Turn 50 - Cleaning the 4MT and cutting some felt

 Turn 50 came almost two years after I joined the railway in May 2019, which considering the fact that I was working three days a week until June 2020 and the service, like everything else in the world, was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic is not bad going as far as turns-per-month is concerned.

This week, we were to use the BR Standard 4MT 76084, and I was on a cleaning turn with two new faces - old hands who had not been on the railway for two years. They were to be joined by Inspector Nick for a 'return to service' assessment.

I started with an inspection of the firebox and a clean of the smokebox; Fireman Owen cleaned the firebox with irons, and I laid the fire and lit up.

The 4MT has a narrow box, which is long, but not as long as the B12 - it's much easier to fire, and there is less distance between the firehole and the tender coaling plate.

With the fire underway, I turned my attention to the paintwork until it was time to push back:

The boiler had been showing high 'dissolved solids' since she was close to a scheduled water change. Fitter Bob decided to blow down two glasses. I ashed out between blowdowns, and found the rear damper would neither close completely nor open - it appeared to be distorted, which goes to show that cleaning is really an important inspection function. Discussion revealed that Fitter Bob was aware of this and since the damper was maybe 1" open, it was pronounced fit for service.

Before I forget, Fireman Owen gave me a good tip here - when using the injectors before going off-shed, it's a good idea to test the ashpan sprinkler, the tender sprinkler and the slacker pipe.

She went off shed on-time and I busied myself with chopping rags and preparing a barrow of wood for the next day until she returned with my breakfast. The sun was out, and we ate on the picnic tables on Platform 1 with a cup of coffee.

The rest of the shift was spent replacing the felt oilers on the WD's piston rods. These sit in a gunmetal casting on the back of each cylinder and serve to lubricate the piston rod as it travels in and out - the oil is pumped in at the top and soaks the felt, wicking the oil all around the piston rod and preventing any debris from entering the gland behind the cylinder.

The gland is contained in that hexagonal iron casting - the felt is in the brass casting behind it. 

In the store, Fitter Bob slices off a strip of the felt - it's 1 1/2" thick:

After cleaning and measuring the channels that carry the felt, we slice it into smaller pieces:

Each piece goes into an oil bath while we cut the next one, and when it is soaked we bend it into shape and push it into the channels in the casting:

When it is in, we put it back in place around the piston rod temporarily, to make sure the felt fits properly. Next, we cut the ends off:

We leave these a bit proud, so when the two halves are bolted up the felts seals all around the rods:

Easy!

That's more or less it for the day, apart from a bit of paperwork. Next turn is on the footplate again, with Inspector Mike and Fireman Paul - who will be taking his driving test. With a bit of luck I will be firing all day - I wonder which loco we will be allocated... Fireman Paul is an excellent teacher, but won't appreciate an inexperienced pupil when he is under assessment himself. 

His last words to me? Don't f&%% it up!