album:December 2016 pics

Our Number 4 lost in its own personal cloud on a snowy day at Dahuichang

Completed spring pillar cap, machined from solid, compared to the original drawing.

Paul and Alan with the tender spine channels now cut to length. They're preparing to mark out the sections that will be trimmed out to accommodate drawgear and brakes.

Dave 1 puts the finishing touches to the spring pillar cap.

Joan in the freezing fog at Llanfair

Paintwork on the loco wheelsets is now complete and looking very smart.

Axlebox bronzes now machined and ready for fitting to the axleboxes.

Time for shift-change in the den. Come on you lot, get back to work and make room for the rest of us to eat!

The results of Chris's efforts at the rear of the tender frames. These plates have been trimmed back to make way for the new tender spine and drawgear components.

Dave 2 grinds out a corroded section of the tender frame ready for Andrew to weld repair.

Will paints the cab window frames that Matt had so painstakingly de-rusted and cleaned.

Newly-made suspension knife edges and pillar cap being painted, along with a window catch, all framed by a cabside window.

Happy Christmas Number 4!

Axle bearing and axlebox ready for final fitting.

The edges of the large holes in the tender frame have been neatened up, while the un-necessary holes that had been crudely gas-cut nearby have been plugged, welded and ground flush. The tender frames are already looking much neater and will soon be ready for grit-blasting.

The new spine channels, trial fitted into the tender frame. There's a little fettling still needed but they're looking good. We will add 10mm thick plates to the tops of the old cross-members, which should be flush with the tops of the spine flanges. This will then form a rigid self-supporting tender frame, allowing the new tank to be fitted as a separate structure.