News, 5 August 2023
News, 5 August 2023
The picture below is the result of hours of design and hours of fiddling about on the loco, things like this are the thieves of time. The desk has been drawn up and laser cut and with the Master Controller fitted temporarily the alignment and fit have been validated. The requirement for the new desk originates with the need to place the Straight Air Brake valve in the correct position for a vacuum braked loco - Baby Deltics were never dual braked but the donor loco was.
Using some original EECo. drawings, some photos (see the example underneath the AWS indicator), some help from our friends elsewhere in preservation and a lot of CAD time the result speaks for itself. Further towards the bulkhead, in front of the Straight Air Brake valve, the base for the Vacuum Brake Valve can be seen. It all fits, it all lines up and it looks good too - a rare occurrence of something fitting 'on the drawing' and 'in reality'.
What can't be seen particularly well in this photo is the bracket arrangement which supports the left hand side of the desk and the brake valves.
(Below) The completed bracket is seen on the left ready for painting and the parts for the other cab's bracket are laid out alongside it in almost third-angle projection. I know that it isn't really TAP, don't write in....
Also shown is the desk top and a new panel to take the Start and Stop buttons. How many buttons? What are they all for? Have a guess - free car sticker to the first person who gets it right.
Just visible in the photo at the top are these two plates. Regular viewers will know what they're for but for everyone else; the two groups of four holes will mount the parking brake crank brackets. The cranks are necessary to turn, reverse and transmit the pull motion from the parking brake screw (not visible, in the cab) to the cranks under the cab door steps.
The plates are now fully welded in and next week the braces can go onto the cab side floor.
