Deliveries – at Last

Today I was informed that our cab corner brackets are completed.  These seem to have had a hex on them since they were first made for our display at Crewe Heritage Centre in 2023.  As well as manufacturing faults, in the hurry to get the display ready we failed to give the clearance required for the rear driving wheels.   First the modifications were delayed by sudden staffing changes at our contractor.  While some of the changes required were relatively simple, others were quite problematic.  Machining bolt hole counterbores proved unviably slow, and we opted for stepped inserts welded into enlarged holes.   We look forward to taking delivery next week, so we can start building up the coupling rod splasherews and cab.

A more routine delivery was the cast elbows  for the smokebox sides and the front vacuum pipes.  Normally we would try to use standard items, but modifying modern elbows would have been expensive.  Fortunately Boro Foundry can print short-life patterns for this sort of application, exactly replicating the LNWR originals at a bearable price.  Machining these and fitting them will be one of those relatively small jobs that make a the locomotive look much more like the original.

Expect a major announcement on procurement next week.

Cast Elbows: Smoke box side elbows in the background, those in the foreground are for the vacuum pipe near the buffer beam