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Construction

Frames bent to shape

14/07/2014

David Elliott and Mick Robinson had a successful weekend at Darlington Locomotive Works. The main frames now have the bends in them, and the remaining frame plates have been set up and temporarily bolted to the main frames.  The bends in the rear frames (needed to allow room for the Cartazzi wheelset to move sideways without the wheels hitting the frames) were achieved as follows:

A bending former was made up using a piece of steel plate normally used to the protect the inspectionpit boards from exceptionally heavy loads, to which was temporarily welded a hefty piece of rolled steel joist (RSJ) which forms part of the boiler cradle, a specially pressed former to provide the correct bend diameter and a spare piece of angle to brace the upright to the floor plate.  This was carefully lined up with the inside of the required bend and secured to the rails by large tack welds.

07121402First frame bending setupDE

The rig is set up around the frames to start the bending process – David Elliott

07121403Frame bending formerDE

The former around which the bending will take place – David Elliott

The area of the frame to be bent was then heated using two large oxy-propane torches, two being required to reach the necessary dull red heat in the whole of the width of the 30mm plate being bent. Two complete bottles of oxygen were used, made possible by the loan of a second oxy-propane set from M Machine.  The rear end of the frame was then formed into the correct place using the fork truck, the angle of the bend being checked with a laser profiled template CNC cut from the 3D model of the frames.

07121404First bend successfulDE

The first bend successfully completed – David Elliott

07121405Set up for second bendDE

The rig re-set for the second bend – David Elliott

Once the team were happy with the initial bend, the whole rig was reorganised with the bending former outside the frames to make the rear bend which returns the back of the frame parallel to the main part of the frame.  This time there was no room to use the fork truck between the frames, so an alternative method was employed using the ten tonne jack set to push the end of frame being bent.  Once all four bends were in place, the doublers under the front of the firebox and the rear outer (Cartazzi) frames were temporarily bolted on. For now the frames are held together (and apart) by threaded rod and tubes cut to the required distance between the frames.

07121406LH frame bends completeDE

The completed bends – David Elliott

07131401Mick warms up the third bendDE

Mick Robinson warms up the next area to be bent – David Elliott

07131403Mick studies his handyworkDE

With the inner frames bent to shape, the Cartazzi frames could be bolted on – David Elliott

07131405Detail of frame joints at front of fireboxDE

One of the frame joins and the threaded bolts securing the plates together – David Elliott

Frames erected!

12/07/2014

07111401FrameErectionTonyLord

With the frames delivered, out came the frame stands last used for Tornado – Tony Lord

07111402FrameErectionTonyLord

The frame plates were roughly positioned – Tony Lord

07111406FrameErectionTonyLord

A close up of the doubler welded over the Cartazzi axle – Tony Lord

07111407FrameErectionTonyLord

A view from the firebox end – Tony Lord

07111409FrameErectionTonyLord

One side of the frames is uprighted – Tony Lord

07111411FrameErectionDE

The frames erected on the stands and held together with threaded rods – David Elliott

07111413FrameErectionDE

The opposite view from the rear of the frames – David Elliott

07111411FrameErectionTrailing outer frames and main frame doublersDE

The Cartazzi frames and additional doublers awaiting fitting – David Elliott 

Frames delivered to Darlington

10/07/2014

07101401Prestons arriveDE

Prestons arrive with the frames from Boro’ Foundry – David Elliott

07101403Frames arrive in DLW-DE

The wagon is carefully backed into Darlington Locomotive Works – David Elliott

07101404Front frames craned offDE

The smaller front frames are craned off – David Elliott

07101405Main frame plate being craned off 10-7-14

The main frames then follow – David Elliott

07101407And on the groundDE

The frames have landed! – David Elliott

07101410Dave Brown from North View Engineering welds on doubler plateDE

Wasting no time, Dave Brown from North View Engineering welds a doubler on – David Elliott

07101411Plate held vertically to complete weldDE

The frames are uprighted to facilitate this – David Elliott

First steel casting

10/07/2014
We can now bring you an image of the first wheel casting after it had been broken out of the mould at William Cook Cast Products.  We are also pleased to say that Darlington Locomotive Works is ready for the frames thanks to sterling efforts by Mick, Andy and the volunteers. This is just as well as the frames were loaded on to the lorry at Boro’ foundry yesterday and due at DLW between 8.00 and 9.00 today!  The Cartazzi outer frames and main frame doublers will be collected on Friday.  In the meantime the first paint has been applied – to the doublers over the slots for the Cartazzi axle in the main frames – see picture.
 
07091401New P2 wheel 2 cleanedDE
 
The first steel casting for Prince of Wales!  This will now be NDT tested and machined – David Elliott
 
07091402Loading frames at BoroDE
 
The frames are loaded on to a lorry at Boro’ Foundry for delivery to Darlington – David Elliott
 
07091403DLW ready for framesDE
 
Darlingto Locomotive Works has been cleared to receive the frame plates – David Elliott
 
07091404Ian Matthews paints the first frame componentDE
 
Ian Matthews, responsible for keeping Tornado pristine, paints the first frame components – David Elliott

First wheel cast!

04/07/2014

David Elliott delivered the Tornado patterns for pony, Cartazzi and tender wheels and the coupled hornblocks to Cooks at Sheffield at the start of July.  The first coupled wheel has already been cast and we will add photos as soon as it is broken out of the mould

Good progress is being made with preparing the expanded polystyrene patterns for casting with the addition of runners and risers.

07031401Coupled wheel pattern after casting first wheelDE

The coupled wheel pattern is prepared for casting – David Elliott

07031404Mould box containing first wheelDE

The mould box containing the first driving wheel casting for No. 2007 – David Elliott

07031403Drag box poly pattern with runners and risersDE

The substantial polystyrene pattern for the dragbox – David Elliott

07031402Frame stay and firebox support poly pattern with runners and risersDE

The frame stay / boiler support pattern – David Elliott

07031405Pony and Cartazzi wheel and coupled horn block patterns delivered to CooksDE

The pony and Cartazzi wheel and coupled horn block patterns delivered to Cooks – David Elliott

Frames machined

01/07/2014

These photos and the video show progress on the milling and drilling of the main frame plates at Boro’ Foundry at Stourbridge. The main frames are set up on the large Elga Mill and the top surfaces are being machined first. The table is big enough to accommodate the 11.2m length of the main frames, however the cutting head can only move 8m. Hence the frames will be reset 3 times, once to complete the machining of the top edges, then twice more to machine the bottom edges and the horn slots. Fortunately 8m is long enough to machine all the horn slots in one setting which will ensure that their positions relative to one another are accurate which will make eventual setting of axle centres easier than with Tornado.

The leading frame extensions are simultaneously being machined on a gantry mill. The left and right hand plates are tack welded and clamped together on the machine table so that they can be machined and drilled together. The video shows the cutter returning to the start of a cut at the rear end of the upper edge of the frames and proceeding via a large cut out where the one piece cylinder block will sit. All edges of the profiled frames are being machined to remove the metal that is heat affected by the flame cutting process. Typically 0.25″ is being removed around the edges in 2.5mm deep cuts. (Apologies for mixture of imperial and metric units – the drawings are imperial, the machine metric!). After the plates are accurately set up both machines, cutting is Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) from a .dxf drawing which in turn is derived from the Solidworks 3D model of the locomotive.

06261401Buffer beam and small componentsDE

The buffer beam and small components – David Elliott

06261402Leading frame plate extensionsDE

The leading frame plate extensions are milled – David Elliott

06261403Leading frame plate extensions 2 DE

A different view of the milling in progress – David Elliott

06261404Machining cut-outs for cylinder block DE

Machining the cut-outs for the cylinder block – David Elliott

06261405Main frames at Boro DE

Viewed from the rear, the sheer size of the frames is apparent – David Elliott

06261406Main frames at Boro on Elga mill DE

Milling the main frames – note the tack welds holding the two together – David Elliott

06261407Tender frame plates ready for machining DE

The tender frames were machined at the same time as the main frames – David Elliott

 

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Darlington Locomotive Works
Hopetown Lane
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DL3 6RQ

01325 460163

Darlington Locomotive Works – The Works are open to the public on the first and third Saturday of each month, the latter a day that coincides with NELPG also opening their doors to visitors – 11:00hrs to 16:00hrs. NOTE, DUE TO THE CURRENT SITUATION, THE WORKS ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

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Gresley P2 2007@Gresley_P2_2007·
1 Mar

60 by 60 !

We now have 940 covenantors, and we still hope to reach 1000 by the end of July. Help us gain the final 60 by the 60th anniversary of the scrapping of the last P2s.

Click here for more info: http://ow.ly/S7K750DMvSF
📸Credit: A1SLT

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Gresley P2 2007@Gresley_P2_2007·
28 Feb

We are excited to announce that the online donations system is now available on our website for signing up as a P2 Covenantor, joining any of the P2 clubs, contributing to The P2 Support Coach Appeal or making one off donations.

Click here to sign up: http://ow.ly/l14U50DJECo

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Gresley P2 2007@Gresley_P2_2007·
26 Feb

We need your 'Support' !

Have you thought about supporting us ? Join the Support Coach Appeal today.

Click here for more information: https://www.p2steam.com/support/support-coach-appeal/#/

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