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L&B Loco build 2014 - 2021

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by Gary Tyso, Brian Clark, Chris Greene, Mike Brophy

Mark Dale, Phil Davis

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The club decided they required there own large steam loco for the use at big events

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This project started in Feb 2014 when we received the parts for it.

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Atrocious weather conditions greeted what few brave soles who arrived at Balleny Green today. The rain was lashing down on the already waterlogged ground. Garry arrived with the Lynton and Barnstaple locomotive frames etc. which he had been carrying around for 12 days!

He managed to circumnavigate the copse, but only just, as traction was a great problem.  However, he finally got to the traction engine road, and safety.

Dave M and Allan D had already sorted out a method of unloading the frames which we estimate to weigh in excess of 500Kg. Following a snowstorm, the weather improved at around 11-30 so the 'team', now strengthened by the arrival of Mark D and B, and John, started to unload. This was effected by assembling a steel plate on top of one of the sit-in carriages and pushing the carriage onto the unload lift.

Garry, Dave M, Allan D and John, laid grass grids, timber and old doors to form a road for Garry to drive on and back up to the unload point. A sling was attached between the loco frames and the tractor, and the assembly was then slowly towed off the van and onto the waiting carriage. Once on, the assembly was pushed down to the NE corner carriage shed.

Garry Tyso

March April 2016

 

The current status of the L&B loco is that the weighshaft is finally fixed and dowelled in the correct position in the frame, and the cylinders are nearing being placed in position on the frame. Next actions will be to set the motion brackets to the weighshaft, fix the wheels onto the axles and fit the axle boxes into the horn blocks in the frame to make it a “rolling chassis”.

We will then make a frame onto which the wheeled chassis will sit on the lifter for the remainder of the assembly. The material for this frame has been cut ready for welding.

The steel boiler has been ordered for delivery before the end on the year.

Brian Clarke

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After the initial start this project went very slow for the next two years with a small amount of work being done

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The Chassis

Many Parts were manufactured in our Workshop

The Boiler

The Water Tanks