J549 – Update 10

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 10 March 2023.

A little slower this week as we have had to attend to brake block replacements and exams on the carriage fleet, also sorry no photos.

• Donations are now over $35,000 – thank you thank you.
• Firebox tube plate clean-up progressed.
• Work on reseating the boiler ancillary valves has been progressing – thanks Mario.
• Work on loosening the three longitudinal stays so they can be removed commenced. These have likely not been out since the boiler was built in 1952.

To speed the work up and ease the effort on the workforce, plus get a good surface for the paint we are organising for sand blasting of the outside of the boiler. This is still a week or two away but won’t hold up other works.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED – WE STILL NEED YOU.

If you would like to get involved, simply turn up at the Castlemaine workshop Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.00pm and ask for Baz, he’ll find you a job to do. The workshop is accessed via a turnoff at the level crossing in Parker St Castlemaine.

If you would like further information on how to get involved please contact myself on email – tony.llewelyn@vgr.com.au or 0429 100 022.

WOW! KEEP THE DONATIONS COMING

A big thankyou to all our donors and what a great effort as we are now over $35,000 raised towards our goal of $70,000.

To donate visit this link https://www.vgr.com.au/donate, select J549 from the pulldown list.

CURRENT PRIORITIES –

• Complete the 3 longitudinal stays for access inside boiler.
• CompleteTube plate cleanup
• Start cutting new fire and flue tubes to length.
• Gritblast the outside of the boiler.
• Start makimg the new cladding sheets to replace the rusted aways parts (mainly top of firebox)

J549 – Update 9 & 43BPL

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 3 March 2023.

• Ultrasound and Boiler Inspection completed – no nasty surprises were found, sometimes you have a win.
• Tube plate clean-up commenced.
• Donations are just shy of $30,000.
• Carriage 43 BPL repaint completed.

Below are the photos of this work, showing the ultrasound testing and the internals of the boiler.

With all the tubes removed we can see clearly inside the boiler ( a great chance for all loco crews to see how the firebox is supported) and as a result we see we need to fix the fireman’s side injector delivery pipe, given the pipe is dislodged from the entry opening and our next opportunity to get inside the boiler is many years away.

With the way the pipe is at present the fireman’s side injector delivery water is being directed onto the steam delivery pipe that supplies the turret that in turn supplies steam to the fireman’s side injector. So when the injector is turned on it is actually cooling the steam supply to itself – that is not going to help the operation of the injector or the other items fed from that turret.

The down side of fixing the delivery pipe is we need to remove three of the longitudinal stays so a person can get in the boiler to work on the delivery pipe.

43 BPL

Below is some photos of the carriage team finishing off repainting 43BPL last week and the lettering being applied by Riley and Fletcher.  It is hoped the now great looking carriage can be placed back in service on the train this week.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED – WE STILL NEED YOU.

If you would like to get involved, simply turn up at the Castlemaine workshop Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.00pm and ask for Baz, he’ll find you a job to do. The workshop is accessed via a turnoff at the level crossing in Parker St Castlemaine.

If you would like further information on how to get involved please contact myself on email – tony.llewelyn@vgr.com.au or 0429 100 022.

WOW! KEEP THE DONATIONS COMING

A big thankyou to all our donors and what a great effort as we are just shy of $30,000 raised towards our goal of $70,000.

To donate visit this link https://www.vgr.com.au/donate, select J549 from the pulldown list.

CURRENT PRIORITIES –

• Remove the 3 longitudinal stays for access inside boiler.
• Tube plate cleanup
• Needle gunning and worbrushing the outsied of the boiler then painting.
• Start cutting new fire and flue tubes to length

Carriage Team Report – February 23

The carriage team has been extremely busy over the past 6 weeks with often members working on several days of the week. 42BU repaint is now complete and is now back in service and available for use on regular trains. Both 43BPL and 30 BCPL were turned in late February with the near complete sides now facing the station platform which has generated a great deal of interest.

43BPL: The roof has been repainted in our standard mission brown and is a spectacular improvement. The offside (without the wheelchair access door) that currently faces the station is complete in red with grey window sashes. Meanwhile, the opposite side is fully undercoated with the topcoat being applied in the next week. Internally, all windows have been serviced and Tony has recovered the three worst seat bases. 43BPL will be back in traffic on Sunday, March 12^th giving us an impressive train once more. Photo below shows the multi skilling of our President – Steve Strangward and Sharon Martin our admin officer lending a helping hand with the painting of 43 BCPL.

30BCPL: A big improvement for our visitors is the sight of the repanelled side of this carriage. It still needs more trims to be added. Two-thirds of the other side has been reclad and timber has been purchased and undercoat to finish this during March. The badly weather damaged connecting doors have been reclad in steel but still require some adjustment. Internally, adjustment work continues with bespoke seats (meaning everyone is slightly different!). It is interest to report on the process that Tony has gone through over many months with the trim repairs that involved stripping old covers from seats and seat backs, repairs and replacement of foundation and padding of some seats, making of patterns, cutting, and machining of covers and bindings. Tony has spent over 54 hours doing this work both at Maldon and at home. While the vinyl and tacks were provided by the VGR, this work would have cost us more than $4,000 for labour!

All Out! J549 – Update 8

No, it’s not an update on the Australian cricket teams efforts in India, but this week marks a big turning point in J549’s overhaul with all the tubes out. The photo shows (left to right) Nigel, Baz, and Gerry proudly surveying the 21 flue tubes just removed on Friday (with the stack of 114 fire tubes behind Gerry).

HOW TO GET INVOLVED – WE NEED YOU.

A number of volunteers are making use of the V/Line service to Castlemaine as the workshop is only a few hundred metres from the Station, so if you don’t have car access use the train.

If you would like to get involved, simply turn up at the Castlemaine workshop Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.00pm and ask for Baz, he’ll find you a job to do. The workshop is accessed via a turnoff at the level crossing in Parker St Castlemaine.

If you would like further information on how to get involved please contact myself on email – tony.llewelyn@vgr.com.au or 0429 100 022.

KEEP THE DONATIONS COMING

Thanks to all who have donated so far but we do need more. Can we get to $20,000 by end of March? This will help with some upcoming expenses such as the boiler shell paint ($1000), the new boiler insulation ($2000), fire cement for the new bricks($4000), not to mention the full repaint of $5800.

To donate visit this link https://www.vgr.com.au/donate, select J549 from the pulldown list.

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 3 March 2023.

• All 21 Flue tubes have been removed which completes the tube removal phase – now to repairs and installing. All flue tubes are now being done as we found at least 14 needed to come out so we bit the bullet and are going to do all of them.
• Both the turret assemblies have been removed.
• The last of the cladding has now all been removed, along with the reverser wheel assembly and brake pressure gauge brackets.
• With all the above now completed we have arranged for the ultrasound thickness testing of the tubes plates and boiler shell  to be done this Thursday – keep your fingers, toes and everything else crossed for no surprises. the clean-up of the outside of the tube plates can get under way along with needle gunning the outside areas of the boiler so painting can commence, then its into repairs and retubing.

Below is video of the first flue tube being removed on Thursday– stand clear!

And below are photos of Rick Watson heating the turret valve assemblies on Tuesday to help with prising them off the studs and Rick and Baz in the firebox discussing the next moves on the flue tube removal and quickest way to clean-up the tube plate.

CURRENT PRIORITIES –

• Tube plate cleanup
• Ultrasound thickness testing of the boiler shell and tubeplates.
• Needle gunning of boiler then painting.
• Start cutting new fire and flue tubes to length

End of Update

Update – February 2023

Some of the work undertaking in the last month has involved the following:

• Remove feed water assemblies for clear access to the lower drag box;
• Remove brake pipes for access and brake pipe cock servicing;
• Grind all drag box holes to accept huck bolts;
• Filling the boiler with water and inspecting for leaks and then attending to expanding some of the two inch fire tubes as necessary to seal the leaks;
• Aligning the drag box pin castings and drill castings to accept the huck box;
• Cutting out the rusted portion from the driver’s cab side and setting up the new plate and cut off section for the driver’s cab side;
• Grinding back corrosion on the frame plates to gain a working service and measuring and planning purchase requirements to complete the drag box.
• Priming of top surfaces of frame footplate having been needle gunned.
• Needle gunning of funnel-note there are some small cracks around the base which are being carefully attended to.

You will see from the photographs accompanying this blog the work that has been described above.  We are also now proceeding with final assembly of the drag box which requires some equipment we are obtaining from a contractor. We are really pleased with the progress occurring this month and particularly to fill the boiler with water for the first time in roughly 10 years.  As always, if you want to be involved as a volunteer then contact John Hoy (0419 372 696) or Stuart Phemister (0427 867 412) as per previous blogs.

Die Grinding to suit Huck Bolts

Drilling out Dragbox Pin Casting

Filling Boiler

Front Tubeplate leaks

Remove Brake Pipe assemblies

Remove Feed Water assemblies

Sealing Front Tubeplate leaks

Funnel needle gunned

Footplate frame primed

J549 – Update 7

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 24 February 2023.

• Firetube removal completed
• Flue tube removal commenced.
• All cladding/lagging is now removed except for the driver’s side of the firebox in the cab – this last bit needs the reverser wheel assembly and the brake pressure gauge brackets removed to allow it to come off.
• Boiler washed out again – about ¾ of barrow load of scale off the tubes was removed.

The photos below show the above.

Current Priorities –

• Flue Tube removal
• Tube plate cleanup
• Complete the fittings/cladding removal in the cab.
• Needle gunning of boiler
• Start cutting new fire tubes to length

End of Update

J549 – Update 6

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 17 February 2023 plus a day.

The achievements this week were big! :

• Firetube removal should all be done by end of Monday 20 Feb. Then its on to flue tube removal and clean up of tube plates.
• The driver’s side injector feed shutoff valve was finally removed after a lot of careful bashing of wedges under the flange, encouraging language, plus some heat. Which of these three methods worked best is debateable but it eventually came off.  – see later in update what we found.
• In the cab all but a couple of pipes/fittings are now off with the cladding being removed.
• On the workshop front the air compressor is now operational as well as the washup trough.

INJECTOR FEED ISOLATION VALVES

Last week we showed the firemans and after we cleaned up the opening it wasn’t quite as bad as we thought, but still not good – area probably about ¼ of what it should be. Below shows a before and after clean up photo.

Before clean out of hole.

After clean out of the hole.

Under the drivers side it wasn’t nearly as bad as can be seen in the next photo

What was also found was that only the drivers side still has the internal feed pipe attached that directs the water forward of the dome. On the firemans side that feed pipe is long gone. We’ll put reinstatement of the firemans side feed pipe as a future task if at all. The drawings show we might be able to do it from through the dome but the practicality of doing that is to be determined and it’s not a priority for this overhaul.

DONATIONS –Another great week on the donations, thank you. See our website vgr.com.au to donate, see progress on the fundraising and for more information. Every dollar helps so if you can’t help physically a donation is a great way to support us.

This weeks work – Its start flue tube removal and complete the fittings/cladding removal in the cab.

If we have spare hands a start on needle gunning the top of the boiler can be made.

Also moving the flue tubes off the flat wagon under cover is still to be done.

Next Steps:

Ultrasound testing of the boiler plate thickness, preparing the new tubes (cutting and annealing).

End of Update

J549 – Update 5

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS – week ending 10 February 2023.

The achievements this week were:

• Further works on tube removal – about 20 more removed, now only 41 firetubes to go. This was held up for several reasons – waiting for delivery of a carbide tipped hole saw for the tube bead cutting, the telehandler packed up one day, injector feed shutoff valves took longer to remove, plus some work on workshop equipment.
• Our second steam gauge has now been successfully calibrated – this was the one that had been in use on the loco.
• The fireman’s side injector feed shutoff valve was removed (to get last of barrel cladding off) which revealed a little surprise – see later in update. Also the driver’s side valve is now ready to be removed. This involved cutting the nuts off as they had badly wasted and rusted on these valves.
• Cladding removal is now completed on the boiler barrel and there is only surface rust on these areas – no pitting of any note which is really good to see.

SURPRISE!

The photo below shows the hole into the boiler under the injector feed valve on the drivers side. The whitish circle is the scale and residues from the feed water and the opening should be that big, not size of the little (black) hole in the middle. Rough proportions is that the hole diameter is only 1/3 of what it should be. This means the  area for the water do go though is about 1/9^th of what it should be – as well as reducing volume it would increase back pressure on the injector. Is this the reason for the trouble we had keeping level water up and/or the poor performance of the firemans injector? Stay tuned next week for what we find under the driver’s side valve.

DONATIONS –Our appeal is off to great start. See our website vgr.com.au to donate, see progress on the fundraising and for more information. Every dollar helps so if you can’t help physically a donation is a great way to support us.

This weeks work – Its still tube removal and continuing with fittings/cladding removal in the cab. Removing the drivers side injector feed shutoff valve. Also moving the flue tubes off the flat wagon under cover.

Next Steps:

Flue tube removal, Needle gunning the boiler, Ultrasound testing of the boiler plate thickness, preparing the new tubes (cutting and annealing).

J549 – Update 4 by Tony Llewelyn

DONATIONS – A great start has been made with the appeal for funds with nearly $7000 raised including one very generous donor contributing $5,000 – thank you all. Every dollar helps so if you can’t help physically a donation is a great way to support us. See our website vgr.com.au to donate, see progress on the fundraising and for more information.

THIS WEEKS ACHIEVEMENTS

The achievements this week were:

• Further works on tube removal – 45 firetubes are now out with 69 firetubes to go.
• Cladding removal is now well advanced with only the cab cladding to go and the final section of the barrel at the firebox.
• One of the steam gauges (we sent two) and both the air pressure gauges have been successfully calibrated.
• Spare firebricks relocated from Maldon to Castlemaine.
• The 11 spare flue tubes transferred on the QB flat wagon from Maldon to Castlemaine (along with some more workshop items).
• A white board with current jobs for volunteers has been put in the workshop (located half way along the J on East wall) along with the complete works list for reference)

Featured helpers from last week are Steve Nangle and John Fry shown working on the tube removal in the smokebox early in the week, and Courtney later in the week.

This weeks work – Its still tube removal and continuing with fittings/cladding removal in the cab and the final claddding removal on the barrel.

Next Steps:

Flue tube removal, Needle gunning the boiler, Ultrasound testing of the boiler plate thickness, preparing the new tubes (cutting and annealing).

Update – January 2023

Work K160 has resumed in the New Year.  Our volunteers are into it with renewed enthusiasm.  Our fitter has been back on deck since 16 January.  The boiler was inspected on 9 December 2022 in readiness for a full test as planned in the New Year.  We received the inspector’s report in early January and are attending to some issues that need to be addressed in readiness for the test.  This includes replacing some tubes around the blast pipe area and this is proceeding.  With this blog you will see work done by our volunteers and our fitter since he has been back.  We are starting to turn our mind to the tender which is in the open air at Newport and our plans are to bring it inside for work to be done once the boiler is back on the frame and space is freed up in the area we use.  As always with this blog if you want to volunteer either for weekdays or on weekends contact John Hoy (0419 372 696) or Stuart Phemister (0427 867 412) as per previous blogs.