Progress to date

Since the last post, lots of little jobs have been done, moving the locos closer to completion. These include finishing off painting the frames, building the manifolds, fitting the vacuum controls and piping, making the blast pipes, and getting the buffer beams and smokebox supports painted. A big job has been to fit the chimnies. Over xmas I painted and lined the cylinder covers. Last week the boiler cladding went to the sprayer for painting. He says that it will be done by next week, when I will take the tanks, bunkers and cabs up to him for some of his magic. After that I have to do the lining. . . . So today I did 2 of the last 3 jobs needed before the cladding can go on - making and fitting the steam pipe from the regulator valve to the pipe between the frames, and painting the smokeboxes. All that remains is to fit the lagging. Once the cladding is on, I will fit the manifolds, then pipe up the blower and injectors. Then I'm ready for fitting the tanks.