Update Autumn 06
We would like to, through our website, thank Andy Manley for running it and we have past the milestone of over 10,000 hits - something I thought we would never achieve. We could have gone down the route of a photo topic website but we prefer this. As you know, if we can, we only up-date quarterly which leads me to my second thank you which goes to the gentleman in the picture above, pictured with myself, Mr Tim Farmer who runs the excellent preserved diesels website who regularly puts up pictures of 149's progress with no quibble and it's free!! However, I am sure most of you visit Tim's site and, like us, have enjoyed the benefits of its information whether it be for gala's or technical gen via its forum. Tim needs to up-grade the website and we back his appeal for donations to help this cause so that we can all continue to reap the benefits of this excellent site.
Stop Press: Thanks to Stuart Seller (SRPS) for the tools to enable us to inspect the main bearings in the power unit which were mentioned earlier in the year. With these on hand we can proceed with this operation and then, hopefully, next year we begin the reassembly of the power unit.
Mike Pember
Home
The power unit sees regular activity on two fronts, the generator/alternator has been receiving regular attention and recently the internals have been blown out with compressed air via a plastic tube. Steel was avoided in case it damaged any of the internal windings and rubber/plastic proved to be more flexible. To help remove carbon deposits the body was needle gunned to help shake the carbon loose which proved very successful and the external diameter was then painted as seen in the view above. The all important readings on the generator via a mega test were 250k and the beginning and after cleaning rising to 850k, still more work to do using special carbon removing agents which will be sprayed into the generator and then blown out again.
We have now removed 'B' bank pistons and liners,fortunately the only hiccups were B1 piston sticking during lifting and with our technical officer on hand a few technical hits with a hammer remedied the situation and then on B4 piston the thread stripped so the hole had to be opened out from half inch width worth to 5 eights width worth thread. Two liners had fret band damage due to bad fitting but all of the shell bearings are sound and two of the liners are considered reusable which will save us having to buy two more piston top rings. They now all sit in the container awaiting re-fitting.
Work on No.2 cab is well under way. A few horror stories have appeared and this cab has been found to be in a poorer state than first thought. 80% of the cab floor has been removed and all air pipes and electrical conduit runs are being inspected and having the brake dust removed from them. Fortunately so far we have found the air pipes to be in good order, unlike No.1 end where at least pipes had to be replaced. Unlike No1 end rain is running behind the back head wall and causing severe corrosion in the steel work a the bottom, much of which will probably have to be replaced. Recent items overhauled include the fault lights whilst the power controller re-build will hopefully be completed at Christmas.
Welcome to the latest up-date, we start with bodywork progress which hasn't advanced as quickly as hoped but a start has been made. This view shows the area in the last up-date now completed, if you look closely enough you can make out the original 135 number in the rusty area and the outline of the 1960's lower body side white stripe. Hopefully, in the New Year all areas will be tackled and consideration is being given to the possibility of work around No.2 cab being started on this front which is suffering quite badly with water getting into areas and corroding conduit runs.