News, 14 April 2023
News, 14 April 2023
Following on from the previous couple of weeks' work, the Main and Auxiliary Generators have been removed and shipped to Bowers for overhaul. Why weren't they done when the engine was repaired? There was no certainty that the engine would work, or what condition it would be in so there was little point spending money on electrical machine work which may have been pointless. At the time (it was 12-years ago now) both generators were stripped and heavily cleaned, statically tested and painted internally and both appeared to work well when the engine was run. With the end in sight (don't ask for a date.....) for the loco completion they're now going away for an overhaul.
The main (larger machine, left) and auxiliary (smaller, right) generators are seen below leaving Barrow Hill. The horizontal ratchet strap on the main is a belt and braces 'feel good' to remove any likelihood of the armature coming out of its bearing during transport.
With the roof already off and the rain starting to fall the two machines are seen ready for removal.
Two minutes later and the Auxiliary Generator is already off and out of the loco.
The Main Generator followed in short order leaving a sight rarely seen, the drive end of the engine without attachments. This is actually the phasing gear case the triangle at the top is the drive yoke for the Auxiliary Generator, the black rectangle to the right is the engine governor. The covers over the quillshafts (which couple the three crankshafts to the common output) can be seen equally spread about the output flange to which the Main Generator is connected.
The ratchet strap isn't doing anything, it's another belt and braces 'feel good' to stop the engine tipping back. It's only supported on two mountings with the generators removed, the cross-member under the bottom of the phasing case is doing all the work.
