All of a sudden things are moving along at the station:

Work has now started on replacing some two dozen of the boiler stays on the Marshall and is expected to be complete by the end of the week (March 20), following which we can get the boiler back into position and reconnected ready for the Easter steamings. The better news is that we may not need to replace any more (subject to the boiler inspector) for some time.

Of course, this makes it sound like moving the boiler back will only take half an hour or so, far from it! First the back wheels have to be refitted, and at half a ton each this is not an easy job. Then the whole thing must be moved back into the cabin and the pipework reconnected to the valve on top of the boiler and the feed onto the side. Finally the railings which were removed to move the boiler out have to be replaced. Add to this the need to hydraulic test the boiler (fill it with water, pump it up and see what leaks) and we are still on a tight deadline for steam testing the following weekend. Plus the clocks go forward and I'll lose an hour's sleep!

Although most of the attention has been focussed on the boiler, there has been plenty else going on around the site. Clearing of the scrapyard around the back of the tin shed has now given us more space and some useful funds. Work should begin soon on constructing a buttress to support the wall of the boilerhouse which is leaning outwards (cross bracing of the roof to reduce the loading on the wall was done some time ago and this should finish the job).

The head of the Lister Startomatic has been removed for attention to the valve guides and the injector and pump are being tested, so in future it should start first time! The outside of the main hall is changing colour as John T works his way around painting the walls to improve the looks. Bill is sorting out fencing and an access gate alongside the rhyne and Harold has been building trestles to support the railway incline outside the winding house.

Inside, and plans for moving the Culverwell engine have now been changed. Instead, the Sissons marine compound will be moved over to the corner vacated by the workbench and will be joined by the Robey from the tin shed. The Culverwell will then be moved sideways 4ft into the space left by the Sissons and a new base constructed. Apart from making things a lot easier to do it also means that the flywheel and moving parts of the Culverwell will be screened by the body from prying fingers or other limbs.

News Extra

A visit to the station on the Friday found a hive of activity. The sound of rivetting hammers at full blast showed that Mendip Steam were fitting the stays to the Marshall while Nigel was busy with the mini digger excavating holes for the buttresses to the engine house wall and gateposts alongside the rhyne and levelling a pathway from the car park. Alan was catching all the activity on video for the next DVD and a load of cleared scrub was being burnt by John T. For the first time in many years the gears and equipment from Highbridge Clyse can now be seen clear of its screen of brambles. Not all the heavy work has been going on at the station: Christine & Adrian have been beavering away getting all the paperwork needed for the museum accreditation sorted out and dealing with the endless reams of questionnaires necessary to tick the right boxes for the museum people.

And More NewsExtra

After Mendip finished their round of violence on the boiler it was time to button it up and get some water in for the hydraulic test. Over three evenings the boiler was filled to the top and the safety valves screwed down. On Saturday it was connected to the mains but refused to go any higher than 35PSI, obviously Wessex Water were suffering from low pressure that day. The hand pump was brought out and soon whipped the pressure up to 130PSI.

In the meantime, Richard from Mendip had turned up and was busy caulking the several weeping stays inside the firebox (strangely enough, none of those on the outside weeped). Once he pronounced himself satisfied it was time to get the wheels back on and get ready to move the Marshall back into place. First we had to lighten the load a bit and a couple of tons of water were dumped out of the blowdown valve. Unfortunately we couldn't find the flange connection which had been taken off to allow the ashpan to be removed so the area around the cabin had a bit of a washdown! Next was the refitting of the back wheels. These weigh about 3/4 ton each so it was a bit of a struggle for Ian and I to get them back on the stub axles and we had to revert to using a portable hoist. When it was originally put in place the boiler had a slight lean to the right and I determined that it would be put back on the level: a couple of sheets of steel plate were found and placed under the wheels both to allow an easier run back but also to keep the boiler level. Finally, the boiler was jacked up and the supporting timbers removed.

Sunday, and another brilliant day. Ian and his lad turned up together with a large John Deere tractor which was hitched up to the yoke on the front wheels, the sheeting covering the hole in the side of the boiler cabin was removed and we were ready to move. The rest was a bit of an anticlimax: the boiler slipped back into place as easy as anything and apart from having to jack up one side to reposition the steel sheet which had moved and insert a packing piece to get the boiler level the only other business was reconnecting the feedwater and steam outlet pipework. The mains water was turned on to fill the feed tank and top up the boiler and we were almost ready to fire up. The final stage is to get the work signed off by the boiler inspector then steam test the boiler ready for everything to kick off at Easter.

Andy

Previous news for 2009 is available for reading via the Archive section in the navigation bar, left.

All newspages for 2008, including December's issue, can be downloaded (zipfile)here. Note that August's news got lost!

All newspages for 2007 can be downloaded (zipfile)here

Official Location Address: Westonzoyland Pumping Station, Hoopers Lane, Westonzoyland, nr. Bridgwater, Somerset TA7 0LS (Please do NOT send letters to this address, there is no letterbox!).
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