Below: Another productive week on Lewin! On Tuesday I called in on Alton Engineering who are rapidly bringing to a conclusion the restoration of the boiler. This had originally been overhauled by another contractor, but since then a number of areas of work had been identified which required additional attention (including repairs to grooving on both inside and outside of the firebox plus replacing some quite inappropriate boiler fittings and dome cover, the latter with the original!). A new smokebox (of rivetted pattern) and chimney have also been made, a spare clack pad blanked off and numerous other smaller jobs carried out. The boiler is now ready to test before being submitted for statutory inspection and testing and then returning to the north east. Exciting times indeed!

Below: The face of Lewin! The smokebox handrails remain to be fitted (using components made by Dave Young) but there is now no mistaking the identity of this engine! The original dome cover, which was discarded during the 1990s overhaul, has been resurrected. The reason for its previous replacement was that the top ‘flare’ was perforated upon arrival at Beamish in 1975 and later appears to have completely broken off. Rather than repair this, it had been seen as easier to replace the dome cover. This was done as a turning rather than casting, welded to a flange. In this overhaul, the original has been machined to create a flat top then a pattern made and casting produced and machined to exactly fir the dome and thus restore, completely safely, the original shape and profile. It also restores the proportions of the Salter safety valve balance and arm in this area. Photos of the casting and pattern appeared in an earlier Lewin posting.

Below: A view of the backhead. Note the Salter spring balance for the safety valve. New try cocks have also been fitted.

Below: A close up of the steam turret/fountain (or steam manifold, depending on your favoured terminology). The safety valve is within this casting, the arm providing the leverage from the spring which is contained within the brass tube to the left. This arrangement is known as the ‘Salter’ type, after Salter springs and balances who manufactured the scaled components. The manifold casting is a new component, itself replacing a replacement component which had been fabricated in the past and wasn’t suitable for this restoration. The manifold not only contains the safety valve but also supplises the two injectors, steam brake, blower and pressure gauge.

Below: Meanwhile, Dave Young has, in one week flat, repainted all of the motion for Lewin, done extensive work on the oilways and then fitted the oil pots. The latter has not been without difficulty – see the last post on this subject. These items can now be returned to Vince for fitting onto the locomotive once the frame painting has been completed…