Progress Report: June 2010
Much work has been accomplished on 7200 during the last few months.
All of the sandbox connecting rods have been fitted; the sandboxes just need some parts to be
manufactured, which is being done in-house by one of our volunteers.
The slide-bars are in the process of being aligned and fitted. This is a precise
and skillful job, and we are being assisted by an experienced restorationist.
Work is continuing on the bunker on two fronts. The new steel plates for the floor
have been laid and partly drilled; these will be welded together. On the second front,
the angle from the base of the old bunker has been separated from the
old base, and once the old rivets have been burnt out it will be re-used.
The original cast iron vacuum pump has been expertly repaired by a cast iron welding
company in Leicestershire. Whilst in the process of collecting this, the cross-heads
were delivered for white-metalling to Tyseley, where they have specialist machinery for
dealing with pieces of this size.
Looking forward, we have agreed to restore the boiler at Quainton using a boiler-smith
based at Didcot. We also agreed to have new side-tanks manufactured, as the old ones are
life expired;
these will be manufactured off-site as we do not have the facilities at Quainton.
Hopefully they should be completed in the Autumn.
Though we have a good and enthusiastic team, we will always welcome new volunteers,
and are particularly looking for machinists and welders
John Porter
Working Party Foreman
