The Bathgate Locomotive Works has had its fair share of tribulations over the bleak months. What with cold temperatures & a leaking workshop roof, production figures have been low to say the least. At least one job that could be undertaken in the warm ‘Design Office’ were the design & drawings for the boiler for ‘Maude’. The Works Manager is pleased to report that this work has been completed & the order placed.
Meanwhile, out in the ‘Works’ the output has been ramped up to make up for lost time. Robert has sent this report to the Newsdesk:
‘The work on the dome cover has commenced. At the moment I have decided to fabricate the lower part where it sits on the boiler. Now contemplating how to construct the flared curve around the base.
In conjunction with the production of the boiler design was the placing of the fittings on the backhead. I want to achieve as close to scale look of the original. To help with this I produced a cardboard mock up of the backhead. A good job, as it highlighted possible clearance problems with the reversing lever when in full forwards. However, some judicial repositioning sorted the problem without compromising the look.
Next up was the production of the inner dome within which would sit the regulator body. A lovely turning job when working with gunmetal. The good news is the outer dome fits over it to the correct position.
The regulator body was an interesting exercise in using the four jaw chuck. The design has been slightly modified so that it can be bolted inside the dome bush. I have turned a central part on the vertical casting for a new bracket or lugs. The original desin was to drill 4 holes through the boiler shell & then bolt through onto the flat pad. I don’t like the idea of drilling holes after the hydraulic test. I may remove the pad at a later date.
The final job was to drill the regulator disc & match it to the body.
Well, there we have it. Production is back in full swing. All the best, Robert.’
