Recent News from Ropley MPD, in continuation of the Latest News page
| 13th June 2001:
9F # 92212 had 7 broken rhs firebox stays replaced today (discovered during routine washout). These five photos show the job, including Andy Netherwood screwing in one of the copper stays he'd just made.
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Report and four photos: Clive Holliday |
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| 5th June 2001: A4 #60019 Bittern
Mac (Brian McKay, 'Welding and NDT Technologist' of Materials Engineering Group) using MPI today found two further cracks in a Bittern driving wheel |
He's using that orange electromagnet to create the field for the magnetic particle inspection |
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Resco's Chris Pinion is doing an inspection. |
| 5th June 2001: Rodders climbs off Bodmin after
lighting up ready for tomorrow's mainline run to Salisbury |
By this time, I'd given Bodmin a clean and Rodders had done his GWR Brasso job on the injector feedpipes |
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| 5th June 2001: Steve Humby has been making good progress on P&O Line's tender rebuild. The curve in the deck just below the caster of Steve's tool-trolley is one side of the water-filler/manhole. | Roger Thornton has finished painting the main drivers of Std 5 #73096 - "..with hi-tensile, crack-resistant paint" - he said. |
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6th May 2001: (Pic) Andy starts the first
of the 'Mutual Improvement' classes at Ropley Manor: Locomotive Boilers and their Associated Fittings 
3rd June 2001: 2nd 'Mutual Improvement' day: Heat and Steam, Fuel and Combustion, Boiler Water Treatment 1st July 2001: 3rd 'Mutual Improvement' day: Locomotive feed water injectors |
| 30th May 2001:
Weld repairs to #60019 (A4 Bittern) wheel spoke
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| Mac is cutting out the crack using an oxy acetylene cutter | |
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| Putting prep on end of spoke ready for welding | Finished prep ready for welding |
31st May 2001: Finished job on the spoke of #60019 |
Four photos and report:
Clive Holliday |
| 25th May 2001:
Bodmin #34016 at Ropley, back from Eastleigh (23rd May) under its own steam. |
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| 25th May 2001: Closeup of evidence of magnetic particle inspection
of the wheels.
White paint is applied, followed by a suspension of iron particles in oil. A magnetic field is created by an electric current (about 200 amps) through coils. A fine line of iron particles reveals any crack. The wheels now have to have any cracks on their the inside faces welded (by a 'coded' welder), and non-destructive testing performed again before Bodmin is re-certificated for mainline use. |
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31st May 2001:
Brian McKay ('Mac') welding the backs and fronts of Bodmins wheels. Work was completed 2000hr 31st May 2001. See report 5th June above! Two small photos: Clive Holliday |
25th May 2001:
Removing the centre valve from #35005
'Canadian Pacific' in Ropley Loco
Yard
| 5th May 2001:
P-Way gang in a 'place of safety' whilst 9F
and service train pass. |
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5th May 2001: Downhill at Wanders Curve on the 9F |
| 2nd May 2001:
Two views inside the boiler show what goes on under Thomas's dome:
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Right: fittings and gauges have been |
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| 2nd May 2001: 9F #92212 passes Ropley Loco Yard with a down service train |  |
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| 2nd May 2001:
Duncan finished painting the roof of Class 33 #33208, and had just finished fitting the regulation orange tape (which warns of overhead electric wires on the main line). By afternoon, the loco had been shunted back into the yard |
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| 27th April 2001: Duncan has finished painting the tender for BR Standard Class 5 #73096 |  |
| 27th April 2001:
The corroded body of A4 Bittern's tender was lifted from the frames by the 45-ton steam crane on Wednesday (25th April) at Ropley. You can just see parts of the water scoop underneath the body. An entirely new body will be made, with corridor. Right: the frames of the tender |
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| 27th April 2001:
Thomas is having a routine boiler examination and may need one or two tubes replaced .Status. |
Photos: Tony Wood |
| 2nd February 2001:
Mechant Navy Class "P&O SNC" tender at Ropley for restoration (only the tender). We were outside replacing Bodmin's newly-reprofiled leading tender wheels on the wheeldrop. |
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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001:
Tony Wood
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The Watercress Line, The Railway Station, Alresford, Hampshire,
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