This afternoon, Cameron painted the reverser quadrant of NCB No.69 in top coat red.
With suggestion from Michael to paint below the running board black, the line was marked and below that was painted black along with the remainder of the primed frame.
Looking rather smart!
George has successfully bolted the reverser block to the reverser on NCB No.69.
Although the block fitting was faultless, the central hole has to be reamed to a larger size to enable the new pivot pin to fit.
After this, Cameron applied a coat of primer shortly before painting top coat red.
With the assembly of the reverser quadrant picking up speed, George has completed some minor work to the reverser block which provides the pivot point for the reverser.
Having previously machined a new pin that goes through the reverser block, he has drilled and reamed a taper hole to fit a taper pin for security
George drilling the new hole.
Hand reaming the drilled hole for taper pin.
Things are moving really well with George and the brake rigging.
Having cut the existing ends of the brake stringers off, and machining off the old worn pins. George has turned 6 new pins that are to be inserted into the holes of the once worn existing pins.
Heating the cut end of the brake rigging enables the fitting of the new pin ends ensuring a shrink fit between the two separate components.
In the workshop, George has been continuing machining the ends of the brake rigging stringers for NCB No.69. He has tested the fit if one of the six components using dummy plugs to assist with alignment. A 1/8" gap remains, which will be closed during welding, along with the chamfered edge.
After a previous unsuccessful removal attempt by Cameron, George has successfully freed the Fireman's side cylinder cover from its studs and the cylinder block of NCB No.69.
Having previously removed the valve cover using shims and low profile wedges.
This past weekend (Friday 27th to Sunday 29th of June) volunteers involved in the restoration of NCB No.69 were kindly invited to the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway for their Hunslet Gala, showcasing the evolution of 'Fitzwilliam' Class of Hunslet locomotives ranging from 14" to 18" piston diameters.
Within the engine shed, volunteers set up an advertisement stall with items from NCB No.69, informative reading and visual material, and merchandise.
A welcome site at Embsay Station on the Friday was Hunslet Austerity 'Cumbria' (W/No. 3793) - a sister engine to NCB No.69.
A massive thank you to all those at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway for putting on a fantastic weekend and being very hospitable to our visiting volunteers!
Volunteers have been fitting items back onto the frames of NCB No.69. This week it was the rear buffer beam angle which supports the back of the cab/bunker.
With the front buffer beam now removed, greater access has been achieved to remove the remaining Driver's side cylinder cover and central valve cover.
To aid in removal, Cameron has welded spare nuts to the remaining studs in order to turn them out of the cylinder block.
Cameron welds the remaining nuts to the rest of the studs.
The driving wheelset from NCB No.69 have been moved into the machine workshop in preparation for the journals and coupling rod pins.
Over the coming weeks, measurement will be taken and recorded for these components, with necessary work planned to be undertaken to remediate such problems that may be encountered.
In completing an inspection of all the brake rigging whilst undertaking the task of completing work on NCB No.69's brake blocks, George noticed sever wear to the pins on the brake stringers.
A closer, birds eye view shows the extent of the wear.
Therefore it was decided that due to the excessive wear, the easiest solution was to replace the pins. Above, Cameron has set up a piece of cylinder stock in the donkey saw, cutting blanks to 6 1/2" lengths.
George then turned these blanks to produce six replacement pins.
With the nice weather in the North East of England becoming ever more present, Bob has taken the opportunity to complete some preparatory work on NCB No.69's boiler.
He has manufactured 12 soaking pots for some red diesel to loosen the stubborn studs that hold the safety valves (above) and manifold (below) onto their respective flanges on the crown of the boiler.
All we have to do now is wait and see if the red diesel has worked it's magic!
George has completed the arduous task of rebushing the brake hanger for NCB No.69.
Here he is seen testing the 'swing' of the right leading 'RL' brake hanger to identify any areas that require precise filing to eliminate rocking.
George then sets up the brake hanger in the Bridgeport milling machine to bore out the out bush that holds the brake block pin.
Completing this, he machines a new bush with an interference fit of 0.001" and a 3/16" lead in that is 0.004" undersize to aid in alignment. (old bush shown for severe oval of pin hole)
One of the volunteers, and member of The North Tyneside Steam Railway Association, discovered NCB No.69 featuring on the back cover of Issue 115 of Steam Railway Magazine from November 1989!
The front cover features 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 No.45596 Bahamas.
The inside cover reveals more details about the picture on the back cover: 'The incongruity of a modern road system and a steam worked industrial line seems somehow strange viewed from a 1989 standpoint. Hunslet 0-6-0ST No.3785 of 1953 crosses the A19 with a coal train on the South Hetton Colliery system in Durham on July 17, 1972. credit - Andrew Smith'.
Cameron has been in the workshop today machining some new studs for NCB No.69's boiler.
Although only a temporary measure, lathered generously with COPASLIP, the studs prevent any rust damage to the threads in the boiler backhead whilst the boiler sits outside at Middle Engine Lane.
In the above, Cameron is seen fitting the new studs to the backhead of NCB No.69's boiler.
Previously painted red, it was noticed by one of the volunteers that the rear buffer beam bunker support angles were painted black whilst NCB No.69 was at South Hetton Colliery with the NCB.
As seen above on the morning of Friday 13th April 1973 outside the repair shop near South Hetton Colliery. Source, Sassaby, Flickr.
Therefore, Cameron has rectified this by painting the support angles (previously red) black.
Over the past week, Bob has been completing the final drilling of the remaining boiler backhead studs to NCB No.69's boiler.
Setting up the mag drill on a fabricated plate, he is able to drill out the stubborn stud perfectly perpendicular to the backhead plate.
Last weekend, Cameron applied the first coat of 'Tomato Red' - RAL 3013 to the rear buffer beam of NCB No.69.
Before...
...During...
And after - with the buffer housings left on the old red to be repainted at a later date.
Although the colour difference is subtle, it was concluded that Tomato Red is a closer match to the assumed original swatch left on the front buffer beam.
