Shed Turn - Getting ready for Half Term

 Well, I fully expected to be back on the 4MT today, and indeed after a cup of coffee I went underneath with a bucket of paraffin to loosen up the remains of last week's gunge. As I was getting ready, I heard my name called by Foreman Alan, with the request to go and check the axle boxes on the Y14 - something I've done before.

On my way, I found this widget - it's the attachment to allow the tablet to be delivered to the catcher at the station and to pick up the tablet for the next section, simultaneously. Apparently it's an M&GNJRS project - hopefully we will see it in action this season.

I've got my head torch, a big screwdriver to lift the lid of the axle boxes, a pair of surgeon's tweezers to pull out the trimmings and a sucker to draw the water out. The wheels are all in a suitable position but even so, it's hard to see the trimmings.

At each axle box, I used the sucker to feel for water in the oil. You can feel the pull necessary to draw fluid into the sucker - the oil is cold and quite viscous, so when you pull water into the sucker it feels much easier than pulling oil in. I pull out all the water, then inspect the trimmings - two have lost their tails but most are in great shape - I'm pleased with this, because I made these trimmings a while back.

I fill the low boxes with bearing oil:

With all the boxes done, I take my stuff back to the 4MT. Foreman Alan has other ideas - he wants the Y14 cleaned underneath. The topside is in the process of being polished up by the other guys, ready for the February half-term service. 

For the next few hours, I used my bucket of paraffin and multiple rags to clean up the motion:

Some of these bits are pretty hard to get to.

At lunchtime, we can have a look at the progress with the replacement of the crossover. Apparently Trackworks are a day or two away from leaving, though S&T have several days work to get all the track circuits hooked up again. Out in that picture, a number of our S&T guys are connecting up the point motors.

Back in the workshop after lunch I am on the 4MT again - Foreman Alan suggests I carry on cleaning it up, either underneath or topside - for a change, and to make sure I have something to show for the day, I elect to do the boiler and smokebox:

The secret to getting it to shine is to use your Rags progressively, finishing with a clean one take the last of the grime off and reveal the gloss. It doesn't photograph that well in the workshop:

Polishing up the apron sets it off, though I haven't time to do the running boards, the cab or the tender. It was almost going home time - it looks OK but would have looked ten times better if I had scraped the gunge out of the corners first. 

Next week, I have several railway meetings - so I doubt if I will get on shed; I have a third man turn in half term so I'll make a post then!