Kingsley Harris loosens the connections holding the vacuum ejector on the left-hand side of the smokebox.

The ejector is the device that sucks air out of the brake system when operating with vacuum-braked stock.

1st March 2017.  

Although some work has already been done loosening nuts and bolts, and removing valuable ‘jewellery’ from the cab, we’re treating this as the first ‘official’ day of the overhaul.

An unsavoury task was removing years of grease, coal-dust and trackside filth from the brake rigging.

Best done outside so as to not mess up the workshop.  This will ease the task of removing the rigging components.  At that stage, they’ll be thoroughly cleaned and overhauled as necessary.

Phil Little and Martin Barber worked all day to get the six hangers and adjacent sanding and ashpan gear cleaned up.

9th March 2017.  

Paul, Ken and George have started work scraping and oiling the rods and motion. This had been coated with steam oil when the loco was first withdrawn from service but now, over two years later, it’s looking very sad, dirty and rusty.

Boiler fitting dismemberment has also progressed, the vacuum ejector and the steam heat control valve have been detached from the boiler.

The background task of cataloguing items as they’re removed has been formalised with the issuing of record sheets, which are transcribed into a computer database along with photographs of the items once they’ve been filled in.

Gleaming motion. Compare this with the pre-work shot in the overhaul gallery

Treatment with a water-based degreaser leaves nuts and bolts readily accessible for the dismantling teams.

Fresh off the boiler, steam heat control valve (part number 7348) lies on the runing shed floor and awaits attachment of its metal tag.

26th March 2017.  

Work continues removing boiler-attached parts, including the whistle.

No new pictures this week, the photographer has been on holiday