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Latest progress at the Watercress Line's Ropley Steam Railway MPD
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| Introduction to Loco Shed
webpages Loco Roster ( .xls) Updated 2nd May 2008. (Actual MPD roster. Maintenance data removed. Subject to changes at any time.) 
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 8th May 2008: Last two bores before the machine is returned to the Bluebell. This is rebuilt J94 Douglas #10 Click photo for movie version (790KB, 8th May 2008) |
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| Black Five #45379 wheels and frames in the wheeldrop shed Photos and movie (8th May 2008): Tony Wood
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From: Andy Netherwood
Sent: 07 May 2008 19:53
Subject: #45379 tubeplate
Tony
I went to Crewe last week to view progress on the Black Five boiler and took some shots of the new tubeplate in place, and putting in the copper set screws in the lower tube plate seams.
Andy
| 3rd May 2008: Ranger in #35005's smoke-box enjoying his first day of duty at Ropley |
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Photos (4th May 2008): David Pollard
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| 29th April 2008: Driving wheels have now all been removed from MHR Black Five #45379 and work has begun on the axleboxes |
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| Hugh and your webmaster were tapping core-plug stay holes in a new piston for #31806 Movie (1.9MB, 29th April 2008) Steve was boring the left valve-chest of MHR Standard 4 #75079 Each move of the boring bar's incrementing device moves the cutting tool about 15 thou along the bore. Movie (500KB, 29th April 2008) By the end of the day all four bores of #75079 done. In the boiler shop Andy was reassembling a boiler clack valve off the backhead of A4 Bittern after replacing its seating. |
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Newly-cleared embankment beyond the Ropley down starter signal warranted investigation. As I wandered in that direction, under the up platform a wren caught my eye. (Only able to grab this poor shot before it made off. Sorry ... tw) Looks like preparations for the new Ropley up distant. Ropley signalbox |
22nd April 2008:  Standard 4 #75079, Douglas #10 and U-Class 31806 have been moved into the main shed.
Steve was boring the left cylinder of #75079 - Movie (1¼MB, 22nd April 2008) and #10 is next in line for cylinder-boring. Black Five #45379 has had two axles removed and we can already see a need for re-working the boxes: there are some edges to the white metal which would scrape oil from the bearing rather than produce the necessary continuous film |
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Ivatt #41312 was busy on Footplate Experience
duties - the students with John and Barney were all smiles by the
time they were shown around the shed. Bittern and its support coach were sunbathing in platform 1 whilst David and your webmaster shunted the yard. A substantial goods train went through on its way to Alresford. Demo goods train ran on 27th April 2008 (#41312) |
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In the boiler shop, Andy has been fitting palm
stays* to the boiler of Douglas #10. To get inside the boiler (which is upside down) he'd wriggled up through the dome! I rather like this shot through a smokebox tubeplate hole, for the shadows cast by the firebox tubeplate around the shell. *Palm stays give added support to the firebox tubeplate Two diagrams reproduced with the permission of the author from his excellent reference book: "The design, construction and working of Locomotive Boilers" by Alan J. Haig C.Eng.,
M.I.Mech.E (ISBN0-9545364-0-1)
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| Gavin was working in the firebox of 9F #92212 |
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| Duncan goes walkies on top of BCK #21236 ... |
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| ... and Mike Cross puts black polyurethane gloss on some brake rigging Photos and movie (all 22nd April 2008): Tony Wood
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| 15th April 2008: Because a windings fault was found in the DC motor just before planned changeover to electric power, we're still operating the wheeldrop with the little pneumatic motor. It's very slow but has served us well for some years now! Today we used it to put in the driving axle of U-Class #31806 Movie (8½MB, 15th April 2008) |
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| As the axleboxes neared the horn guides, lateral adjustment was made with a small screw jack - the spanner stopped the jack body rotating |  |
Out in the yard Movie (950KB, 15th April 2008) ...Nick was giving Wadebridge a clean Movie (1½MB, 15th April 2008) Photos and movies (Ropley, 15th April 2008): Tony Wood
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| It seems the loco shed robin has attracted a mate and they are nest-building in the 11/16" Whitworth tool tray. David Sibley said it flew out suddenly and made him jump whilst he was on his locking-up rounds: "I'd forgotten it was there" - he said. |
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| 1st April 2008: Andy explains the new Mid Hants reverse osmosis plant (supplied by Lubron.) Spud did much of the preparatory installation work - Movie (10.6MB, 1st April 2008) Filling the boiler of Wadebridge with purified water - Movie (1.6MB, 1st April 2008) There is still some electrical wiring to be completed in the cab and some gauges* yet to be fitted, but this didn't delay the lighting of a fire. Smoke was coming out of the chimney this afternoon. *Most of the gauges have been rebuilt by their manufacturers |
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 Original and rebuilt West Countries stand side by side, both with the same crest (Cornwall) and named after adjacent Cornish towns |
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| Photos and movies (all 1st April 2008): Tony Wood | |
| 26th March 2008: Ropley loco shed's new resident robin, building a nest in a tool rack, is understandably a bit grubbier than your average garden robin! |
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 Wadebridge's cab is now painted, lined and numbered. New wooden windows are ready to fit. Steve did red in-fill on the brass control labels at home |
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Chris Wrathall was busy on 'his' lathe making steel bushes for spring hangers for U-Class #31806 |
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Preparing to fit the driving wheels to #31806. The cylinders and valve-chests have all now been re-bored. Movie: Peter was fettling a slidebar for #31806 (820KB, 26 Mar 08) |
| David, piping up steam heating in the rain under improvised plywood shelter |  |
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The pannier was checked today. John up top refitting the hydrostatic lubricator condenser coil. Movie: Neil and Gavin tested the loco to Medstead (4.8MB, 26 Mar 08) Photos and movies (all 26th March 2008): Tony Wood
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| 15th March 2008: Bob Cartwright made these worsted
trimmings at home one evening Duncan finds the correct screws to fit brass glazing strips for the new sliding cab windows of Wadebridge |
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| 15th March 2008: Wadebridge cab
now in gloss Photos
(15th March 2008): Tony Wood
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Movie: Drilling out copper firebox stays from the Maunsell S15 #828 boiler (1.1MB, 15th March 2008): Tony Wood |
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11th March 2008:
 First bore, first pass: re-boring a cylinder of U-Class #31806 in the wheeldrop shed. Movie of this process (3.2MB, 11th March 2008) Boring in more ways than one: Trevor resorted to reading a magazine whilst listening for any machining problems. Photos
and movie (11th March 2008): Tony Wood
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| The cab of Wadebridge has had its coat of 50:50 undercoat and gloss finish. Duncan was gently flatting the surface ready for the final gloss coat. Steve was fitting a new wooden floor in the cab. Bob, in a trapeze harness, was replacing the cladding above the firebox. | |
| 9th March 2008: Wadebridge cab is now in undercoat and most lubrication pipework has been reconnected. Newly-painted wheels are for U-Class #31806 ... |
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... which is set up for re-boring the valve-chests and cylinders |
| Couplings are checked for faults |  |
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Standard 4 #75079 |
| Young volunteers were setting up to blow-though Bittern's
boiler tubes - I liked the graphics on their warning notice. Movies: Ivatt #41312 arrives with a service train from Medstead & Four Marks (2.4MB, 9th March 2008) Standard 5 #73096 then departs Ropley with an up service train (7.4MB, 9th March 2008) Photos and two movies (all 9th March 2008): Tony Wood |
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| 4th March 2008: Rebuilt cab of Wadebridge has been fitted and most boiler fittings have been renovated and reinstalled. The tender awaits lining.  |
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 A very welcome visitor to Ropley was Dick Hardy - no stranger to the firing of the Gresley A4s ! Here he's chatting with Bob Allen (Ropley MPD Engineering Manager) on Ropley station. Bob's the one who isn't 84 |
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| Drivers for U-Class #31806 have been moved to the wheeldrop shed. Painting continues. Horn-guides were being measured and shimmed, or skimmed on the planer, to ensure correct axle alignment. | |
| Bittern,
after its weekend run to Newcastle was having its boiler emptied for washout* *Movie (1.4MB)
We can expect fewer boiler washouts and less maintenance once our new reverse osmosis water treatment plant is operational. The contractor installing it told me that MHR is: "The first railway I've done; we mostly do hospitals and such. We'd welcome enquiries from other steam railways though." |
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and movie (all 4th March 2008): Tony Wood |
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| 26th February 2008: Hugh tells how he made these split bushes* for Black Five #45379 *
Movie (18MB) and photo (both 26th
February 2008): Tony Wood
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| 19th February 2008: New wooden patterns to cast new tender wheels for Standard 4 #75079 |
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 #34007 has had a valve exam
whilst work proceeds on the cab and tender |
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| Movies
of work on #34007 cab:
Backhead (1.8MB) Temporary bolts for roof-sheeting prior to riveting (530KB) |
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Photos and movies (all 19th
February 2008): Tony Wood |
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12th February 2008:
Mike Cross was putting black polyurethane gloss finishing coat on the drivers of U-Class 31806 |
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 Two photos (12th February 2008): Tony Wood |
Movie: Duncan Richardson shows the history of a Bulleid tender through its paint layers (8MB, 12th February 2008): Tony Wood |
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 Roger has been repainting brackets and fittings for the cab of Wadebridge |
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If you are following the restorations of our goods
wagons you'll recognise the coal truck nearing completion
Photos (10th February 2008): Tony Wood |
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| 9th February 2008: From: Michael Pearson Sent: 09 February 2008 17:11 I took this photo of one of the seats at Ropley today. It's a pity about the urchins sitting on it but then you can't have everything! Regards, Mike An e-mail from Mark this evening revealed
that they
cleaned out the drain cocks of #41312, and did a pad exam on the tender and pony truck of #34007 'Wadebridge' 
See also: Diesel
Corner |
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Latest News pages ...
Anything previous?
| Stanier
Black Five #45379*
... is under restoration *Photo:
Frank Boait
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I
think you'll
like this web-movie, oh yes! ... tw:
On
the footplate
of #45231 at speed on the main line (26
Nov 05,
10.4MB) mostly filmed by Neil 'Bubbles'
Henderson, who makes a brief appearance
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How
a
steam railway engine
works
: -
the inside story in photographs
Glossary of technical railway terms
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More information about MHR locos' history "I'd love to help but I haven't any spare time ..... Anyway I live too far away" Links to other recommended websites
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Webmaster: tonywood@watercressline.co.uk
Copyright © 1997 - 2008: Tony Wood and photographers as acknowledged
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/tw
Title graphic: Henry
O'Dwyer
| Photos
(*& movies) by tw to show the day-to-day work
of this busy MPD: May 2006 to date (in addition): Fuji S7000* (digital) Nov 2002 to date: FujiFilm FinePix 2800Zoom* (digital) Late 1998 to Nov 2002: FujiFilm DX8 (digital) 1998 and earlier: Minox 35ML (35mm) |
| The Watercress
Line, The Railway
Station, Alresford, Hampshire, England, SO24 9JG Tel 01962 733810 Fax 01962 735448 tonywood@watercressline.co.uk www.watercressline.co.uk/tw |
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