Samson’s progress this week has echoed the manic quest to get ready for the new season occurring all around it, with a major step being made in its construction taking place this week.  With staff and equipment flying all around, the flywheel and crankshaft pinion were collected on Thursday and fitted to the engine, enabling the engine unit to be turned, albeit by hand, for the first time – a major step in construction, just under 12 months from when the frame plates arrived in the RHEC and saw the construction proper commence.

Below: In their special cradle, the flywheel and pinion are seen fitted to the crankshaft, itself fitted with the sheaves for forwards/backwards eccentrics and water pump.

Below: A close up of the pinion – machined by a local company from the blank casting, in turn made from David’s own pattern.  The pinion can slide on the splines, enabling the engine to be turned over out of gear – useful if belt driving or to operate the water pump.  There is further work to this gear, to create latching rings which locate it at each extreme of travel along the splines.

Below: An overall rear 3/4 view showing the crankshaft in place and connecting rod and water pump ram assembled.

Below: Another view, showing the slidebars set up for drilling and fixing to the motion bracket, itself being aligned for bolting to the boiler.

Below: A rear 3/4 of Samson showing its overall stature and shape.

Below: A very productive day’s work makes for a happy Dave!

Below: Whilst we await the completed wheelsets, the axleboxes have been cast and a start made on machining them.  The keeps are a very good fit, and complete with pocket for lubricating pad, but at this stage the bore to take the journal remains to be made (when the axle is here to measure against) and the rebates for the hornways still remain to be machined.  At the top, a boss will be bored out to enable a coil spring to locate between axlebox and hornguide on the frame.  In the centre of this an oil pipe will supply lubricating oil from a pot just behind the cylinder block – we can’t see how this was done from the photograph (assuming it was done!) so are contriving a discrete system to provide oil to the axleboxes without changing the outward appearance too much – ok, it isn’t an exact replica, for numerous reasons, but some things are worth keeping as close as we can imagine they might have been!

Below: A view of the base showing the excellent fit of the underkeep.  This will have a plug in to enable draining of the underkeep for servicing purposes and removal of water – Coffee Pot is a terror for filling its own axleboxes with oil, for which we have a brass syringe to empty them every day it is in use, so this modification is based on experience.

Below: The Hetherington Lamp Company make these lovely oil jugs and pourers – a set of which have been obtained and lettered for Samson.

Below: Out on the narrow gauge Darren and Mark are hitting the re-alignment and completion of the pit track to ‘Samson’s shed’ with an aim to enable it to be in use next week.  Matching 20lb rail to 113lb rail is quite interesting!