With the last of the earlier batch of frame castings now machined, progress is being made with permanently bolting them to the frames. To square up the frames, the bufferbeam stiffeners and the front buffer spring casings have been permanently fitted using the first of the 1065 driven and fitted bolts that have been acquired to assemble the frames.

Following experience with Tornado when we dismantled the buffer beam to bore the middle cylinder where some rust was found between the components, the decision has been made to “wet assemble” all the frame platework and frame stays. This is common practice in the aviation industry where sophisticated interfay compounds are routinely used in riveted aluminium alloy to inhibit corrosion.  After looking at several options, we have settled on using red metal primer as the interfay compound, as where it is squeezed of the joints, it makes an excellent base to ensure adhesion of subsequent layers of paint.  The sequence of photos shows Ian Matthews fitting the front bufferbeam. A coat of primer is applied to both mating surfaces and the components assembled and fully bolted together whilst the paint is wet.

Ian uses a torque wrench on nuts on the buffer spring casing – David Elliott

Bufferbeam stiffeners and buffer spring casings ready for bufferbeam fitting – David Elliott

Ian Matthews applies primer to frame stays – David Elliott

Ian applies primer to the back of the bufferbeam – David Elliott

Lifting on the buffer beam – David Elliott

Inserting driven bolts with a copper hammer – David Elliott

The buffer beam is on – David Elliott

A front buffer housing (or gusset) is offered up – Bob Hughes

A better inllustration of the component’s position – Bob Hughes

Mick Robinson and Ian Matthews line up the magnetic drill – David Elliott

Ian opens out the first of over 1000 holes – David Elliott

We currently have a total of 24 frame stay and hornblock castings which have been machined (which we asked our contractors to store for us until Tornado left Darlington Locomotive Works as space there has been at a premium) ready to fit to the frames. Using some of the 1,065 driven and fitted bolts and self-locking nuts for frame assembly that have been delivered by Hawk Fasteners at Middlesbrough, these will keep the team busy until the larger fabricated frame stays start to arrive.

The rear of the frames awaiting the drag box and Cartazzi frames – Bob Hughes

The castings and Cartazzi frames are trila fitted – Bob Hughes

The rear drag box in place, viewed from the front – Bob Hughes

One of the many brackets now in place – Bob Hughes

The first Cartazzi horn guide is offered up – Bob Hughes

The extended overhaul of No. 60163 Tornado has absorbed our engineering resources, and equally importantly the space we have at Darlington Locomotive Works to erect the frames. With the re-entry into service of Tornado, the first job was to clean and repaint the floor in DLW – overhauling an engine that has covered seventy six thousand miles over six years is a very dirty process compared with building a new one!  No. 2007 Prince of Wales’s frames have since been skated back into the middle of the workshop over the track and pit to enable to construction to resume in earnest.

Photos of the frames being skated back into position over the pit road – David Elliott