PRINCESS ROYAL TRUST WORKING THROUGH ‘PATRIOT’ PROBLEMS
Since the arrival of The Unknown Warrior at its West Shed, the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust has made “significant progress” on the ‘5XP’, says the LMS-Patriot Project.
On the Fowler 4-6-0’s centre driving wheelset, the defective crankpins are being replaced, owing to the keyways on the originals having been cut incorrectly; a repair was attempted, but a full assessment deemed that it was “not robust enough”.
One of No. 5551’s bogie wheelsets – originally from ex-Barry Stanier ‘8F’ No. 48518 – has been sent to Riley & Son (E) Ltd for replacement tyres. The group explained: “The wheelset was known to have tyres with the back-to-back dimension slightly over-specification. Originally this had been approved, but with the bogie dismantled for inspection the opportunity has been taken to fit replacement tyres to the correct, current specification.”
“The PRCLT has highlighted a few things in the light of its experience of running on the main line,” said Kevin West, the LMSPatriot Project’s Chief Mechanical Engineer. “Some of it is down to the lack of original drawings, others are things such as a locking plate being required where you used to have a split pin – but they’re nothing ground-breaking.
“We were stagnating – but now we’ve made decisions and we’re getting on with it.”
The locomotive’s reversing gear is ready to assemble in the cab, after Statfold Engineering successfully produced a crucial nut that other suppliers had been unable to make. A number of other cab fittings, from underoverhaul ‘Crab’ No. 13065, have been borrowed from the East Lancashire Railway to aid the manufacture of these parts for the ‘Patriot’, as original drawings were not available.
The £100,000 appeal to finish the boiler, launched in SR499, is a fifth of the way to its target. Donations can be made at www.lms-patriot.org.uk or sent to The LMS-Patriot Company, The Hub, 17 Eastgate Street, Stafford, ST16 2LZ.
Work on the boiler at Heritage Boiler Steam Services is currently focused on fitting the transverse firebox stays (which run above the crownsheet to connect the outer side plates), and the firehole door and backplate cladding. The recently delivered superheater header (SR498) is awaiting initial machining prior to pressure testing.