110515 – Web update
Drawings have been prepared for the main frame plates profiling and we are ready to order the plates from Tata (ex-Corus, ex British Steel) in Cradley Heath. The aim is to then have the holes drilled at Boro Foundry just down the road in Stourbridge. This will save us transporting the plates all the way to Essex and then back again at a later date.
It also makes sense for the mid-frame stretcher to be cut at the same time as this is also 1 inch thick. Other items to follow will be the front buffer beam stiffener, buffer beam mounting brackets, buffer beam gussets and the main diagonal frame brace that sits under the cab. This is the minimum number of components required to assemble the frames, hopefully by the end of the year.
In addition to the ongoing work with regards to the frames, smaller components are also being sourced. The hangar brackets for the driving wheel spring are to be cast shortly and investigations are underway to join a group to source material for major forgings in bulk and thereby reducing costs.
Useful drawings from the Great Eastern Railway Society ‘Dupen collection’ continue to be photographed at the Essex Records Office. In addition, copies of the casting and final component drawings for the driving and coupled wheel hornblocks have been ordered ready for requests for quotation. Work is ongoing to convert the drawings to CAD to ensure compatibility between all parts. All CAD models have been generated with wireframe (lines representing the materials edges and form) so far but a start has been made with what is known as solid modelling where, as the name implies, the component has recognizable volume and form.