After all the excitement of steaming the boiler last November, Chatham Steam still had some big jobs to do before the boiler could return to Toddington.  They had to install the super heater header and elements in the boiler and hydraulically test the joints - this job was completed just before the 'Big Freeze', and the boiler was drained and dried out even as the thermometer plunged! 

Another major task was making the Combine Pipe - this runs along the top of the firebox in two planes and connects the steam manifold in the cab to the emergency shut-off valve on the firebox shoulder (it's that mysterious wheel valve on the driver's side).  Chatham Steam skilfully completed it in one piece, which eliminates possible leaking joints.  By filling a straight pipe with sand to stop it collapsing whilst bending, they formed the complex shape by a combination of heat and hydraulic bending equipment.  We had previously fitted the crinolines to the firebox so the required alignment of the pipe could be seen, and the shut-off valve was fitted to the boiler. It took a lot of "trial fits" before the alignment of the pipe was correct.

The remaining major job at Detling was to fit the mechanism that operates the regulator valve in the dome.  A long rod was threaded through the boiler back head, along the top of the inner firebox to the regulator valve, to which it was attached by a pin.  On the back head the stuffing box, cross shaft, bracket and regulator handle were all fitted up.  It took a number of adjustments to the alignment of the whole assembly before everything operated freely when the regulator handle was given a tug.

Back at Toddington, winter work on the loco chassis concentrated on the essential jobs necessary before the boiler could be replaced in its frames, the key task being to complete the repairs to the rear left hand pad that takes a good deal of the weight at the back of the boiler.  A manganese strip was welded on using special welding rods, then the pad was attached to the chassis using fitted bolts.  We also managed to do a few tasks that were easier to undertake whilst the boiler was out of the way.  These included needle-gunning and repainting parts of the frames where the paint was looking tired.

We have also reinforced the left hand running boards where the brackets for the injector delivery and steam heat pipes are located; the opportunity was taken to paint the undersides of the boards before they were re-fitted.  The drive links to the right hand side lubricators have been fitted up and checked to ensure they operate freely.  The drive is taken from the expansion link, and it's quite satisfying to rock the link to and fro by hand and watch the lubricators nodding gently in response.

On the tender, the twelve brake hanger arms have been fitted with brake block holders, brake blocks and tensioners.  Each assembly was lifted into place using a car trolley jack.  Making up the handbrake shaft for the tender has proved more challenging!

The locomotive valve gear has received some attention recently, and work has continued on the task of fitting the valve rods with new bearing bushes, about one third of which have now been dealt with.  We're not that far off being able to offer a set of valve gear up to the loco to check that everything moves freely.

After two and a half years in Kent, the boiler was finally craned back into its frames at Toddington on the 24^th February - rather later than the "nine to twelve months" originally predicted!  The boiler lift went very smoothly; the weather was fine, we used two cranes again to control the 30-ton boiler more securely, and the boiler was lowered to a point only about 1/8" off the centre line - one crane driver said he normally works to an accuracy of six inches!  The boiler sits on blocks in the frames so the cladding can be re-fitted round the barrel and throat plate, then it will be lowered to its final position using jacks. 

Within days of its return the locomotive was shunted under cover, and we can now get on with the long business of assembling a multitude of parts. We don't yet have all the money we'll need to employ specialist contractors along with our volunteer workforce, so if you'd like to help us to complete this project, please get in touch via the website or through Toddington.  However, we can say that the light at the end of a very long tunnel is glowing a bit brighter!