Recent News from Ropley Motive Power
Depot: showing work-in-progress of interest to the steam railway
enthusiast
Reports and photos by your webmaster,
or by others where acknowledged
Follow our restoring of heritage steam engines
from Barry wrecks to high performance, mainline certified steam classics
| 4th September 2003:
Bulleid Battle of Britain light pacific 92 Squadron arrived today for our Steam Gala this month. It may stay for some time. #34081 hauled a MHR service train on Sunday, 7th Sept. Work starts next week on the wheeldrop shed (that's the frame you can see in the background of this photo) Photo (Ropley, 4th September 2003): Tony Wood |
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| 20th August 2003 at 1530BST:
Bodmin being test-run (crewed by Andy Netherwood and Dave Sibley) after passing its steam test and main-line certification. It hauled a MHR service train on 21st August 2003 Photo (20th August 2003): Brian Simmons |
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Thomas beats Douglas in a vigorous race through Ropley (Movie, 1.4MB, 17th August 2003, Tony Wood)
| 16th August 2003:
Bodmin was outside and lit up today with a light warming fire for steam test in a couple of days. The dome insulation and cover, and the soft cover between cab and tender were fitted today. Formal steam test booked for Tuesday. Main line fitness to run exam follows that. Andy reports all is so far on schedule for Saturday's main line run, and I for one am impressed with the speed at which it's come together. |
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| Ian Cooper was wiring -up Bodmin's steam-turbine-driven generator
in the late afternoon.
Two photos (16th August 2003): Tony Wood
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| 10th August 2003: Managed to ask Andy Netherwood today about progress with Bodmin. It passed its hydraulic boiler test last week, and will be steam tested 'in a couple of weeks'. Meanwhile it is being reassembled as fast as possible. The valve and piston exam has been completed. The cab is already in the shed ready to be mounted. Photo (10th August 2003): Tony Wood | |
| 2nd August 2003:
Ian, Phil and Frank chat at the start of the day in Ropley Loco Yard as steam is raised on the Ivatt and the 9F Photo (2nd August 2003): Tony Wood
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Index: Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019
"Bittern"
| 2nd August 2003:
Bodmin's boiler has had hydraulic test and it is booked to do another for the insurance company next week. This entailed filling and draining the boiler, which caused some minor flooding in the vicinity - hence the chalked notice d:-) Photo (2nd August 2003): Tony Wood |
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| 2nd August 2003:
Meanwhile, Bodmin's outside pistons and valves have been inspected, and work is proceeding on the centre valves and piston Photo (2nd August 2003): Tony Wood
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| 29th July 2003:
Bodmin's boiler was filled today to find any leaking stays on the new inner firebox section. Photo shows one of the two new foundation ring corners Photo (29th July 2003): Tony Wood |
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| 17 Jul 2003: Bodmin latest: Just finished fitting the last of the Monel firebox stays today and took some pics for the record showing the steel stays screwed in to length and ready for riveting over. Lots of noise next week! Andy Netherwood |
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Note flanging.
Previous pics |
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9th July 2003: We add a boiler
treatment compound - a tannin-based product, red like
Angostura Bitters - to tender water tanks. It does not get rid of the dissolved
solids - just stops scaling, and inhibits oxygen attack, on boiler tubes
- so sediment forms in the boilers. This is removed by routine blowdowns
(opening the boiler drain valve once each day the loco is in steam), and
boiler washouts (every 21 steaming days). During 9F blowdowns, as the water
flashes to steam, it makes a mushroom shape at the vent, and I thought
you might be interested to see this. We let the boiler water level fall by
about four inches; a blowdown lasts perhaps half a minute, so the movie is
edited.
9F blowdown
Movie (9th July 2003, 727KB): Tony Wood
3rd July 2003:
New roller shutters have been fitted to the loco shed, replacing those infuriatingly stiff folding doors
| 3rd July 2003:
The new rear corners of Bodmin's firebox foundation ring have been welded in place. Andy is making very good progress with replacing about 200 stays across the new section of inner firebox doorplate Photo (3rd July 2003): Tony Wood Busy time for Andy at present: the 9F had work done on the firehole door seam, and was undergoing a hydraulic test, which entailed blanking off the safety valves and gagging the regulator valve |
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Archive of previous Loco Shed News
pages of this website
Restoration of former SR Bulleid 'West Country Class' #34016 Bodmin (index to pages) MHR loco and carriage stock details 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 MHR Ropley Shed website in Japanese is on-line here ( see also )
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Webmaster: tonywood@watercressline.co.uk
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999,
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003: Tony Wood
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/tw
| The Watercress Line, The Railway Station, Alresford, Hampshire,
England, SO24 9JG Tel 01962 733810 Fax 01962 735448 info@watercressline.co.uk www.watercressline.co.uk/tw |
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