At Long Last the Cab Footsteps are fitted

This job has has been delayed by the need to have approval of our risk assessment and method statement, not helped by the initial draft being submitted during the holiday season.  To be fair, each one weighs 40kg and the swept-back design makes it rather unstable, so it did need careful handling.  Safe handling was ensured by bolting a fairly large MDF sheet to the underside of the bottom step, using  screw holes provided for fastening anti-slip linings. The lower end of the step complete with attached board was lifted onto a wheeled board, then raised to the vertical by lifting the upper end.  This was all accomplished without  machinery and without once lifting the whole 40kg, thus safeguarding our engineer Terry McMenamin and willing assistant Dave Costello.  Clamped down, the step was wheeled into position, and with a bit of jiggery-pokery to align the holes the bolts could be fitted.  Once secure, the board was removed and the bolts tightened.

Once everything was secure the tools and other kit were tidied up, a dust sheet laid down and the red oxide paint on the steps rubbed down.  Our engineer took the opportunity to show the skills gained as in achieving his NVQ 0 in painting (Editor: his instructors took pity on him after his fifth attempt) to apply a coat of black gloss paint. Despite the unskilled painting, the steps add a certain amount of balance to the cabside, another small step towards the build of the only Pre-World War 1 express locomotive for the main line.

Meanwhile manufacture of the motion plate and frame stretcher is under way at Boro foundry, and we expect to be reviewing costs for the Dragbox and Front Frame Plate machining at our Trustee meeting on Wednesday next. These are all much bigger steps towards our goal of seeing No. 2013 Prince George in action on the main line.

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