections of running plate still needed. These are the sections just in front of the cab and had been left until the cab and pipework in the area was in place before being sized. Two sections of chequer plate were duly cut and fitted with the various cutouts needed.
We received new laser cut sections for the loco's rear drag box and so a start was made in fitting these in the main drag box under the cab floor.
On the tender, the door to the coal space was fitted, and on top a pair of actuating levers are being fitted so as the tank covers can be operated from the cab. It is hoped that with changes to the water columns around the railway to give ground level operation there will be minimal need to work at height on top of the tender tank.
Painting of various sections continues as and when it can be done alongside all these other bits of activity.
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The new coal door
fitted (left),
and
digging the ash pit out in the headhunt (right).
Finally, and outside the shed, in the weekend following the main working party a hole was dug in the shed's head shunt for the new ash pit needed for №134. The NGG16s all have their ashpan emptied from the side so are emptied onto the concrete apron outside the shed. However the NG15s have their ash emptied between the rails so a pit is needed in which to drop it. This involved waiting until the Garratt for the daily train service had gone off shed, as it needed to use the head shunt to do so, then have the hole dug and the track back supported before the loco returned later in the day. It was a wet day and so the guys just had to get on with the job - no time pressure then!!
There are more weekdays of work planned before the August working party as we head to seeing the loco in steam.
June 2024 Update
Another update covering the period since the last working party that similar to last month covers a full week working on the loco as well as the usual main weekend working party.
One of the main features of this month was that of the cab being fitted and the loco being brought out of the shed and put on display during the Railway's Rail Ale event, and also for it to featured in the latest Moving Pictures video update (see the homepage or the Latest News page to view this)
With the cab fitted it's getting even closer to how it will be looking in service, however there are still quite a few smaller and less obvious tasks to be completed first.
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134 complete with cab out in the sunshine. (Photo: Adrian Strachan)
On the pipework front, with the really large bore tubes completed these have been taken off the loco and cleaned to remove the last of the flux residues. This included cleaning the copper itself of any blemishes and marks and then left with a film of Brasso for protection. Work continues with the small bore pipes and with the main cylinder glands now fitted the last of the lubrication pipes was plumbed in to lubricate the piston rod. The mechanical lubricator for the steam oil can now be filled and the system primed.
With a lot of the jobs coming to conclusion the loco's frames were given a good clean to de-grease them and then we started giving a final coat of gloss to those areas. This included the area inside the frames where things like the brake gear safety straps have been added and needed their final coat of paint. The reverser reach rod was removed and primed.
The brake rigging is now complete with the exception of some pins that hold the brake-blocks at their correct position against the wheel tyre face. This can be picked up and finished later.
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A view of the brake
rigging complete with safety straps (left),
and
a sand box fitted into the tender (right)
The rear sanders have been fitted to the tender and the rear cab areas of the tender painted. The tender's cab handrail was worked on although we're missing a couple of pieces to finish this. At the tender's rear the cow-catcher has been finished and fitted.
We're getting close to being able to attach the tender to the loco and to this end we've been modifying the coupling in the rear drag-box on the loco. Unfortunately a laser cut section that in theory had the attachment holes drilled to the drawing that was used to make the new drag-box some years ago did not fit so some further work is needed here.
In all, the rate of progress is continuing, if not accelerating, as we're pushing even closer to the finish line.
May 2024 Update
May 2024 saw a good few days of work on 134, staring with a full week at the beginning of May together with other odd days as well as the usual weekend working party, with an extra day following this on the Monday.
The main week concentrated on items like the large bore pipework and the spindle plate and spindles. We had the use of two of the paid staff to help us that week and so considerable progress was made with the copper pipes for the boilers water feed. There's still some work needed to complete this and hopefully this will be at the beginning of June.
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The large pore pipework to
the boiler feed clack (left),
and
the new spindle plate with some of its spindles trial fitted (right) -
Photo's: both Andrew Cole.
The spindle plate and spindles are starting to 'look the part' as can be seen from the photo above. During the main May working party the new gauge backings and gauges were trial fitted then the various holes drilled to take the connecting pipework to the gauges.
Still talking of pipework, that needed for the drain cocks was started. This entailed planning the best route for this and the front sanders then connecting up the three drain cocks on each cylinder then starting to work back from the LHS side.
During the week working party some chequer plate 'steps' were added to the front coupling support. It looked to be tempting place for people to use as a step so this will make it safer if the do. On the tender, work continued on the rear sandboxes, the rear 'cow-catcher' was modified and on the loco the two whistles were refitted and pressure relief valves fitted the the cylinders.
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The large pore pipework to
the boiler feed clack (left - photo:
Andrew Cole),
and
the cylinder pressure relief valve fitted the the LHS (right).
Other small and varied jobs for completed this last working party including things like attaching the last few flexible hosed to the tender's vac pipe system, Taking off and cleaning the large bore pipework and moving the loco up to the tender do its new designed separation distance then checking the draw-bar length against that drawn.
The April 2024 Working Party
For this working party it in effect started on the Friday before with a shunt in the afternoon to get the tender into the loco shed ready for the weekend.
Following on from this, one of the main tasks on the Saturday was then to put the tender and loco in the correct order once work on the tender that required the use of the pit was completed. This is hopefully how it will now stay until the loco is finished. To do this shunt the first job was to move the loco and tender (connected in reverse order) out of No2 road in the shed and pop the loco into No1 road outside. The tender was then put back inside at the rear of the shed. The loco was then collected and and put back in the shed in front of the tender - all now in the correct order.
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134 outside the shed whist
the tender is shunted in to the back of the shed (left),
and
the tender being shunted into the shed (right).
A few working parties ago we'd taken the water connection pipework off the the tender so as it could be painted. With job now complete it was duly put back, although on one side someone had now fitted the handbrake mechanism and this clashes with one pipe so a small spacer will be needed to complete the job.
More small bore pipework was added, the run from the front of the loco for the steam chest pressure gauge in the cab was progressed to a fitting in the cab floor, and the two water gauge glass drain were fitted.
As the cab layout has altered a bit with the new cab design the reach rod for the reverser was modified so as it fitted the changed reverser position.
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The reverser showing the
modified reach rod coming out of the cab (left),
and
drains have been added to the cab's gauge glasses (right).
On the tender various bits of the ancillary pipework for the vacuum brake was progressed, although we're still missing a fitting to finish it off.
The ashpan door also received attention. This is a sliding door at the front of the ashpan through which all the ash is pushed from the rear of the ashpan. It was based on the original design however, we found that some small modifications were need involving some welding of the stainless steel components.
The motion is progressing well toward completion. This weekend the the lubrication pipework to the cylinders was checked then the front covers attached. Some checking and finalising of the mid-gear position took place with the now modified reach rod. The lubrication activation arms from the motion had previously been finished and so we're now just short on one set of lubrication feeds to the main piston rod gland then the whole system can be primed and tested.
It's all getting so much closer.
The March 2024 Working Party
Once again the working party was held over a full weekend with some work continuing with one of the team into the following week.
With (hopefully) all the work now complete on the tender's frames and brake gear we started fastening the tank down for the final time. Also on the tender we re-fitted the handbrake handle after it had been removed for some further work.
There was plenty of activity on the loco as well as we continued trial fitting the various controls to the cab. Specifically this time we were positioning the vacuum ejector and brake control. Due to the new cab design and layout we were particularly checking for usability and that it didn't clash with other fittings. For the steam-chest pressure gauge the pipe run for this was started from the front of the loco and this included making yet more pipework fastening brackets. We've made a few of those over the years!
The full time staff had made us a set of steam operated drain cocks as are used on the NGG16 Garratts. These were duly fitted in the week following the working party.
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A set of drain cocks ready
to be fitted (left),
and
the drain cocks fitted to one cylinders - Photo: Andrew
Cole (right).
Work continued on the motion supplementing that being carried out by the full time staff. This time we were setting the correct mid gear on each side so as a new customised key could be made to fasten the reversing arm on one side onto the reverser shaft. Due to various issues, some possibly associated with valve heads and liner position in the casting both sides had a slightly different mid-gear setting 5using the reverser as it was. This needed correcting.
On the 'bits n'bobs' job front, as the first brick arch has been fitted we cleaned out and re-assembled the moulds ready to cast a second set of bricks for a spare arch. This second arch was duly cast the following week. As always at this stage of a project there's always plenty of painting to be done. This included painting some of the injector pipework and the cab roof.
The steam pipes to the smokebox have now been fully fitted and the covers attached. One job we'd been asked to do for the ease of future maintenance was to split the running plate on each side, just behind the lubricator so as these didn't have to be removed when access was needed to the area around the reverser and expansion link.
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The cover now fitted to
the steam pipes - Photo: Andrew Cole (left),
and
the new blast pipe casting (right).
The front 'cow-catcher' was repaired in the traditional way of using old boiler tubes, in this case these were 'donated' from the Quarry Hunslet Britomart. The man-hole cover was fitted to the cladding during the week.
One last item worth mentioning is the blast pipe casting that has been received ready machined from the foundry. A second casting will be delivered however this won't be machined at this stage.
The February 2024 Working Party
February's working party consisted of the usual weekend plus a few of the team staying for a number of days into the following week. Once again this resulted in really good progress being made.
On the tender we fitted the lamp after it had been fitted with an LED module and battery, much the same as with the loco's headlamp. The tender bogies also had the mounts fitted to take the flange lubricators. The lubrication is done the same was as is standard on the carriage fleet using a wax stick. This is held in a holder so as it lightly presses onto wheel flange. Whilst the mount for the holder was fitted the holder itself will be left nearer to the completion.
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One of the tender's flange
lubrication holders shown in place (left),
and
a view of the boiler's back head (right).
We've designed and fitted an insert int the coal space to raise it slightly to a better shoveling height and also to allow for a drain to ensure rainwater can easily escape.
Talking of lubrication, more of the loco's small bore lubrication pipework was fitted. There just a couple of pipes left to attach that are awaiting the fitting of the main cylinder glands. With the pipework fitted to the cylinder lubrication we were able to fit the cylinder covers.
On the subject of pipework, the vacuum pipe has now worked itself back the cab area ready for the mounting of the ejector.
Work around the cab area continues and the photo above shows the state of play of the boiler back head.
We're now in receipt of the stainless handrail tubes so these were trial fitted - and look very smart indeed.
At the end of the weekend we were treated to the view of Blanche being used to take the tender back to the carriage shed after we'd finished working on it. Blanche had been on 'drive an engine' duties at Caernarfon Station for the school's half term weekend.
The January 2024 Working Party
The first main working party for 2024 produced another outstanding weekend of progress.
Plenty of activity on various fronts over the weekend, but starting with the tender, the handbrake hand wheel has been fitted and operated successfully whilst the tender sides were rubbed down - yet again - and subsequently given another coat of paint. The two new locker cabinets for the new tender design have been fitted - more details about these and the new design can be found in the latest issue of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways' Moving Pictures video updated (No.87). Link from the home page with the NG15 №134 being featured from the 11minutes in mark.
On the loco, pipework featured again, both the small bore for the lubricators and the larger bore for the injectors. This featured fabricating the stainless pipes for the water input to the injector and the bending of the large bore copper pipes to the boiler's input clacks. The rocking grate and the ashpan door mechanisms where both progressed.
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The fireman's side water
feed pipe to the injector (left),
and
copper pipe for the injector feed to the boiler being bent to shape
(right -
Photo: Adrian Strachan) .
The most obvious signs of progress however, was the addition of the boiler bands, but this didn't last long as these were quickly put out of sight by some protective sheeting being attached over them to prevent damage during the final assembly stages of the loco.
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134 with the boiler bands fitted. (Photo: Adrian Strachan) .
Early January 2024 Update
A new year and more new progress to report following a full week with a number of us working on 134. Just a few of the team were there all week and being joined for anything from a day to several days by other members. This week has set progress off to a good start for the year, and with the main working party still to come this next weekend January's progress should be outstanding.
Plenty was achieved both visible and none visible, but let's start with the significant step of casting the brick arch. During the second half of last year we we'd be making the moulds for the individual bricks, these being welded out of stainless steel. Middle of the week saw the concrete mixer brought out and the fire cement mixed and the moulds filled. After a few days to set they were taken out and will now be put in the dryer to fully cure and ensure there's no residual moisture left that could boil off and crack the bricks when the first fire is lit.
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The loco's firebox arch
bricks being cast (left),
and
the bricks after being removed from their moulds (right -
Photo: Andrew Cole) .
The first few days of the week however, required a 'mega shunt' to get the tender and loco where we wanted them, the tender being previously stored & worked on in the Goods Shed, but was needed next to the pit to enable the brake rigging to be progressed. With this, the whole handbrake assembly was trial fitted and its action checked. A few issues were encountered but hopefully it's not far off to being completed.
In the Goods Shed, that has now become our 'paint shop', we'd been continuing the painting of the cladding, especially that round the firebox. The rest of the painting has been taking place at Boston Lodge or at Minffordd. On the painting front, the tender also received attention having some filler applied then a(nother) coat of paint.
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Painting (again) - this
time the cladding for the firebox. (left),
and
the tender side after having minor pitting filled and another coat of
paint (right - Photo: Adrian Strachan).
Pipework was another area progressed with the injector pipework started and more of the lubrication pipework bent and fitted. On the latter, all that for the bearing oil lubricator on the Fireman's side running plate has been finished as is most of that needed for the steam oil to the cylinders and slide bar. On the drivers side, the pipework from the steam oil lubricator was started and a pair of splitters mounted.
On the tender again two holes were drilled in the front drag box ready for the eyelets for safety chains to be mounted.
Finally,
before everyone went home the cab front and the main boiler cladding
was fitted...........
The earlier working party reports going back to 2008 can be found in the Archive