First wheels for B17 Spirit of Sandringham cast
WILLIAM Cook Cast Products of Sheffield has cast the first driving wheels for new-build LNER B17 4-6-0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham.
Using the pattern used to cast the driving wheels of A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado which was loaned by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, William Cook began the casting process for the B17’s counterparts on January 19.
The wheel pattern consists of two halves, the front face representing the wheel hub boss and crank pin boss as separate shapes, whereas the rear face represents the crank pin and wheel hub bosses combine as a single shape.
Process
After removal of both halves of the wooden wheel pattern, complete shapes of the front face and rear face are contained in the compressed sand in the left hand moulding box (top half ) and the right hand moulding box (bottom half ) respectively.
Two tons of molten steel were then prepared in a furnace and brought to a tapping temperature of 1630°C to be transferred to the ladle (temperature 1590°C), ready for pouring into the mould via the top feeder. Molten steel began to solidify in the mould after about four hours, and was used to prove the overall casting process. After five days to allow for cooling, the first wheel was knocked out from the moulding box. The wheel was then normalised, shot blasted, mechanically tested, and dimensionally and visually inspected.
Further inspection was to include magnetic particle inspection, radiographic examination, ultrasound testing, stress relief and finally proof machining, before the casting of the remaining wheels commences.
Gresley design
The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust is recreating an example of the 4-6-0 designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, a Sheffield-based engineering company CTL Seal Limited, as previously reported.
➜ Anyone who would like to help the project is invited to visit www. b17steamloco.co.uk/how-to-help