The last time we visited the Bathgate Locomotive Works the works manager was under stress sorting out the boiler for Maude. Well, that is now completed & a lovely job it is too. Stress levels have returned to normal & work has been concentrating on the boiler fittings. The official works photographer has been keeping an eye on progress….
The first job was to set up the connections for the wet & dry headers between the front tubeplate & the cylinders. This was a tricky problem as the clearance between the cylinder connection & the blast pipe was extremely tight. The pipework had to be bent just so!
The next job was the regulator valve linkage. The trickiest job here was getting the operating rod lined up from the regulator bush into the square housing on the linkage itself which sat under the dome.
These last two photographs show the position of the lubricator & drive between the frames. Another job with tight clearances! What is not evident here is the the body of the lubricator had tick three boxes! It had to fit under the sweep of the boiler cladding, give enough clearance to get the lid off whilst being of sufficient capacity to hold enough oil for a decent time on the track.
Another job was the construction of the NBR firehole door. This is not the usual sliding type, but a dished door with an internal flap & ratchet to hold the flap in a number of positions….. The LNER used this type. Here we see the evolution of the door. The final job was the fitting of the shelf for the all important mash can. Oh, & the oil bottles too.
A closer look at the intricacies of the door & ratchet.
Well, that’s the latest from Bathgate. Will Maude join the roster for public running in 2023?
