Small Prairie 4561 Restoration diary
Progress reports from Williton, Minehead and Lancashire, with photographs, from 2020 to today.
Axlebox repairs reveal 4561’s history
The unwanted studs have been removed from the axlebox horn faces (see previous notes) and the holes filled with plugs screwed in and capped with weld to provide…
New axlebox bearings ordered and slide bars refurbished
Having considered the options for the refurbishment of the coupled wheel axleboxes it was decided that the existing bearings and horn liner bronzes were beyond recovery and should…
Datum wires: checking axle and cylinder alignment
Mention was made earlier about the datum wires which have been set up at each cylinder bore centre line from the front of each cylinder to behind the…
Front frame riveted up
Efforts have been concentrated on completing the assembly of the front frame components which have been riveted in place with the exception of the curved section of the…
Footplate brackets, brake hangers and safety chains
Front footplate brackets and angles recovered from the old frames have been prepared ready to be fitted to the new behind the front buffer beam. Included are the…
Front buffer beam and buffers fitted
Steady progress is being maintained on the frames with the front buffer beam (now fully drilled) bolted into position and the buffers fitted having been overhauled. These mask…
Milestone: cylinders in the frames and the smokebox fits
The team at Williton have this week lowered the cylinder assembly into position within the mainframes and having placed nuts and bolts through the main and extension frames…
Pony truck clearances and the front frames trial fitted
Having completed the assembly of the extension frames and cylinders with all the bolts fitted and tightened down the opportunity was taken to try the pony truck in…
Fitted bolts for the extension frames and racking stretcher
With the extension frames and racking stretcher finally fitted in position on the cylinder block it was necessary to make and fit all the bolts and nuts needed…
Frame extensions finished and fitted to the cylinders
Looking back at the lockdown challenge from a couple of weeks ago:- The central hole is where the piston rod will go. The hole to the left in…
Profile milling and drilling the frame extensions
Having reduced the thickness of the extension frame plates where needed they were then set up flat on the milling machine table to create a curved profile where…
Shaping the new frame extensions
As can be seen a frame extension (orange) is not simply a flat piece of steel plate. It is profiled to fit beneath the cylinder block but in…