The Great Divide

By Alan Emmerson Chairman (NBLS Ltd.)



For over a year contemplation of separation of tender and loco had crossed several members minds but how to do it without causing any damage to both machine and men was a problem, the loco had not been moved for at least eight years and the question on everyone’s mind was would it move at all. Let me lead you through the reasons for moving the loco and tender, both of these are fitted with roller bearings and left in one position for too long can result in scoring of the journals inside the bearings the cost to replace all these items does not need considering lets leave it by saying probably more than the loco is worth and would make the restoration prohibitive by this cost, so as you can see it had to be done also the location of the loco was not a good one and a certain amount of subsidence had taken place on the far side of loco and it had begun to develop a list to starboard the original idea was to lay some track panels in front of the loco to allow the loco clear this area and allow packing of the track bed. A date was set for the 18th and 19th of October and various calls to members for help and assistance on those dates ensued. Well eight members came forward and an agreed plan of action ensued, firstly a survey was required to examine the loco and tender to see if there were any visible problems to prevent their movement the answer to that was yes the tender brakes were stuck on hard and fast, but the loco came out ok as apart from some dryness of the horn guides and a fair amount of dirt and dust on the axle boxes covers there appeared very little else wrong, obviously the piston rods and crosshead slides would need careful cleaning and lubrication but that would be easy to deal with at the time, however lubrication of the cylinders was crucial and that was accessed by squirting a mixture of diesel and lubricating oil up through the holes where the cylinder drain cocks were fitted. In the end it was decided to move the loco forward so as to stop one metre short of the end of the track, and move the tender back as far as possible, this would be possible given the amount of work against the workforce available and at a future date lay the extra track panels.




Jim hard at work freeing up the tender brakes.

Saturday the 18th was set aside for freeing up everything and Sunday 19th would be the big move, at the end of Saturday every task set had been dealt with and everyone was very pleased with all that had been achieved so far. Sunday everyone was there at 09.30 and with the help of Charlie Jones project leader of 6989 Whitwick Hall and Quainton’s fork lift truck the tender was connected via chains and the move began very slowly at first with a lot of squealing from wheels that had not turned for eight years it inched backwards it looked that it was very stiff but eventually it made it and the handbrake was applied and the chains removed.
Charlie then took the fork lift truck to the front of the loco and hooked on the chains he gave it an experimental pull and it moved easily with no signs of binding a tightness in fact it rolled beautifully and stopped exactly where we wanted it to so by ten fifteen we had completed the move and all that was left to do was secure the loco with scotches, we now had a twenty foot gap between loco and tender, now the dirty work could begin in earnest cleaning inside the tender coal space and removing a fair amount of corrosion.


Ken Livermore working on piston rods.

So that part of the job was completed safely, during the winter the removal of the coal auger trough will take place and the many castings supporting it will be removed examined painted and reassembled, eventually the extra track panels will be laid and the loco pulled onto them, repacking of the old track will be completed, by next spring it should all be completed and loco and tender reunited.
My thanks go out to Ken Livermore (oiling and cleaning rods and crossheads). Alan Randell who cleaned and oiled horn guides and lubrication. Jim Nolan who spent most of his time lying on his back in the ballast to free the tender brakes (it could not have been comfortable). Charlie Jones for his driving skills on the forklift truck without him we could not have moved it. Judith for supplying tea and bacon butties just when it was needed. Chris Jenkins for arriving in the knick of time to help to help with dismantling of staircase at rear of loco. Ken Livermore cleaning the piston rods a time consuming task which had to be done.



Tug of war?



The team left to right Charlie Jones, Alan Aldous, Alan Randell, Chris Jenkins, Jim Nolan.and last but not least Judith Emmerson.



Alan Randell removing and inspecting the trimmings.