Main frame assembly completed at Tyseley

TYSELEY Locomotive Works (TLW) has completed the assembly of the main frame component’s for No. 3840 County of Montgomery.

The CCT formally placed the order for the erection of No. 3840’s frames with TLW last July. The work has included the assembly of the main frame plates (cut back in November 2018), supply and installation of the supporting stretcher plates with associated brackets, and the fitting of the horn blocks and spring hangers.

A new rear dragbox has now been welded up and after final machining to achieve an exact fit it is expected be installed in the frames during mid-April.

The next phase of work on the frames at TLW will involve having the cab, splashers and running plate (with supporting brackets) manufactured while work on the new cylinders and coupled wheels takes place with suppliers in Halifax and Sheffield. Machining of the front end extension frames, meanwhile, is on hold until the new cylinders have been cast and been allowed to de-stress naturally. This will enable the final machining of the extension frames and cylinders to be carried out simultaneously.

David Bradshaw, the CCT’s Engineering Liaison said: “While completing the extension frames is desirable, fitting them would mean that No. 3840 would take up a further 12ft of valuable workshop space at Tyseley. With no further progress expected on the front end for at least 12 months while the cylinder castings de-stress, concentrating on the rear portion where we can make greater progress makes better economic sense.

“Once we have the rear end assembled, the plan is to get the complete front end assembled as one unit, including the extension frames, cylinders and bogie, which can then be bolted to the main frames to complete the entire bottom end.”