Castle

Hi All, Prairie Power! A multitude of very serious 1:1 scale kit assembly sessions and a great deal of very hard work has resulted in a happy boiler inspector and an VERY happy No. 4144 restoration team! The boiler was signed off at midday today and therefore the large prairie is officially back! When you realise that the vast majority of the work on the overhaul was undertaken by volunteers who's average age (when you take myself and the chief boilersmith out of the equation!) is around 23 years old, you get some measure of the achievement that this represents. Needless to say we are very proud of them. Once No. 3650 had been taken off the main demonstration line at the end of the open day, we took her out to stretch her legs for the first time in well over 5 years! She was put through her paces and she performed very well indeed. There were a number of very minor issues noted but in the main it was all very good news. Once we were satisfied that there was nothing immediately and obviously wrong and, just as importantly, the whole team had a go a driving her (!) we declared the day a success. We then tucked her up again in the lifting shop ready for the overhaul to enter its final phase. There are a number of small bits to go back on, the handrails, steam pipe cladding and cab windows being the most immediately obvious, a number of small snagging points to deal with and then a final livery application. The big question is of course, what is it going to be? I can exclusively reveal that it will be a green and black one! I guess this is our way of saying wait and see... Although the boiler is signed off, she isn't yet regarded as being back in traffic. She will only be officially accepted once the last bits are finished and she has had a few more tests. The answer to the obvious question about the LT head code box is that No. 4144 is a 'Steam on the Met' veteran so it seemed appropriate to start the new ticket with a reminder of the old one. Edit: one of my No. 4079 crew was there and took a bit of video for us which he has posted on YouTube under his channel name of Bennymilk (he has some great Didcot and other steam videos on there) - Enjoy! All the best, Castle PS: I'm still grinning like an idiot...

Wow - my first international RMWEB Tour members! Glad to have you aboard Norwenglish! I had better make it a good one... All the best, Castle

Ok Ali - will do! Castle

Two for Neal - check! All the best, Castle

Rule 4 If the small bit you have is really vital, it WILL suddenly exit your control with a ping sort of a noise, be heard to ricochet off one or two things close by and then disappear, claimed by the infernal carpet monster. The level of importance of said component is in direct proportion to both the speed it exits your tweezers and the ingenuity and/or illogicality of its final hiding place. Rule 5 The carpet monster is building a quite respectable collection of your favourite scale model railway components. All the best, Castle

No problem Mr 28XX! Look forward to seeing everyone there! All the best, Castle

You've got it Dave! All the best, Castle

Hi SG, Down for three but open to adjustments... All the best, Castle

Hi All, Alan B and 3rd Rail Exile (don't know how I missed you last post - sorry!), a place each is yours! One for County of Yorkshire (should you be 1030?) and the one for you as arranged mr Fatadder! By the way, the Aero wagon is a bit of a fake... It is the removable tank wagon chassis from the steam crane which was lightly modified for the wartime event we had a little while back! All the best, Castle

Thanks for the kind words Jaz! Sorry you can't get to Didcot on the 14th. Perhaps you and Kal will have to see if you can make it to Didcot on this year's RMWEB tour?! All the best, Castle

Hi Phil and Stuart, I shall put you down for 1 and 2 places respectively! All the best, Castle

Doug - that's two for you good sir! All the best, Castle

Hi All, I shall put down Russ and Bob for a place each! Plenty of space as of yet! Mike - I kind of figured you were coming anyway! I think you and the family pretty much count as a guides on this trip now so we will expect to see you and Stationmaster Jr. Thanks for offering again good sir! I will count just Russ and Bob towards the total. All the best, Castle

Hi All, So that's a trio for KGV, a duo for Ian and a possible solo effort (?) for the Fatadder! All the best, Castle PS: another 2 spots taken via PM...

Hi Mr B, Thanks for the complements! The idea had struck us as a good one. The firing step attached to the tender has to be the right height - they are different and were swapped around at Swindon. The one on No. 4073 is not only out of bounds on curatorial issues (as would No. 4003s!), I suspect it would cost a fair bit to extract it from its current position in the museum. The one being rebuilt for No. 2999 would be correct but it would mean that we couldn't go on the main line with it as a good deal of equipment to do so will be on the 4,000 gallon tender! Suffice to say that there is nothing planned. However, for a jolly or special event perhaps? Never say never... All the best, Castle

Hi All, It's back! I have again agreed with our centre manager and Andy Y that we could have another day to meet at Didcot to have another one of my traditional 'access all areas' tours of our site. I have entertained people of all ages on these tours so it is open to my fellow RMWEB members of all ages! The date decided upon was Sunday 26th July 2014. Locomotives could include, Railcar No. 22, Railmotor No. 93, pannier No. 3650 or large Prairie No. 4144, which should be fresh from overhaul and nicely run in by then (the replacement front end steam pipes are being picked up next week and the paint is going on as weather temperatures permit...). I will update the loco roster as we know what is happening on site! Progress on our project locomotives including Saint No. 2999 Lady of Legend, County No. 1014 County of Glamorgan, Churchward Saddle Tank No. 1363 and of course, my personal favourite, Castle No. 4079 Pendennis Castle will be there to inspect as will the impressive output of the Carriage and wagon department. Amongst others, the rebuild of 1902 4-wheeler Dean 1st / 2nd composite coach to Dia. U is looking amazing in skeletal form and the the long awaited refit of the interior of 1932 Collett Super Saloon No. 9113 Prince of Wales to Dia. G61 is also underway. There are many upgrades to the infrastructure of the railway centre at the moment too and progress on building the new 'Controlling the Trains' exhibit building, in conjunction with the Swindon Panel Society is underway as are a number of upgrades to the Railmotor shed. The Ex Wantage Road bus garage is largely complete now and awaits fitting out. As before, I will do a proper modellers tour where I will take you behind the scenes and enable you to look in all the workshops and stored collections of vehicles. If there is anything that you specifically want to see, measure, look at, go inside of or crawl over then let me know and we will see what we can do. The only obvious restrictions would be on any stock or items on the running lines of course - squashed patrons don't go down well with management... However, if you don't mind waiting until after the trains are put back in the box for that vital item that needs measuring I am sure that something can be arranged. It's been done before! As per last time, the signalling box key will find its way into my pocket so there will be an opportunity to go and have a look at the box and the incredible level of authentic restoration achieved with this building. I will also steal a carriage key from somewhere so we can inspect the interior of some of the vehicles not normally accessible to visitors. The plan would be to get yourselves to Didcot and take any rides in the morning and I will take an early lunch and start the tour at 12:30hrs, meeting you at the entrance kiosk at the top end of the site. I would like to put a cap on the group size of 50 as any more than that and it gets a bit confined in the various works. I will rope in my fellow GWS tour guides again too! So then, who wants another look in the best GWR toy box in the world? All the best, Castle

Hi All, Hi RJS - it has been on sale since just before Christmas but we wanted to do an official thing so that people could meet the team and the loco. Hi KGV - thank you for your kind comments good sir! If you want it covered in authentic grease, bring a copy to the 2015 tour and we will sort that for you in no time flat! Rich / Horsetan - I am aware of the date! It was the nearest convenient No. 4079 working party date that also had a full running day attached. Funny coincidence though isn't it?! I maintain that my relationship with the loco is perfectly normal... Sort of... Ric - you can be assured that this manual is based on a complete strip down and (nearly finished) rebuild. All the best, Castle

Hi All, Yes Rich, Pendennis Castle is referred to in the house by my better half as "the other woman" but thankfully in a completely understanding and very witty way. As Mrs Castle says "I have no competition there, she is 90 years old and by human standards over 130 tons overweight! As Mr Horsetan says, I have a soft spot for the loco but not in THAT way... It's actually quite hard not to be attached to it after working on the goal of running her for over 10 years. Having said that, it's as much about the great team I have. I have SO many great friends that I would not have otherwise through doing this. It's the simple process of a bunch of like minded people getting together and striving for a common goal that I guess is equally appealing. Hi Ray & Polly, We are going to set up a stand and do a few signings and allow people to meet myself and more importantly my team working on No. 4079 and get a good look at where we are up to and what we are doing! A representative from Haynes will also hand over a donation to the project as described earlier to me and the GWS chairman. I will see you when I see you if you can make it - no worries! Everyone is invited! All the best, Castle

Hi All, Looks like the book launch will be on Saturday 14th February at Didcot - it would be great to see my fellow RMWEB members there if you can make it! My team will be working on No. 4079 during the day so if you want to come and have a look and ask questions about the overhaul and what we are up to then please do! Nos. 3650 and 93 should be in operation too. See you there! All the best, Castle

Hi All, Thanks for all the likes and other positive comment type button pushiing! Hi Ric, Thanks Ric! The Haynes manual was a great project - I hope everyone enjoys it! Hi Mikkel, Thanks Mikkel! That's why I have a mix of both age and experience with youth and enthusiasm on my team - keeping the skills alive! The Book has been a two year project in my spare spare time in amongst everything else - tiring times but well worth the effort to see it in print! Hi Simon, Thanks for the comments! The hats are a bit of a theme of mine especially although one or two others in the team have some good ones too! The one I have on came from the USA and has one or two GWR modifications on the back... One of the County gang has one with a big brass plate in the front inscribed 'GWR 2917' and we threatened to fit him with a brandy barrel round his neck (GWR geek joke - No. 2917 was Saint Bernard)! Thanks for the support on the book - it reminds me that someone else has written a rather good one on building locos that I must buy and read at some point... I will always try and intersperse the 4mm:1' stuff on Little Didcot with some 12":1' kits too so yes, there will be more! Hi Polly and Ray, Thanks for posting and the kind comments! It's never too late for a greeting from friends so the same to you all too. Steam engines are easy to understand in principle but the subtleties get quite involved! The way a copper firebox doesn't melt in the intense heat has an elegance about it doesn't it?! The launch will be in the February half term at 81E so when I have a confirmed date I will let everyone know. All the best everyone! Castle

Hi Neil, That is great - thanks for sharing! If you need any information to help finish it off I can always take a quick snap of the lady herself for you if needed! All the best, Castle

Hi All, Well done to all concerned with this engine! We are just about done with No.4144 too so it looks like 2015 will be the year of the large prairie! Just steam pipes, cab interior, paint and fettling to do now... All the best, Castle

Little Didcot's Christmas Presents - Part 4! Hi All, A little 1:1 scale action to finish the year off I think... We have done a great deal of work on No. 4079 recently and this has culminated in the refitting of her pistons. Just to get you up to date here, the cylinders have received new liners and the pistons and rods have been turned on a lathe to suit the new bores and to remove ovality respectively. The first job is to cut the new rings to the correct size. The rings are supplied over length and are measured using test blocks. This is measured while the ring is in the bore. The next process is to cut the ring to near its finished size and then hand finish them with a file to the exact size. These rings have to be handled with great care as they are made of cast iron and are quite brittle. They have to be specially made for us and weighed in at £250 + tax EACH! Any further donations will be gratefully received... This next photo shows the two piston groves and the two brass pegs on the bottom of the head that prevent the rings turning on the piston. This is important as if the rings were allowed to turn, the ends would spring free when they reached the steam ports and do untold damage to both the rings and the cylinder block. You next compress and hold the rings evenly in order to get the piston in the bore. The idea is to get a strip of thin, flexible steel and cut a strip so that it fits exactly around the piston head. This is then tack welded to form a collar. You then put your rings in place and, as being ably demonstrated, you carefully tap the steel collar back in place using any means - fair or foul (!) - to keep the rings compressed as it slides on. This is the same process being undertaken on the outer driver's side cylinder showing the first of the two rings per piston being captured. Then you have to carefully line everything up and slide the whole assembly in place. Here we can see the piston rod being guided in to the rear cover while making absolutely sure that the top of the rings are engaging with the bore and you then apply the requisite force to push the piston in. Due to the taper at the start of the bore, the collar is forced off at just the time the ring locates in the cylinder. The piston is then pushed home into the bore with the application of a boot! All you have to do is to repeat the gapping and fitting process to 8 piston rings and the compressing and fitting process for all 4 cylinders and the Castle is a small but significant step closer to running! So that explains some of the reason I haven't been on RMWEB so much recently - here is the other. I was contacted by Haynes Publishing about 2 years ago looking for a subject for a new title in their historic manuals series. After negotiations and a rough treatment being agreed upon, a deal was struck and lo and behold I became a writer in my spare time! To cut a long story short, I tried to write the kind of manual that I and my friends at Didcot would want to read and with their kind assistance (and a proof reader in the form of my father!) the result was this: I have put in a history of the class, a history of some of the variations in the class, some locomotive anatomy, how it all works and, of course, a history of the most famous Castle of them all, No. 4079! The photo budget was kindly proffered to the project on the understanding that anything left over was to go to the restoration project. Due to the kindness and generosity of many groups and individuals including Sir William McAlpine and the Great Western Trust at Didcot, the Castle restoration fund will be swelled by exactly 1 Haynes Manual photo budget! We will do an official launch at Didcot sometime in the new year and I hope to have the restoration team and the 2 Didcot Castles in attendance. I will let you all know via Little Didcot when the date is confirmed. Well, that has been an eventful year and this Christmas has been the first time I have stopped to smell the Roses (or Celebrations, or Quality Street, or Thorntons for that matter - I'm not fussy!) for quite a while so I didn't do very much and enjoyed it immensely. I hope that all my fellow RMWEB types had similarly pleasurable yuletides and as it's New Year's Eve, I can write nothing more for 2014 other than to wish you all a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2015. Now where's that soldering iron gone? I have some kits to make! All the best, Castle PS: Some of the photos in this post are copyright Frank Dumbleton / GWS. They are the good ones NOT taken on my phone...

Hi All, Grange: thanks for the compliments on the 97XX - it was a joint effort between me and Boiler Basher. I am sure he will be able to oblige with a photo. As it is with him I can't help unfortunately! What we did was use the running plate & smokebox door of the 8750 and kept the rear end of the K's kit as it saved on a joint between the two bits! The odd bit of judicious filling and disguising with paint, coal and weathering did the rest... Neil: quite right sir, the motor and gearbox that came with the kit was the power source for this one. Runs fine if everything is clean... MIB: Quite right too! Some things must yield to the quest for uber detail and the memory of a Dad is a prime example. I am sure he would be proud that they are still running and indeed being enjoyed! All the best, Castle PS: Thanks for all the likes everyone!