The team at Cranmore West Workshop, on the East Somerset Railway, have been busy over the last few of weeks on overhauling 5239.
March 28th Update
Work on 5239 at the end of March was focused on the frame. Firstly, all the horn guides and bolts to hold them in place have been fitted.
With the horn guides completed, the bronze liners of the axle box bearings have started to be machined.
The primer has almost been fully applied to the whole frame with only small patches to cover now. Work has also started on the tank supports.
April 10th Update
The work covered in this update was also on the frame, this time propping up and levelling the frame. Water gauges were used to show if all four corners were at the same level, allowing further jacks to be used in order to level out and support the rest of the frame.
The most difficult tasks were removing the rear cylinder covers, which haven't been removed for decades. Once levelled, marking out areas requiring repair work was done, with one cracked circled ready to be welded soon.
April 17th Update
The latest news is that both halves of the front drag box are in position for welding and drilling. Now with welding completed, the tank supports have been Non-Destructive Tested for cracks, ready for final machining work.
Adjustments have been made to the horn ties to ensure a tight grip with the horns themselves. Repair work has been started on the crack marking out on the last update.
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