After many years being moved from pillar to post, the long-awaited restoration of the last ‘standard

Scotland was not exactly a stamping ground for Robert Riddles’ superlative ‘9F’ 2-10-0s. Indeed, none of the original 251 locomotives were ever allocated to Scottish sheds and, of those that did run north of the border, such occasional incursions were mostly made by those based out of Carlisle Kingmoor, which only received its first batch of ‘Spaceships’ as late as 1964. So, when No. 92219 – the penultimate ‘9F’ to be built – moved to Boat of Garten on the Strathspey Railway in May 2023, it made a little bit of history in becoming the first of its class to be officially based at a Scottish shed. But, more significantly, the move also heralded the start of its long-awaited restoration from Barry condition, and the beginning of its eventual return to steam after many years waiting in the wings.

Sunday, 27 October 2024

Dismantling July 2024.

The right hand running plate and front valve cover have now been removed.  The valve itself is still firmly stuck in the bore.  It had lost its right hand piston and covers long before it arrived at Aviemore.

 

When 92219 arrived, the only things remaining in the smoke box is the superheater header and the right hand steam pipe.  A slot has been cut above the superheater header to make its removal easier, the smoke box itself will need to be replaced, so making holes in it doesn't matter.

 

 Seonagh using the gas cutter to remove the right hand steam pipe.

The steam pipe and smoke box door have now been removed.

The smoke box door being taken away for storage.

On the left hand side of the smoke box is a large hole where someone in the locos past had cut the left hand steam pipe away, instead of removing the bolts.  The valves and rear piston cover are still in place.

The next item to be tackled is the left hand weigh shaft bracket with reverser pedestal and expansion link trunnion brackets.

A start on removing the reverser operating shaft. by now the slide bars have been removed.

The reverser bracket stripped down.

The reverser screw.

Putting a slight bit of pressure on the left hand rear cylinder cover.

Just enough tension to break the seal, eventually.

One removed cylinder cover.

The smoke box is now empty.  Boiler tubes have been removed, just the ends of the small tubes remain.

Outside a large number of the rivets holding the smoke box to the boiler have been removed.



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