CLASS
G5
LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY LTD
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The locomotive is being built in distinct units and each unit is paid for on completion and will belong to the Company from the onset. This minimises the risk to both the Company and the supplier, including our main contractor, Great Northern Steam of Darlington. We have amassed over 130 of the original drawings for the locomotive which will give accuracy and authenticity to the project. We have, however, had to make some compromises to comply with modern regulations, such as the use of an all-welded boiler rather than the traditional riveted construction. These changes have been inspected, approved and are registered at Lloyds for insurance purposes. There are others, such a moving the Westinghouse pump from the cab to the front of the tank, modifications to the bogie and the replacement of wooden buffer beams by steel, which have been done for expedience. However, none of these changes will detract from the external appearance of such a beautiful piece of Victorian design; in fact, some of these changes were also implemented by the LNER for the same reason. We have collected various ‘authentic’ items such as Ross-pop safety vales, a Westinghouse pump, gauges, whistle, vacuum brake ejector valve, which are being renovated for use on the locomotive. We also have the invaluable assistance of David Elliott (of A1 fame) who is guiding us through the project. The building of the G5 is broken down into 6 distinct sections, support coach, boiler, bogie, frames & wheels, cylinders & motion and finally ancillaries; to see the progress click on each.
We also produce a newsletter (when I remember) that gives a quick update on the current 'state of play'.
The support coach is an ex-LMS BG that has been completely restored by Rail Restorations (NE) Ltd at their premises in the old Shildon Wagon Works. This shows some of the work in progress, starting with a look at the condition it was in when we got it.
The coach was stripped and any damaged panels repaired prior to painting - as you can see, there was alot of work to do! Now, compare it with what it looked like when Rail Restorations (NE) got to work on it ...
... quite a change I'm sure you'll agree. The inside was gutted and completely re-designed (with some advice from Fred Ramshaw of NELPG).
The interior is divided into sleeping accommodation and a workshop; the workshop is the area furthest from the camera in this view.
The coach was completed in December 2009 and was transported (see right) to the Weardale Railway until we need her to undertake the role she was bought for … ... providing a ‘home from home’ for the crew who will support the G5 when she is away on hire to Heritage railways in the UK. [back to top]
The boiler is the 'heart' of any steam
locomotive and in this section you can see some of the components that make up
this important component. Here you can see the tube plate (right), cut and drilled to take the boiler tubes ... eventually. This will be fitted at the smokebox end of the boiler barrel. At the other end is the throatplate.
The curved shape is where the throatplate (left) will be welded to the boiler barrel. The holes are not for boiler tubes - they are for the stays (bolts basically) that will hold the inner firebox separate from the outer firebox and create a space where the water can circulate and be heated up to produce steam. Here the throatplate has been welded to the two side plates and the backhead and the holes have been drilled for the stays - literally hundreds of them!
The next thing is to see if it all fits together before you go much further!
Attention then turned to the inner firebox.
The inner firebox is shown under construction. By February 2009 the 'box' was complete (left) with the hole cut for the firehole door.
By May 2009 the inner firebox had been fitted inside the boiler/outer firebox and turned upside-down so that the process of fitting the side stays could be completed. There are two types of stay:-
The boiler was then moved to rail Restorations (NE) Ltd to create some space at great Northern Steam to allow the bogie to progress. As you can see (right), the boiler has been painted a nice shade of silver by Mike Wood and Peter Shields. The silver is actually heat resistant paint and we have applied 4 coats of the stuff. Mike thinks that the boiler looks bigger when painted; I think he got too near the paint fumes! But you can judge for yourself.
The boiler was returned to Great Northern Steam in December 2010 to 'complete' it. This involves fitting the front tubeplate, main steam pipe etc., and this is expected to be finished by April 2011. The fitting of the boiler tubes is normally done just before the hydraulic and steam tests for the insurance certificate and, once done, the insurance clock starts to tick. If we take a couple of years to complete the rest of the locomotive it means that the first two years of the insurance ‘ticket’ is wasted.
The NER bogie fitted to the G5 is a complex design (more complex than an A4 bogie believe it or not) so it is an important component to get right.
Two steel plates were clamped together, marked our, cut, machined and drilled to form the two bogie side frames you see here. This is technique well known to railway modellers - but this is on a much larger scale! The side frames are held together by two beams/bars called 'stretchers' and the pattern for one of these is shown below.
The wheels for the bogie, like 95% of the components of this locomotive, has had to be made from scratch. This entails making a master, usually in wood but it can also be made using glass fibre.
Then a mould is made from the pattern and molten metal is poured into the mould, allowed to cool and set and, hey presto, you have a copy of the original pattern ... in this case a bogie wheel, or two.
Notice that the wheel doesn't have hole in the middle, that has to be drilled after the casting has cooled as drilling is far more accurate than trying to cast the axle hole in.
Now all we need are the tyres, axle and axle
boxes (which we also have had to have made from scratch). We have had
these made but the assembly of these is a specialist task that Great Northern
Steam have had to contract out. Basically the tyre is made very slightly
too small, then it is heated up and expands and the wheel is pushed onto the
tyre. When the tyre cools it shrinks and grips the wheel ... simple. The wheel is fitted to the axle using a very large press that exerts many tons of pressure. You certainly don't want the wheel coming off the axle!
At the same time the bogie was being assembled by Great Northern Steam as shown in the photograph (right).
The bogie is now complete and waiting to be painted by Rail Restorations (NE) Ltd.
It will be displayed at the NRM/Locomotion museum in Shildon for about 3 months from early January 2011.
Train spotters take note ... the registration plate is not the running number of the engine so don't look for it in an old Ian Allan ABC!
The horn blocks that will carry the coupled wheels are shown below. Many people mistakenly refer to these as 'driving wheels' but there are usually only two driving wheels per locomotive – the ones at the end of the connecting rod. (both photos - Peter Shields)
The pattern shown above for the main bogie pivot/frame spacer. This is one of several 'spacers' that are bolted between the main frames to give them strength and rigidity. Another is the motion bracket (right - standing against a wheel pattern) which also acts as a support for the inside valve gear mechanism. At each the 'spacers' are replaced by buffer beams which are made from steel sheet. The ones for the G5 can be seen below before the various holes were drilled.
The cylinders have, like so much of the locomotive, had to be made from scratch, this means that firstly a drawing has to be made then transferred to a piece of wood. Then patterns are constructed from which the cylinders can be cast and then machined.
This is a long process, especially for a
complex structure like a cylinder, which often has to
be made in several sections.
Once this process has been complete a mould has to be made from the original patterns. Again, this is a very skilled job and was carried out for us by Stockton Casting. When that is done the mould is put into a contained ready for pouring.
This is where it gets a bit like Dante's Inferno, as you can see in the photo (left), where the left hand cylinder is being cast.
When it has cooled enough it is tipped, rather unceremoniously, 'out back' to cool of for a few days (right). It does look rough doesn't it? Just wait until it gets machined though, then it will look 'the business'.
Even at this early stage you can see the difference between that rough casting and the semi-finished cylinder (left).
Below is a picture John took looking down the bore of the left hand cylinder - as smooth as a baby's bum!
With the machining of the left hand cylinder block complete work started on the right hand cylinder. When complete, the two halves can be joined and, along with the buffer beams, motion bracket etc., will form the spacers used to bolt the main frames together.
We also have a Westinghouse pump that is currently being re-conditioned by Great Northern Steam. We hope to mount it on a frame so that we can show it off to the general public (and potential investors) until it gets fitted to the locomotive.
So, how much have we achieved? Well, rather than tell you I'll show you ....
... the components in red are finished and the ones in blue are at least 75% complete, so you judge for yourself!
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Last modified: 18 Jan 2011 |
During
spring 2009 the frames arrived, were marked out and drilled as a pair, separated
and, as you can see, work has started on setting them up. 
We
also have various bits and pieces for the loco, buffers, Ross 'pop' safety
valves