News, 20 April 2022
News, 20 April 2022
The dummy CWA tank is now complete, the sequence of photos below show the final assembly and the next update will detail its installation. Seen below, the tank has been removed from the loco where it was temporarily mounted to ensure that the assembly remained tight to the mountings and didn't move during welding. It is on a PW trolley to allow access to the mountings on the end plates.
The inner end bracket fully-welded to the end plate. This is my 'favourite photo' of the entire fabricating process, taken before the paint spoils the view of all the welds. Note that the three middle holes in the bracket have had nuts 'trapped' on top because they are almost impossible to reach from the top once the tank is installed. It's not best practice to insert bolts from below but it is unavoidable in this instance - certainly if we ever want to remove the assembly again in future.
The final stages of welding on the outer end of the tank; the inside framework is fully-welded together, the frame is stitched to the platework on a 25/75 basis and the bracket is fully-welded to the platework with three runs and a capping run. To coin a welding phrase, it's not going anywhere......
The tank next to the loco just after it was removed. The eagle-eyed will notice that the end bracket is only tacked on at this point. The front of the loco will be transformed once the buffer cowls are added.
