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The Villa Team

Fenchurch's Frames etc


[Updated 12 March]
[Part 2 Updated 19 May]

[View of engine frames] Fenchurch's frames are in remarkably good condition for so old an engine, with minimal corrosion and no distortion. The only significant area of corrosion is below the hole in the footplate floor through which the handbrake passes, but this is too minor to warrant are repair action; arc-welding is undesirable on the iron frames. The only repairs required are the replacement of a broken spring-hanger socket casting, and making about 15 new fitted bolts for the horn-stays to replace old bolts and rivets which had worked loose.

[View of inside of frames] The inside of the frames in front of the left trailing axlebox, showing their good condition. At the bottom is the spring hanger socket whose partner is broken. On the left in the cab floor.
The broken spring hanger socket - this will be replaced by a new casting. [View of broken spring hanger]
[View of frames in left leading hornstay area] This view shows the inside of the frames at the left leading hornstay, which needs all its trailing-side bolts replaced. The supporting jack is holding up one of the leading spring hanger casting. To the right of the pictures can be seen the place where the cylinders are mounted (the lighter-coloured bit); the hole within this area and just in the shadow is where the original sandpipe passed through the frame plate to avoid the original wooden brake blocks. The five holes in the angle above the horn casting are for the oil box for the axlebox and the piston and valve spindle. The top of the motion-bracket is on the left.
[View of roughly cut angle above cylinders] The angle along the top inside edge of the frames were it passes above the cylinders has been removed at some time past by drilling holes and snapping it off. The current cylinders require this, as they are fitted from the top, but it is unclear how the original block was fitted.
[View inside cab] The inside of the cab. The lower part of the side sheet was fitted during its 1962 repair, with the upper part original (the circular plate is for the electric communication system used by the LBSCR.) The lower part of the bunker front shows a corrosion hole low down, but is otherwise in good condition. The lever above the sandbox is for operating the cylinder drain cocks. [View of corrosion in bunker]
[View of bunker corner] One problem to be fixed is the rear right corner of the bunker, where the new platework fitted in 1962 was welded to the original angle iron. This has split on the outside from corrosion behind the angle.
The cab roof needs some attention. [View inside cab roof]
[View of blank plate on tank top] The rear top of the left tank, showing the blank now fitted in place of the pipe which once joined the tanks just in front of the cab, as part of the steam condensing equipment. This pipe was fitted to only the first six terriers, so this tank may be the original.
The chimney, showing the old patch at the base covering a crack. [View of chimney]
[Bunker corner repair] Repair in progress on the right corner of the bunker.
View of new hornstay bolts View of new hornstay bolts A number of new fitted bolts have been made for the hornstays to replace old bolts and rivets which had worked loose.
View of bufferbeam makers' stamp The front buffer beam has been grit-blasted, revealing the material supplier's stamp, and indicating that it may be the original item.

The buffers have been dismantled for repairs and grit-blasted. The shock-absorption is entirely by rubber pads, unlike most locos which have simple coil springs, or the original type fitted to the Terriers which used a combination of rubber pads and a volute spring. Most of the pads have become compressed into solid form; it may not be possible to obtain replacements, in which case steel springs will be made. Two of the buffers have suffered bending of the central rod which will require replacement. The following pictures show some of the features of the buffers, and evidence of their past history of use.

View of buffer head One of the buffer heads showing casting defects revealed by grit-blasting.
View socket casting defect A casting defect in the socket.
View socket welded repair A welded repair around a socket flange.
View undamaged inner part View damaged inner part Two views of the inner part of the socket which takes the force of the rubber pads - the left one is undamaged, the right one has been bowed in.
View new spring-hanger socket A newly-fabricated spring-hanger socket with the old item.

On to frames repair, part 2.
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