Of frost and Sentinels
23rd January 2023
Ok, just a thousand miles this week.
So I went back to one of the Laser cutters on Monday expecting to find the door for the Hudswell sat waiting for me but it wasn't, rather that their laser operator had been off with flu all week and my job would be on later that day. I returned later in the afternoon - well to be exact I cut it a bit fine, they shut at 4 and I drove in at 3.55 - but the door was ready and was later dropped off in the workshop.
Tuesday was an early start to go carry out an investigation on a Sentinel. When Sentinel diesels appeared many of their 'railway' pneumatic valves, etc., were manufactured by Laycock Engineeering under licence from Knorr Bremse, while most of their 'control' valves came from Laing. Laycocks' venture was ill-fated and after a decade or so they gave up, and 'Laycock-Knorr' valves are to the best of my knowledge only found on Sentinel or Thomas Hill locos. After the demise of Laycock-Knorr, Sentinel switched largely to Westinghouse and with the disappearance of Laing Pneumatic replacements can come from any source (though it is advisable to improve filtration if you do). Add a retro-fit of train air equipment or some-such and the loco can have a hotch-potch of different manufacturers products, rather than the ideal 'this loco, all D&M' or 'that loco all Westinghouse' that Hills' Drawing Office used to preach when I was at Kilnhurst. So my sojourn on Tuesday was (a) to find a fault (or faults?) on the loco and (b) to plot what the loco was now fitted with so that I could afterwards prepare a drawing for refrence.
After several hours doodling and tracing I identified a stuck check valve which I have brought back for attention but I suspect that there is something else wrong yet for me to find.
Wednesday, and it was a meet up with Adam to collect an 08 for return to a South Wales steelplant. Loading was straightforward and we were away in just over the hour and a half. The unloading however is on a level crossing within the plant that is on a main access road for HGV traffic and for that reason we are only allowed to carry it out after 6pm, as once started we effectively block the access road. In the ideal world this would mean no traffic at all while we are busy but in reality various vehicles, from cars driven by plant workers to artics driven by Polish or Lithuanian nationals impatiently try to get past. Thinking about it now I really should take some traffic cones down to emphasise our control! Off came the loco and we waited 20 minutes or so until another was poduced to hitch a return ride. I was half-way winching it up when I jumped to find a Security Guard stood next to me. He wanted to know 'if it had derailed or something'. I tactfully pointed out that we were taking it away for repair (why would I be winching it on to a low loader if it had merely derailed?) and he seemed content.
We left the plant just before 8pm - Adam reached base just about midnight and me Darly Dale a few minutes before.Thursday saw us up north unloading it for tyre turning, and interesting exercise threading the artic through the car park of a main line depot and squeezing up to the wheel lathe shop.
Saturday and a day in the shed would have been nice as it was cold outside but half the day was spent there moving things around. A lorry had come in the previous day with some lumps to be unloaded and these required repositioning, plus we needed to get some parts sorted to take down to Somerset on Sunday. But it wasn't all shuffling with loco and forklift outside. Following the overhaul of the sand ejectors last week, 3 new sandpipes were made up for the loco, and the new door installed on to the cab. The door handles were fitted (though I still have to purchase the new locks and inner handles), and the air vent for the warm air from the heater drilled and hose installed. The starter motor cables were installed (we're hoping that we might have it running next weekend) a few other tasks undertaken.
Sunday was a trip down to Midsomer, and to make best use of the day that meant setting off at 06.30 or soon after. But at 06.30 the temperature in the van registered -8 deg C and the ice on the windscreen was so stubborn that took 15 minutes to scrape enough to drive by. We set off via Belper to tank up a bit. (I see supermarkets and some retail outlets have lowered diesel prices to 159.X pence /litre, yet others are staying at 176/177 and one 'just off the M1' services resolutely charging 196. Bakewell earlier in the week was still 172ish, yet the Shell station I regularly use was at 159 - or would be if they had any, they were awaiting delivery on Thursday morning and I reluctantly put in a dash of 'premium' stuff which in my experience offers little or no benefit).
We got to Midsomer at about 10.45 - the temperature was still below zero and although the Stephenson was running the walkways were treacherous with ice. The 08 too was active but still thawing out, so the majority of the volunteers were in the Mess van and we joined them for a tea. My role was to carry out driver training/familiarisation and after confirming that all was well, and unloading all the 'contingency'spare parts he had sold them from the 'deceased' Dorman in 1197, Andrew left me and went on to Cranmore, coming back with some pictures of the beautifully restored Sentinels there.
Meanwhile, while the vac brake installation on the EE was working, we began to lose converter pressure and the loco's performance tailed off. Whether this was a blocked suction filter, a stuck relief valve or a tired charge pump we were unable to say - Andrew's return from Cranmore was bringing my time to an end there though as a long-time friend turned up we became almost the last on site.
This week is looking to be quiet - will it stay that way? Come back - hopefully back on shedule - and find out. See ya then.