A welding procedure was devised to satisfactorily repair the cracks previously found (see 9th August).
Work continued on the horn faces of the 6 coupled wheel axleboxes ready for the new bronze liners to be fitted after a delay waiting for them to be delivered. Each axlebox horn guide has been fitted with a new liner on the main bearing face with smaller liners on the front and rear thrust faces. The 6 axleboxes are seen here ready for these liners to be riveted on ready for machining to match the main horn blocks on 4561’s main frames. Also seen are the six new axle bearing bronzes.
The first of the new cylinder cock castings is seen as set up in the lathe ready to face and bore the main mounting face. Each of the six cocks will be so machined before going on to the next stage of machining the bodies.
One of 4561’s two piston rod assemblies is seen as set up in a lathe for re-grinding smooth over the length which slides through the piston rod gland in the locomotive’s rear cylinder cover. Following this the piston head can be machined to provide a running fit in its associated cylinder. The piston heads which have been recovered are being re-used but are now oversize having previously been machined to suit the old worn cylinders that have now been replaced.
Interestingly, one of the piston rods is stamped ‘4561’; the other is from ‘5539’.
First published on the WSRA 4561 restoration blog.