March, April & May 2014 Report

Welcome to the report, covering March, April & May 2014.

Introduction

Volunteer drilling bolt holes in a new section of plate for 25's ashpan

Although the blog has been quiet and hasn't been updated since February this doesn't mean the Saturday Gang haven't made any progress, quite the opposite! The editor has had his exams / end of year exams recently so hasn't had time to sit down and update. Hopefully this latest blog post will put that right. 

The K&ESR has begun to run trains again and because the DMU has been out of action for essential repairs, a second steam loco has been required. Normally on our quieter times of year we only use one steam loco with the MK1 set. Though it increases the amount of running maintenance it is good to see our smaller locos getting a run out. 

The Saturday Gang has been kept occupied with various items of running maintenance and of course progressing n.o 25 Northiam ever closer to completion: 

25 Northiam

Saturday Gang discussing further works on 25's ashpan

The overhaul has taken some quite big steps forward since the last report. The big ends were retrieved from the storage container (and made quite a lengthy journey on a trolley into the workshop, see the video report). The conrods have been refitted and the motion is now fully reassembled. We barred the loco backward and forward to check that everything moves freely. We have also begun to fit some of the other non motion components such as the sand pipes. This is a large milestone in the overhaul as we can now start the final preparations to reunite the boiler and frames.

A major task that has been occupying us for the past couple of months is the repair of the ashpan. This box sits underneath the firebox and collects the ask from the fire. As you can imagine the heat and ashes corrode and distort it over time. Much wasted platework has had to be replaced, a new lid and bracket have been manufactured. Perhaps this doesn't sound much but it has taken much careful and time consuming effort. The ashpan will ultimately be fitted beneath the boiler. It's another piece in a very large jigsaw puzzle. The series of photos below shows the various different works / skills that have been used in this project. 

Measuring and squaring off platework

Marking out holes to be drilled

Grinding off weld excess

Cutting slots for the door mechanism to fit

Smoothing out the slots with an angle grinder

Works on 25's ashpan so far!

DS238 Wainwright

DS238 - note the lobo staging in front of the loco

The overhaul continues, repairs on the boiler are ongoing. To facilitate the works required on the cylinders and motion some lobo staging has been erected. This creates a safe platform from which to work. 

753 P Class

753 P Class - note needle gunned front frames

A little progress has been made, some needle gunning has been carried out on the frames (as you can see from the photo). Some more of the P's many components have been cleaned and stored. As has been written before though, this project is a low priority and most of the loco dept's attention is focused elsewhere. 

In the works / news at Rolvenden

32670 Bodiam: In service

32670 Bodiam in the yard

32678 Knowle: In service

32678 Knowle - receiving repairs prior to a return to traffic

12 Marcia: The boiler has now been lifted out of the frames so remedial work can take place on the firebox.

12 Marcia's boiler - now removed from the frames

14 Charwelton: Charwelton has been receiving a number of repairs over the past few months, we have assisted in the program of repairs. Tasks such as renewing firebars, rebuilding the brick arch and refitting the firehole door guard have been undertaken.

14 Charwelton under repair

376 Norwegian: In service 

376 Norwegian - running up to Tenterden for the evening Pullman

23 Holman F Stephens: The Saturday Gang has carried out a number of repairs to n.o 23 over the past month. The sand boxes were heavily corroded so were removed, repaired and refitted. N.o 23 has also had a bit of a bend in the running plate for a while (where it came from we're not quite sure!) so whilst she was out of traffic we took the opportunity to straighten the plate. A new injector valve had been procured and the Saturday Gang assisted in installing the joints and fitting the new injector in place.

Volunteer curing the bend in the running plate!

24 Rolvenden: Readers may or may not be aware that for some time n.o 24 Rolvenden has been up for sale. The latest news is that the loco is close to being sold, the deal may be confirmed shortly. Though currently we know little more than you do! 

24 Rolvenden - in slightly happier settings than it's current location

1638: In service

1638 in the yard

6619: In service

6619 ready for traffic

65 Maunsell: The loco is currently being prepared for another spell on loan away from the K&ESR. Location is to be confirmed.

65 Maunsell & 23 Holman F Stephens in the yard

Videos / Photos 

March 2014 Report:

April 2014 Report: 

If you haven't already please 'like' us on facebook: Saturday Gang Facebook page

Many thanks for reading, 

Saturday Gang 

January & February 2014 Report

Welcome to the joint reports for January and February 2014:

Introduction

Two volunteers preparing components for fitting

January and February have continued to be busy for the Saturday Gang. The K&ESR shut down after Christmas for a much needed winter break. When not running trains it allows the loco dept to catch it's breath and get on top of a long maintenance list. We are somewhat fortunate in 2014 that the K&ESR is closed longer than usual to facilitate the major P-Way works that are ongoing just beyond the depot down by the sewage works. 

The Saturday Gang returned from our various Christmas and New Year celebrations in high spirits and we didn't waste any time in getting back to work! Naturally our works continued on 25 Northiam but we have also been assisting in DS238 Wainwright's overhaul. Ontop of that we have been doing our part to carry out repairs on heavy maintenance on the operational loco fleet. 

So let's get started: 

25 Northiam: 

25 Northiam's frames - lowered onto wheels once more

Various works have been undertaken in direct continuation from our efforts before Christmas. 25's frames have been fully lowered and reunited with her wheels. So the good news is we have rolling frames to work with. This has lead us into the next stage of the frame overhaul, adding all of the associated linkeage and components to get the motion inside the frames to work with the wheels. 

Kalmar digger with 25's conrods,
brake rods and rear buffers in the bucket. 

In order to do that we had to clear up and go and get the required components (a day's work in itself!). The timber which we used to support the loco's frames was put back into store and more components were retrieved from store. We retrieved and placed alongside 25 the conrods, brake rods and rear buffers. We also went down the line and retrieved the flange lubricators from sister loco n.o 24 Rolvenden. Work has begun to prepare these components and the frames for fitting. Every job we undertake requires careful preparation We were aided part of the way by the kalmar digger (normally used for coaling up) by placing components in the bucket. However the kalmar can't fit into the shed so we had to make the final part of the journey by hand, quite a heavy and labour intensive process. 

Conrods laid out, waiting for us to finish the frames! 

We have fitted the rear buffers and flange lubricators. The guard irons too have been extensively refurbished and refitted. They look rather smart at the moment but that won't last long in service! Other smaller components have been reinstalled such as the rear cab steps. This does make climbing ontop of the frames easier and safer. 

Volunteer fitting 24's flange lubricators to 25

DS238 Wainwright

DS238 Wainwright under overhaul

The overhaul continues and the lengthy process of de-rusting and repairing components is continuing. Works have also been taking place on the boiler, welding is taking place on the backhead where a access hole was cut previously. The task of removing all of the old boiler tubes is complete. One example of the Saturday Gang's contribution to the overhaul is shown below where a volunteer is de-rusting a steam pipe. 

De-rusting DS238 steam pipe

753 P Class

No progress to report 

In the works / news at Rolvenden: 

Winterised = In boiler ticket and is available for service if required. 

Stored = Out of boiler ticket / in need of major overhaul or repairs

32670 Bodiam: Winterised. 

32678 Knowle: Winterised. 

12 Marcia: Stored. 

14 Charwelton: Receiving some light repairs and long term maintenance

14 Charwelton in the shed

376 Norwegian: Winterised. 

23 Holman F Stephens: Winterised. 

24 Rolvenden: Stored. 

1638: Winterised. 

6619: The boiler ticket has been extended. It will expire at the end of the current year. 

65 Maunsell: Currently under routine maintenance. 

DS238 (left) under overhaul with sister loco n.o 65
 (right) receiving maintenance 

5668: This loco is currently at Rolvenden with preventative work being undertaken to protect the loco from further corrosion. Once complete the loco will be stored, awaiting for restoration work to begin. 

5668 at Rolvenden

Videos / Photos 

January's video Report: 

February's video Report:

Photos: www.kesrloco.co.uk

If you haven't already please "like" us on Facebook: Saturday Gang Facebook Page

Many thanks for reading. 

Saturday Gang.

Saturday Gang 2013 Review

Another year is about to pass by so it's a good opportunity to reflect upon what we have achieved during 2013.

25 Northiam's overhaul:

Naturally our main focus and starting point for this review is to look at 25 Northiam. During 2013 we have continued our work on the frames and motion. We completed (started during 2012) the very arduous and long process of de-rusting the frames. Honestly removing 10 years worth of rust / dirt is challenging but immensely satisfying when seeing the finished product.

25's frames in early 2013.

We needed many tins of paint to complete this job!

A large part of the year has been taken up by the manufacture or repair of various components and then re-installing them. You would be surprised how many different components constitute a locomotive's motion. To name a few components that have been installed: pistons, slide valves, crossheads, reverser mechanism, brake gear. It certainly ends up becoming a rather large jigsaw puzzle, with each piece slotting into place - but it will only come together and work if installed correctly!

25's motion - mostly reassembled

Towards the end of the year we've been focusing on getting the loco re-wheeled and creating a "rolling frame". This involved much preparation, similarly to the frames the wheels required extensive de-rusting and cleaning. The axles had to be thoroughly checked for cracks and wear and then the axleboxes prepared accordingly. The horn guides (which sit inside the frames, interfacing with the axleboxes) had to be repaired and fitted within very fine tolerances.

Steam cleaning 25's wheels

All of the work we had done came together during December (hope you read the report!) and we were able to roll the wheels underneath the frames and lower 25's frames down (though not quite all the way). We hope this will be completed in January.

25 Northiam's frames - almost re-wheeled (Dec 2013)

376 Norwegian

We were also very pleased to see one of our previous projects return to service - 376 Norwegian's tender. We spent over a year working away, restoring the tender to operational condition. We did also assist on various tasks on the loco, but the tender project was exclusively ours. So when 376 returned to service we were delighted to see something else we've worked on back in use. It's really why we do what we do, to see our work bringing joy to the public.

376 Norwegian - back in service

Maintenance 

Throughout the year we have assisted in the running maintenance of the K&ESR's fleet. Indeed on this blog we have run some mini features on 65 Maunsell & 23 Holman F Stephens washouts / repairs. This work is often the dirtiest and most difficult (locomotives are much easier to work on when all the components have been removed!). However it is entirely necessary in order for the K&ESR to run trains so it must be done.

One of the many boiler washouts / maintenance
projects completed during 2013

People

It is entirely accurate to say that none of the above would be possible without our dedicated members. The same guys (and girls!) come regularly to Rolvenden to play their part in keeping the K&ESR's fleet moving / providing motive power in future.

Many locomotive maintenance groups seem to be dour and seem to be simply an excuse for likeminded people to moan about the "modern world". That is not the Saturday Gang at all: we have a fantastic laugh and make our time at Rolvenden thoroughly enjoyable. There is no point in doing something if you don't enjoy it. So whilst we do work it is not to the detriment of the social element. You will often hear laughter / terrible jokes emanating from us as we enjoy a cup of tea and many many biscuits / cakes / sweets. Long term friendships have been built between members and we really are a community.

Saturday Gang teamwork - on the shop floor

It is pleasing to see the volunteering our members doing benefiting them in the world of work. During 2013 several more of our members successfully joined engineering companies and entered the world of work. The competition for jobs is fiercer than ever and apprenticeships have come back into fashion, whereas they were looked down upon before. It is important for any young applicant to have a "stand out" item on their CV. Time and again Saturday Gang members have risen above the ordinary academic talent to demonstrate a real practical passion for engineering.

So as you can see the Saturday Gang has many, many benefits. The friendship & sense of community, the lifeskills development and the increased chances of finding employment.

Therefore we extend an invitation to anybody with an interest in engineering, railways or even just needs something to occupy them on a Saturday: Come and join us. We need more volunteers to continue our work and there are of course benefits for you too (not to mention the tea & biscuits......).

Learn new skills 

So if at all interested or would like to know more, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Either leave a comment below or email us at saturdaygang@gmail.com

The Saturday Gang wish you a very happy and prosperous new year.

December 2013 Report

Welcome to the report for December.

The grinding bay is always busy on a Saturday

Introduction: 

December has been busy in more ways than one. The Santa Specials are always a very busy time on the K&ESR and if there aren't any locos then there won't be any trains! So whilst of course keeping the fleet going is imperative we have also been in a very important milestone in 25 Northiam's overhaul (see more below).

There is so much work to be done, so many different tasks and projects to be undertaken. None of what we do could be possible without the many hours, we collectively, put in. We tend to notice there is a trend amongst railway media to over emphasise the project itself and ignore the people concerned. Quite simply without dedicated volunteers (and paid staff too!) the steam locomotive / heritage railways would be banished into the history books.

Advent / Christmas is always a time for people to come together in a special way. The Saturday Gang are no different. Many of our members finally get some free weekends in December so its a joyous time for all of us to meet again. It must be said that the Saturday Gang values all of its members, no matter how small the contribution. For many small acts or the odd few hours here and there combine to form a large and valuable good. Of course an added bonus is that the usual biscuits are supplemented with mince pies, chocolates (non alcoholic ones!), sweets and so on. It's a good job we're busy or otherwise we would probably need larger overalls at the turn of the year!

Onwards to the works section:

25 Northiam:

Before

After

After months of preparation, trials and checks we have made some visible progress during December. All of the horn guides were prepared and within tolerance. Early during the month we re-positioned the rear jacks to allow the wheels to be rolled into position beneath the frames. During this time the motion re-assembly has continued aplenty and is looking far more complete. Just to name a few components that have been refitted, includes the cylinder cock mechanism & brake beam. 

Gently lowering 25's frames onto the wheels

After another short period of preparation we have begun the process of lowering 25 Northiam's frames back onto her wheels. This is a very delicate and logistically complex operation. It involves gradually lowering the wooden blocks that support the main frames and taking the slack on the jacks. It has to be a slow process otherwise undue stress will be placed on one part of the frames. 

DS238 Wainwright: 

Progress continues, the midweek loco dept teams have been doing an excellent job cleaning up the frames. The boiler is still being worked on but is getting there. 

753 P Class:

No progress to report. 

In the works / news

6619: Works are progressing as part of the boiler ticket extension. Repairs are ongoing to ensure the loco operates reliably during this new period of running.

6619 & Charwelton in the shed

14 Charwelton: Receiving some minor repairs / light maintenance. Charwelton is our loco of choice for the driving courses so it's essential Charwelton is back in service in the new year. 

23 Holman F Stephens: We featured 23 in our previous report. Works are completed and 23 is ok to be operated. 

376 Norwegian, 32670, 32678: Winterised. 

65 Maunsell & 1638: in service. 

Videos / Photos: 

Check out our youtube channel shortly for December's video report: Saturday Gang Youtube Channel

Photos as always can be found at: www.kesrloco.co.uk

A 2013 review will follow in due course. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Saturday Gang 

November 2013 Report

Welcome to the report for November.

Saturday Gang Volunteer preparing some platework for use

Introdution:

November was rather quiet compared to previous months. The K&ESR enjoyed a mini winter shutdown which meant all of the locos were in the yard (where we like them!). However to say November isn't a busy month for the Saturday Gang & the Loco Dept would be inaccurate. We have a small window to get our loco fleet ready for an intense period of running in December. The Santa Specials are an integral part of the K&ESR's business plan so without any locos that would cause issues!

November is also a rather grim time of month, it's been cold, raining and the days are short. However this is where all of us show our commitment, rather than pulling the duvet back over the head we get up and head out. We are a self motivated group, we really want to progress and make things happen. Not only that though there really is a social side to the Saturday Gang, the amount of laughter and noise would certainly suggest we're a bit more than colleagues. It's an opportunity for each of us to discuss and listen to others. Our new volunteers who have easily become a part of our group, yes we are a close knit group but that doesn't make us a clique. Really the point here is that its not just our enthusiasm for our work, but also the fun & friendship we have. This is what motivates us to come to Rolvenden rather than do the million other things available.

So if you're at all interested in locomotive overhaul's / maintenance then please get in touch. We are more than happy to show potential volunteers around and / or arrange taster days. You can contact us via email at saturdaygang@gmail.com.

Onwards to the works section.

25 Northiam: 

Saturday Gang volunteers preparing the horn guides for the axleboxes

The progress made was a continuation of what we started towards the end of October. We have been trial fitting the axleboxes, this usually requires a few attempts because as you can see the tolerances are very tight.

Further preparatory work has been undertaken to continue the motion reassembly and ultimately re-wheel (see December's report when it arrives!). Work was undertaken on the brake gear and hopefully this will be fitted during December. This includes tasks such as retrieving 25's springs and cleaning out the grease nipples. Although securely stored it doesn't take much to clog up these small parts.

DS238 Wainwright

DS238 under overhaul

Continued steady progress.

753 P Class

No progress since last report.

In the works / news

23 Holman F Stephens: The boiler washout & mechanical exam unearthed some issues and repairs that needed to be undertaken before Christmas rather than after. We detailed in the previous report many of the issues we had encountered. November saw us finishing off these repairs and re-assembling the loco. We were pleased these were completed at the end of November so 23 will be available for the Santa Specials. 

Two Saturday Gang volunteers refitting 23's dome cover

1638: A 12 month boiler ticket extension has been granted and all the necessary repair work has been carried out. The loco was steam tested and after some fettling returned to traffic. A decision was made to return 1638 to its original BR Black colour it arrived at the K&ESR wearing in 1992. 

1638: Back and in black.

6619: Repairs ongoing. 

Class 2 fleet (32670 Bodiam, 32678 Knowle, 14 Charwelton): Winterised and receiving some repairs / maintenance where required. 

32678: Winterised.

Video / Pictures from November

Below is the link to the video for November's report: Apologies but blogger but can't seem to find it to embed so just copy the link and it will take you to the video:
Saturday Gang Video Report November 2013

We have updated our photo website also so please visit: www.kesrloco.co.uk

If you haven't already please "like" us on Facebook: Saturday Gang Facebook Page

Many thanks for reading, December's report & a review of 2013 will appear in due course.

Saturday Gang

October 2013 Report

Welcome to the report for October.

Volunteer being trained in the skill of gas cutting

It's been an productive period for the Saturday Gang, with plenty of work to keep us occupied. We have welcomed back some old faces and been training our new volunteers. What's especially pleasing is it that most of this training has been provided / supervised by our younger members. So the skills they've been taught are almost immediately being passed on. Although it is true to say much of the work we do is laborious (reason why BR was so keen to be rid of steam) there is a huge amount of skillful engineering in what we do. All sorts of skills are taught and used, ranging from angle grinding, to using lathes, mechanical drills, welding basics to teamwork and communication. These are of course highly transferable skills, as many of our members have found, they started at Rolvenden and a few years later find themselves employed in the rail industry.

So if you're at all interested in railways, engineering then don't hesitate to get in touch. If you're not sure then come see us and get a little taste of what we do, no strings attached.

Onwards to the works section:

25 Northiam

Trial fitting one of 25's six axleboxes

The overhaul progresses step by step, little by little. Last month we covered the horn guides being installed and prepared. The keep boxes have also been machined and installed. With that completed our efforts have been focused on the axleboxes. Each of the 6 axleboxes has been under attention in the machine shop, various adjustments and smoothing out the wear has been undertaken. This will ensure the axlebox fits correctly in the frames and the wheels won't be "slopping" about when they are united. So although it may sound like we haven't done much this process of fitting the axleboxes involves much skilled machining, testing and a bit of trial fitting of the various component pieces. 

One of 25's axleboxes in the machine shop.

We have also completed the NDT (non destructive testing) on the wheels and progressed as far as possible on the motion inside the frames. 

To summarise the overhaul so far;

• Boiler is complete
• Wheels are ready
• Frames have been de-rusted and painted
• Cylinders have been rebored
• Motion reassembly is under progress (as pictured and covered recently in the blog).

DS238 Wainwright

DS238 Wainwright - further steady progress

The overhaul continues to progress. Various components have been striped and work is taking place to refurbish / repair these. Much hard work and effort has been put in by the Loco Dept Team and the weekday volunteers.

753 P Class

753 P Class's boiler

The interfleet team (mentioned last month) have completed their placement and done excellent work on the P Class. Sadly their placement is over and the P Class is again in need of volunteer labour to progress the overhaul. As we keep saying when people ask the question of "when will the P Class steam again or when will the overhaul start?": "When we've finished 25 Northiam!". Always plenty of future projects for us though which is good. After all we couldn't possibly spend all day drinking tea and talking could we?!

In the works / news

Last month we wrote a feature about the maintenance work carried out on 65 Maunsell, the pendulum swung back to 23 Holman F Stephens which we wrote a feature on a few months ago. You may wonder why much of the work we focus on concentrates on our "bigger" locos - the simple truth is that these locos are regularly in service on the MK1 set, Pullman or other trains so require the most attention at the end of their cycle in service. 

Saturday Gang works on 23 Holman F Stephens

We found ourselves carrying out a boiler washout, followed by a mechanical exam. Attention was required in multiple areas. Of course there was the usual debris removal work such as sweeping the boiler tubes. However we carried out many mechanical tasks such as work on the safety valves (very important!), repairing and where required replacing gaskets (which cement a join between two valve faces). We also carried out a hydraulic test which involves checking for leakage and fault finding. Tests such as these can be long as of course steam locos don't have the sophisticated computer based systems modern rolling stock does. Upon inspection it was noticed that some of the leaf springs (which essentially are the equivalent of suspension in a car) were developing cracks. In order to remove these and replace the loco has to be jacked up and the pins holding them in place removed. It sounds simple but presents its own set of challenges. Even a relatively routine cycle of maintenance is different each time and uses many different skills - it never gets boring that's for sure!

Work continues on the boiler ticket extensions of 1638 / 6619. 

1638 Pannier - under repair

The process of winterising some of the locos has begun. Due to the lack of undercover space (if you have a few million quid floating about please buy us a larger shed!) the locos are stored in the open. This carries the risk of frost damage to various components but especially to cab fittings and the loco's motion. Hence it is necessary to remove components where possible for warm storage and sheet up what cannot be removed. This process has begun on some locos which are not expected to be used until the New Year. 

Below is the Video Report for October 2013:

Follow the link to our photo website: www.kesrloco.co.uk

If you haven't already please "like" us on facebook: Saturday Gang Facebook Page

Many thanks for reading, 

Saturday Gang 

September 2013 Report

Welcome to the report for September.

Volunteers creating new components for
25 Northiam, using skills recently learnt

So the main summer season has come to a close and it gives the Saturday Gang and indeed the entire loco dept a chance to breath. We go back to "green" service which sees one steam loco and the DMU in service, making our lives very much easier indeed! However don't be under the impression we're idle during the quieter times of year.

We have welcomed two new volunteers into our group. It's really pleasing to recruit new volunteers, not of course forgetting to value our existing ones! The more people that get involved in the Saturday Gang the more of the really important overhaul and maintenance work gets done. Although we write alot about the locos and the work we do it is fundamentally the people that are important. This is why we place a great emphasis on the social aspect and having a good laugh together.

What do you mean I missed a bit?!! 

25 Northiam overhaul

The overhaul continues apace. The wheels which have received alot of our attention recently are now in process of being inspected for flaws. The front bufferbeam which we showed fitted last month has received several top coats of red paint.

Further work has been going on in the machine shop with new keep boxes and new bushes for the brake gear being manufactured. The horn guides in the frames have been re-instated and welded into position. They have also been measured and have been angle grinded to smooth out the wear that has accumulated over the last 10 years.

Welding up the horn guides on 25 Northiam

The overhaul is progressing step by step and the mainframes are inching closer towards being complete. Of course once the frames and wheels are ready they can be reunited. Slow and steady progress but it is moving forward.

DS238 Wainwright

Work continues to progress on DS238, further works have been taking place to remove components and strip the loco down to the bare essentials. As you can see in the photo the front bufferbeam has been removed and further frame painting has taken place. Striping a loco is certainly quicker than putting it back together but there is an immense amount of work to do once the removal process is complete. Counteracting and repairing years of rust damage takes much hard physical labour and effort.

Further steady progress on DS238 Wainwright

753 P Class

The K&ESR is fortunate to have a good relationship with the consultancy Interfleet who send a team of graduates to us each year: the graduates gain hands on practical experience of engineering and the K&ESR happily uses their labour! Among many other projects carried out on the railway the graduates needle gunned and painted the P Class boiler. It is now better protected from the elements and and looks better too. Further progress on the overhaul depends on the availability of volunteers. Naturally if more of you joined the Saturday Gang then we might be able to work on the P Class alongside 25 Northiam!

P Class boiler resplendent in silver paint

In the works / news

The usual running maintenance has been carried out and the Saturday Gang continues to support the K&ESR's operations in this manner.

65 Maunsell had done its turn in traffic and required its boiler washout, various mechanical exams and where required repairs or remedial action. The Saturday Gang removed 65's blastpipe to allow access to the tube plate. Whilst the blastpipe was removed we took the opportunity to remove the build up of ash in the corners. We swept out the tubes, which is a long physical job, removing the build of ash from the boiler tubes. Once completed Saturday Gang gave the smokebox a thorough clean because ash lingering for long periods can cause corrosion.

Saturday Gang works on 65 Maunsell

At the other end of the loco we also removed the old brick arch. It was crumbling and likely to fall apart in service. So after fetching some new firebricks we installed a new arch. Although its a relatively simple task you can probably imagine being inside a firebox is cramped, hot and very dusty. That's why we enjoy it so much!

Maintenance work ongoing - guess the Gang have gone to tea though!

Once all of the above was completed we tackled the boiler washout itself. The first job is to slacken all of the washout plugs which are dotted around the locomotive in various places. Sometimes these plugs can be very inaccessible as requires an array of tools and extension bars to gain access. Each plug is removed in turn and water flushed through the boiler, forcing the scale out (assuming the ashpan is open!).

Works continue on 1638 & 6619 to do the necessary to attain extensions to the boiler certificates.

Below is the Video Report for September 2013

Follow the link to our photo website: www.kesrloco.co.uk

Many thanks for reading.

Saturday Gang