Below: The latest addition to the Steam Mule ‘assemblage of steam bling and ornamentation’ (!) is this small water pump. Dave Young built it from scratch for a project he had in mind many years ago but recently unearthed it and overhauled it as a potential candidate for the Steam Mule. It might be used as an additional (fourth) means of delivering water to the boiler, though an alternative idea is to use it as a means of drawing water into the main tank. Either way it adds a steam pump to the engine enabling further training elements to be incorporated into the Mule. There is no urgency to fit it but Dave did carry out a steam test, as shown here…

Below: Meanwhile, a large (and heavy!) assemblage of rods are scattered around Dave’s workshop, these constituting pretty much all of the valve gear, connecting rods and coupling rods from Lewin. Whilst work can progress on painting the frames at Vince Allen’s works, Dave can progress in the comfort of his own workshop on these items. They have been overhauled in anticipation of reassembly, but are rather easier to paint when off the engine than on it! This view shows the connecting rods (to the fore) and coupling rods (to the rear). They are nice wrought iron lumps, one of the connecting rods bearing the scars (and repairs) following an altercation with a large rock on the north beach at Seaham in the 1960s. Hal Weetman was the driver and recalls the day. The rod was removed and taken to the blacksmiths at the Seaham works for repair, meanwhile, as Lewin was rather short of water and immobile on the beach the tank was filled with seawater! Hal recalls that once the rod was refitted, they beat a retreat to the main docks to fill with fresh water, the engine priming dreadfully and frothing all of the way!

It is nice to know a little history behind one of Lewin’s many battle scars!