April 2025

April saw consistent progress on both the eight plank (ex-ash) wagon and 30075. Work on the wagon continued steadily, with more derusting and priming carried out, a long length of new angle iron fitted along the base of one side, and preparations made for fitting the vacuum pipework. A door was also refitted and a metal strip drilled ready for the bottom of one of the doors.

Photo Credit Peter Clark

On 30075, both cylinder covers were removed at the start of the month, with the large copper gasket rings sent away for attention. Threads on the fixing bolts have since been worked on, and by the end of the month the front left-hand cylinder cover was refitted. Attention turned to the vac ejector mid-month, which had been leaking—this was partially dismantled, repaired and is now ready to be refitted. Several steam leaks were tackled across the backhead and cab, including the pipework and injector joints.

Photo Credit Peter Clark

The tanks were filled with water to allow testing of the small injector’s water feed valve, which had been lapped in. The cage from the left-hand clack valve was returned from Paul Antell and following further repair by Richard Vincent, this valve has now been refitted. The other clack valve and the blower valve have been removed and sent to Richard for checking. The drain cocks, which had been sticking, were stripped down and refitted. A new copper bar has been ordered to make new gaskets for the cylinder covers. And most recently the last few days the cylinder cover and vac ejector have been refitted.