Late May update

A Good Start to the Year

We had a good few days at the Flying Scotsman event talking to the visitors and selling the usual quality merchandise.  Our stand was situated in the yard which on one hand was great for showing our visitors what we are up to, but on the other hand we were in direct line of fire for the loco exhaust! We had many visitors who took an interest in our project and quite a few donations.


Following on from this we had a stand at the Branch line weekend (this time on Platform 1!) we again had a good time talking and selling as well as taking donations.  It was great to see both the other two P class locos working for their living pulling trains up and down the line as well as offering brake van rides at Horsted Keynes.


Since Branch line weekend, it has been announced that 323 Bluebell will be travelling to the Severn Valley Railway for their Autumn Gala, and 178 has already departed to York for use on their brake van rides.  A good advertisement for the Bluebell.


We had a slight disappointment at the AGM as we were unable to launch the replica LBSCR 1st World War service badges, unfortunately the production process has taken longer than we had hoped. They will be available soon exclusively from Project 27 for a price of £14-50.  This is a strictly limited edition of 100 pieces and will clearly be marked as a replica on the reverse.

We have also done some physical work on the loco!

Matt has been working away on the wheel sets and has turned his attention to the crank axle.  he has been beavering away at the build up of gunge and cleaned back to bare metal.  He uncovered a makers mark on the axle as seen in the picture.  This shows the axle as being made by Vickers Sons and Maxim.  The material is shown as Cast Steel  made in 1909 for the SE&CR.  there is a works number of 22094 also.

The makers name on the crank axle of SECR No.27
(Pictures by Matt Holloway)

All the gunge cleaned off!

Once the axle was fully cleaned down, a first coat of bondaprimer was added to the non bearing parts to give a good base for future coats of paint.  Being an axle the final colour will be red.  The bright work that can be seen in the picture are bearing surfaces and these have been protected by reapplying denso tape to them.

The crank axle showing freshly painted with Bondaprimer

Also to report is the finished steam reverser direction change over valve cover, in mid bronze green, and the vacuum brake cylinder vacuum discharge and application valve casting. 


In short the valve allows a vacuum to be created in the brake cylinder both sides of the piston. Once a brake application is made, introducing atmospheric pressure to the train pipe and bottom volume of the brake piston, a ball valve inside this casting closes due to a pressure difference.

Freshly painted by Matt!

This isolates the top of the piston of the vacuum brake cylinder leaving it with and almost perfect vacuum (zero pressure!!) and thus the atmospheric pressure acting on the bottom of the piston pushes up with no resistance from the now isolated  top half of the piston and applies the brakes through various levers, rods, etc.....it stops the engine!

Other Stuff

Dave "The Marrow" Colwell has let me have some photos he took in the late 50s early 60s, amongst which is one of No 27 "Primrose" at the head of a train at Sheffield Park.  It also shows how Sheffield Park has changed in 57 years!

No.27 "Primrose" with the Chesham Set and No.323 Bluebell on the rear (Picture by Dave Colwell)

We are now looking forward to our next event at the "End of Steam" Commemoration.  Hopefully we will be in possession of the War Service Badges by then!