Locomotive Works News

Overhaul of SECR H-class 0-4-4T No.263

With the slightly improved weather work has started on painting the cab roof from 263, and the driving wheels have been moved into the works.

The cylinders have returned from Metalock Engineering UK Ltd, and the areas of cold stitching on the valve faces can be seen below.

Photos © Copyright Derek Hayward.

Three photos, taken on 13 December by Derek Hayward, illustrate the progress being made on the H-class, and the report below is adapted from Russ Hubner's in the recent Bluebell News magazine.

The main areas of work recently have been the frames, which have been repainted, and the bogie. The vacuum brake cylinder has been overhauled and is ready for fitting.

The bogie has had a corroded area built up with weld, and has been painted and lined. New equalising beams have been made, axleboxes re-metalled, machined and scraped to fit the wheelsets which have returned after re-profiling, and as seen on the right, the bogie has now been largely re-assembled.

The cylinders have been sent to Metalock Engineering UK Ltd in Coventry for repair to the valve faces which are cracked and badly worn. The cracks have been present for many years, but the casting cannot be repaired by welding because this would be likely to cause further cracks, so cold stitching, with overlaping studs individually tapped and screwed in, is the repair method chosen, a time-consuming task and hence quite costly.

On the boiler, worn studs have been renewed and the washout plug bosses are being fitted, with new screw fixings. Providing the loco works team get a clear run without any unexpected repairs coming their way, it is possible the loco may be running again in the late summer of 2010.

This photo from Tom James shows that the H-class has now been lifted from its wheels. To facilitate work on valves and cylinders, the cylinder block will be removed shortly.

After deliberation by the BRPS, the committee's recommendation that the loco should return once more in its original SECR fully lined livery has been agreed by the owning Bluebell Railway Trust. The possibility of painting it in Southern lined green to match B473 was seriously considered, as was lined BR black, but whilst these remain options for the future, it was decided that it was best to keep it for the present as a match for the recently overhauled SECR C-class No.592.

This locomotive was withdrawn from traffic in 1998. At its last visit to the Works a decade before it received comprehensive repairs including renewal of the rear part of its main frames. It therefore requires a relatively light overhaul on this occasion, with most of the work expected to be on the boiler (for which we also hold a spare).

After being displayed along with three operational SECR locomotives at this February's Branch Line Weekend (report and photos), no.263 entered the Loco Works for overhaul, as shown in the photo taken on 16th March (right) by John Fry. The S15's driving wheels are in the foreground, and the E4's frames and boiler are behind, with the S15 boiler right at the back of the works. Out of sight behind the E4's cab is the boiler of SECR P-class No.178, which is also under overhaul.

The photos below, taken on 23rd March (also by John Fry), show just how useful an investment our overhead cranes are as the boiler is lifted out onto the boiler trolley recently vacated by the E4's boiler.

Richard Salmon's photo on the right shows the boiler and side tanks on the trolley in the yard, along with the cab and chimney, on 28th March 2009. Now that the boiler can be inspected fully, an assessment will be made so as to decide whether to overhaul this one or the spare which has been held for a number of years - acquired after use as a static steam-heating boiler.

Two further photos from John Fry below, taken on 30th March 2009, show the frames with coupling rods removed and pistons taken out of the cylinders; the second, taken inside the frames, shows the slide-bars with cross-heads, piston rods, connecting rods and valve gear removed.