A different train of thought .

[Chuffer]

I find it interesting to 'conjure' where 'we' would all be with steam power if diesels engines and electric technology hadn't effectively taken over. Also given the current drive to reduce emissions.......could coal have been replaced with something else.
I've noticed that many of the engine classes, and individual engines are named after the designer or chief engineer responsible for producing the loco.........questions I have relating to that........what is really (as with Sir William Stanier) totally 'his' design........or the results of a whole team of engineers designing the engines and the Chief Engineer heading-up the deparment taking all the credit. Were people (like Sir William Stainier) awarded a knighthood because of their efforts (or team efforts) relating to the engine design........or was it simply (much as today) the 'old school tie brigade' taking the plum jobs and all the credit for the teams work.
I'd like to think that engineers, whatever their background only recieved recognition (such as knighthoods) due to individual efforts...........

Interesting points raised Ross. Firstly regarding " where would we be with steam power " , the railways in Britain were lagging far behind other countries in terms of modernisation to diesel and electric traction . The country was financially `broke` after WW2 and the railways had been run into the ground during the demands of the war . There was no money to invest in electrification so steam locos soldiered on with new `Standard ` designs masterminded by Robert Riddles who was the Chief Mechanical Engineer for the newly formed nationalised British Railways in 1948 . He had come up the hard way through the ranks and had studied under Stanier at the London Midland & Scottish Railway ( LMS). His vision was for a long programme of building modern and efficient locos through to the 1970`s but the last of his designs was built at Swindon in 1960 . By then the Government had embarked on a Modernisation Plan to do away with steam power and and a hastey and ill conceived diesel loco building plan was rushed through by inviting private companies to present their own designs for building . This resulted in steam locos only 5 to 10 years old being scrapped , a criminal waste of tax payers money . Numerous diesel locos were rapidly built in the late 1950`s and 1960`s and many proved unreliable due to lack of development . Some even earned a reputation for regularly catching fire !! Some classes of diesel were withdrawn and scrapped within a few years of service . More money wasted !! In the late 1950`s and early 60`s it was a matter of routine that steam locos were sent to rescue trains hauled by diesels that had failed . In fact on some rural branch lines where steam power had been eradicated by Diesel Multiple Units ( Rail Cars ) , steam power was re introduced until reliability issues were resolved with the modern traction.
With regard to Stanier , he was a `dyed in the wool` railwayman from the get go . Born in Swindon in 1876 , his father worked for the Great Western Railway ( GWR) as nearly everyone in Swindon did . Stanier started as Office Boy , then a 5 year apprenticeship in the loco workshops and then became a draughtsman ( just like me ! ) He steadily gained promotion until head hunted in 1932 by the LMS to become Chief Mechanical Engineer to resolve the LMS`s `small engine` policy they had inherited from the old Midland Railway that the LMS had absorbed with the resultant clash in personalities and old style attitudes . I think Stanier banged a few heads together and with a hand picked team embarked on a prodigious building plan of larger , more modern for the time , loco designs amounting to 11 different classes for various types of duties . This meant a standardisation of lots of components allowing efficiency of manufacture , maintenance and operation by the crews . All this came from his time learning his trade with the GWR. Yes he did have a team of very good engineers working under his watchful eye but the fundamental designs were all his . During WW2 he was selected as a consultant to the Ministry of Supply and was knighted in on retirement in 1943 in recognition of all his services . He was also made Fellow of the Royal Society ( FRS ) and President of Institute of Mechanical Engineers . As is the way of things , the Head Man` gets the gong but at least it meant something in those days rather than handing out Knighthoods willy nilly to pop stars and the like with no more meaning than sweets to a child !!!
Staniers ultimate design was his awesomely powerful Duchess Class express locos , the last built being named in his honour ` Sir William A Stanier FRS `.

 

[Roscobbc]

Mike........like others I'm seething that Sadiq Khan, London Mayor who has been seen to fail in most of the things he has been measured-on is likely to be knighted........several million Londoners and others working and travelling in London would have plenty to say...........jobs for the 'boys' (and useless tossers too!)

 

[Chuffer]

Me too Ross , I issued a few expletives when I found out that little git was getting knighted . He should be neutered not knighted !!!

 

[Chuffer]

A bit more progress was made on `Sir Lamiel`s boiler on Friday as we took advantage of dry day as the boiler by necessity is permanently outdoors . I was assisting one of our small team of volunteers Dave , a spritely 83 year old retired boilersmith who is currently fabricating a new smoke box rim . The existing rim had completely corroded away by the effects of years intense heat and the corrosive effects of the red hot `char` that is drawn threw the boiler tubes by the exhaust blast up the chimney and collects in the bottom of the smoke box against the smoke box door . The corroded rim was cut away with a disc cutter and a new steel rim made and rolled in two semi circular sections to be welded in place round the full circumference the smoke box . This will then compress a new heavy duty fabric gasket that sits in a corresponding circular channel on the inside edge of the smoke box door . This ensures an airtight seal when the door is closed and screwed up tight . It is vital to have an airtight seal to maintain the negative pressure in the smoke box caused by the exhaust draft up the chimney when the loco is in motion as any leak will have an adverse effect on the steaming and hence performance of the loco .
The previous week the Boiler Inspector made another visit to inspect the condition of the Fire Box roof stays . These stays form just part of the total 1500 stays that support the outer steel firebox from the inner copper firebox . The space in between being the water ` jacket` surrounding the Fire Box that contains water and is the primary steam producing part of the boiler . These stays are a complex arrangement known as `Sling Stays ` that are peculiar to round topped boilers as favoured by R.E.L. Maunsell , the designer of the` King Arthur` Class locos such as `Sir Lamiel`and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway . I have included diagrams to demonstrate the difference between round topped fireboxes and ` Belpaire ` design flat topped fireboxes more commonly used in later loco designs . As can be seen , the inner firebox ` roof` is flat in both cases which necessitates the roof stays being longer and splayed at a slight angle to allow for curvature of the outer firebox . Although cheaper to manufacture than `Belpaire fireboxes and inherently stronger being circular , round topped fireboxes mean the angled stays are prone to flexing due to the massive forces imposed them and a `sling` arrangement was designed to allow the stays to pivot slightly where bolted to the underside of the outer steal firebox . The Belpaire arrangement had the advantage of a larger heating area for the water than a round topped `box .
Fortunately it would appear in the inspection that only a few `sling stays` need replacing and being internally threaded can be withdrawn from inside the firebox and are identified in the photo by the oblong chalk marks seen on the second , third and fifth rows from the right . I suspect that this may well prove a tad more challenging than removing a Corvette`s exhaust manifold bolts !!
The good news is with this type of stay , we will not have to cut access holes in the thick steel outer firebox roof to replace and weld patches back in afterwards at considerable cost and time . Added to latest years inspection of all the side and back head stays resulting in only 150 copper stays needing replacing at £50 a pop for the copper materials alone ( we CNC machined them in house - see photo of new stays ) . If most or all of the 1500 stays needed replacing the cost would have been horrendous !
With no need to cut holes in the outer firebox anymore I could also crack on with rust removal and heat resistant painting of the firebox in the same manner the boiler barrel has been finished so re tubing the boiler should not be too far off and will be a big step forward . Oh ! I forgot to mention the big crack in the chimney casting rendering said component scrap but at least we have a new in our store ready to replace it .