News, 21 June 2024
News, 21 June 2024
On 19 June 1959 the last of the ten Baby Deltics entered traffic. D5909 being delivered to BR Doncaster Works from the EE works at Newton le Willows. The ten locos entered traffic between April and June 1959.
65 years later the eleventh loco is getting closer by the week. Since the last update work has focussed on the final bits of bodywork enhancements - all of them for visual purposes alone.
The cant rail mounted grille at no. 1 end is just there to create the appearance of the boiler air intake as seen on the original locos. Over the last couple of shifts the rain strip has been fabricated and added over the top of it. It's since been painted too and can be seen in the photos below fully finished.
The sequence of photos below show the main focus of the work since the last update. Class 40s and Baby Deltics had a reinforcement piece around the door frame which was not present on Class 37s. We've had to add this in to recreate the appearance accurately, even though it has no real structural benefit. The top and bottom pieces are different and the angle sections need to be bent to the same radius as the cant rail then fully welded all round - each door takes a shift, or so, to complete and with four doors to do they fit well and truly into the category of 'thieves of time'. The irony is that most people won't even notice.
Finally for this update, the photo below shows the electrical control cubicle. It isn't installed yet - it's still on the temporary wheels we used when it was out of the loco - but the doors have all been cleaned, repaired where necessary and painted. They are seen here having been refitted temporarily to check the fit.
