
Dunrobin – December update…
Its been a while since Dunrobin was mentioned here, but work has continued on the project. On Tuesday I had a sortie down to Bridgnorth to see the work on the new boiler barrel and also catch up on the next stages of work. To enable work on the frames to start, the tanks, cab and cladding have been removed and are now at Beamish with us for refurbishment.
Below: The frames are shunted outside to enable the superstructure to be removed. The bunker will remain in situ.
Below: The collection of parts ready for removal to Beamish where they will be overhauled and prepared for refitting to the locomotive.
Below: With the engine in the daylight it was a chance to look around the frames at some of the jobs needing attention. Cracks in the wheel castings are yet to be fully investigated and remain the one ‘unknown’ for us in terms of the work required on the bottom end of the engine.
Below: Evidence of repairs carried out in Canada – in this case the brake cross shaft brackets were welded to the frames after removal to enable access to the firebox for repairs on that. The weld is single sided as can be seen here, so a the brackets will come off for a full double sided weld to refit them more securely. Note the corrugated marks on the frames – the witness marks from the frame plates being planed during manufacture. A lovely feature to still remain visible.
Below: With the cylinder block removed, there is space to view the main frame stretcher as well as the bell (fitted in Canada and which will be retained by us as a souvenir and reminder of a large chunk of 4085’s history).
Below: An overall view of the new boiler barrel following riveting at Bridgnorth. The barrel is seam welded as well as butt-strapped – a belt & braces approach which ensures the boiler is still of riveted construction and adherers to original practice.
Below: The original dome is being trial fitted on the new barrel here – some cracks testing is to be undertaken but it is hoped that this original item will be reusable on the finished boiler.
Below: A close up view of a butt strap and the meeting of the two boiler barrel rings. A prep and weld will fill the joint between them to assure a steam tight joint.
Below: An internal view of the barrel. Compare this to earlier posts and photos showing the interior of the original.
Below: Finally, for those who appreciate such things, seven GW locos rest on shed at Bridgnorth – some sort of heaven surely?!!!
I was always expecting ‘Dunrobin’ to blow up in my face on the 2.2% ascending.
I hated Firing and Running it. Hot/Cold cycle 7 trips a day
A sin to operate equipment that way.
A good engine on the flat, but, not pulling an 8-wheel British Coach on 2% in the rain.
Allegedly they had a Run Away years back with the Vacuum Brake, then converted the Engine and 8-wheel coach to Westinghouse Air Brakes. The 4-wheel coach not converted from Vacuum.
The Vacuum pot for ‘Dunrobin ‘was a rivetted design, and still in it’s shed w/the Vacuum Exhauster etc.
The two pots from the coach were on the junk pile by the big shed.
Anyway, GOOD to see the poor thing getting much-needed TLC, altho’ I suspect some of the abuse started East of the Atlantic regarding the acid corrosion in the bottom of the Smokebox from left-in wet cinders.
The threads on the ‘Dart’ were stripped, and the door would not close tightly unless the cross piece was up tight against the smokebox front.
I assumed the Bell remained in Canada, but…
The bell and it’s crossmember made getting around beneath the engine VERY DIFFICULT if the engine was not over a pit.
I used to slither under there daily to oil up the Big Ends and Valve Eccentrics and their Straps on the cranked axle, not trusting the Mickey Mouse lantern wicks fed from oilers atop the water tanks ( with the painful flame-cut holes with bolted-on covers )
Anyway, amazing what one finds on disassembly.
Work long overdue.
Thank You, Sirs, for rescuing ‘Dunrobin’ from the Dominion.
BTW.
My Family Name is now on a Plaque in the cab of the ‘Dominion of Canada’ as a Donor for the Repainting of same in the Garter Blue whilst it is ‘Back Home’ for The Great Gathering.
I hail from North of Hadrian’s Wall, along with ‘Dunrobin.’
Doubt that I will be back in the years I have left.
Alas.
Thank You.
Some interesting info there! The vacuum pot is back over here with the loco, likewise that from the little saloon. There must have been a couple removed from the ex British Railways Mk1 coach that was sent out and then converted to air. The trip from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle was about 86 miles – imagine firing that on cold dark night in driving rain or snow in the Highlands! It must have been quite a gruelling trip for crew and passengers! Kind regards, Paul
One ‘good’ thing about ‘Dunrobin’ was the cozy totally enclosed cab with folding doors and sliding windows.
The hand brake was a nice feature, also.
A lovely place to be when the snow and rain were falling!!
It must have been something to operate ‘British’ steam locomotves when constructed with only a front footplate bulkhead fitted with spectacle glasses for protection.
Travelling in reverse would have been Hell, but smoke and cinder-free.
There is a video on Youtube of crews digging a freight train out of snow back in the Sixties in the UK.
On less-steep track pulling the load for which it was intended and burning decent steam coal, ‘Dunrobin’ would have been a marvel.
Dumping grates would have helped, over here.
Thank You.
Spent all too much time INSIDE the firebox of ‘Dunrobin’ removing, cleaning the top of the fuseable plug metal, and replacing same, threads coated with White Lead, during washouts to remove scale, and to clean tubes pushing soot etc. to front.
For a big job, I took down and put up the ash pan bolted onto the bottom of the mud ring to provide better access, sealing around the gap w/asbestos rope so draft doors would be effective to control fire.
The bulge in the front tube sheet below the tubes where the replaced broken stays over water gap to boiler barrel were was ominous.
Anyway, on the side sheets were four 4 square ‘blocks’ on a slope, two 2 a side, which were to hold an ‘arch’ to guide fire and heat towards the rear of the firebox, then over the arch and into the tubes.
The arch was never fitted when I was on the engine and I do not know when it was removed.
An old blueprint on file showed an arch on a side elevation.
Glad ‘Dunrobin’ is home.
Poor thing!
Happy it survived it’s sojourn in The Dominion.
Thank You.