CME’s Office Engineering Update

CME’s Office- Engineering Update

The boiler design is progressing well, we are now looking for assistance from experts who can review the design and assist with certification under the EU Pressure Equipment Directive. This is a big milestone in heading towards the construction phase of the boiler, where once we have reached a consensus we can move towards the cutting of metal. Needless to say given the criticality of getting a boiler ‘right’ this will naturally take some time (especially in the current circumstances). We will update you on boiler progress as soon as we have news from our discussions.

An important milestone was reached with the completion of the intermediary running plate, see picture below. Fabrication was complex as the drawings show a very complex construction of angles, bars and plate with hundreds of countersunk rivets. We have made best use of funds by changing to welded fabrication, using “tab and slot” assembly identical in appearance to the original, it was not a simple piece to fabricate in order to seamlessly join smokebox to splasher via the frames and be strong enough to stand up to your editor’s weight on top of it!

With the running plate complete we now have a sizeable collection parts and we need to start erecting them. Therefore the main frame plates’ design is being calculated in preparation for fabrication. As has been mentioned previously during their later years the frames on Georges cracked, we must prove to the VAB that we have designed out and mitigated any such known flaws, which we are currently doing. The main frame plates are critical in that they allow us to splice the two frames together and start erecting the locomotive properly. We hope to bring you positive news on this in the summer.

As we write this the cab roof is going through its final cross referencing and it should be ordered and being fabricated in the summer, please enjoy the computerised drawings and hopefully the real thing soon!

Analysis of the bogie wheel has been completed by Chali, who is now writing up his findings which enables us to review the design against a ‘known’ design, in this case a LMS standard bogie wheel and its BR successors; which is accepted by the modern railway. Once the assessment is complete we can go out to tender and get the castings of all 4 wheels made. In the meantime in enjoy the picture showing Chali’s excellent work.

A generous donation has been made to the Trust in the form of the money to purchase a complete set of brand new LNWR Locomotive Lamps. The Trust has therefore engaged one of the leading lamp makers in the country to fabricate these lamps. The order is placed and work should commence in June. The Georges generally carried a 1912 pattern lamp, no originals appear to exist (we would be grateful if one could appear in order to copy, if anyone has one or knows the whereabouts of one) without it we have a drawing and have received assistance from numerous groups and people; including the Bahamas Locomotive Society and the London and North Western Railway Society, to name but two sources. Our thanks are placed to both of these organisations for their support, wealth of information and knowledge they have imparted to us.