News, 26 September 2024
News, 26 September 2024
It's been a while between updates and there's been plenty going on.
The first photo shows four newly fabricated Traction Motor connection boxes. These (a direct copy of the ones used on Class 20s) have been laser cut and bent up off site. Seen here after a dimensional check and before painting. Each one takes four cables from the control cubicle (four holes at the top) and connects them via terminals (not shown) to eight cables to each Traction Motor. The Traction Motor cables bolt to the bottom and seal the large aperture via a closure / gland plate attached to the cables.
Also laser cut have been the loco light switch mounting plate (top two items) and the engine start / stop button mounting panels.
New hinges for the engine room (bodyside) doors. Machined from 50 x 50 x 10 angle and bright bar these new fabrications were made on site for us by Sheaf Engineering. The hinge parts were tacked together on the loco to ensure perfect alignment before being removed so that they can be TIG welded up by someone who's better at it than me.
At the same time as the Traction Motor connection boxes were made, these box mounting brackets were made too. These will be welded onto the boxes and bolted to the loco. They're upside down in this photo...
Finally for this update, we have given detail before of the revised arrangement for the parking brake mechanism. One of the requirements of the new arrangement is that all of the ex-Cl. 37 pull-rods have to be modified for length. The two in the photos below were shortened and are seen after cutting / weld prep., then after welding with dye-penetrant crack detection still in place.
