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News, 27 March 2026

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:42:11 GMT

News, 27 March 2026

We said some time ago that there would be very little in the way of exciting or interesting progress and we were right! No one can pretend that photographs of welded plates where once there were holes is a notable update but that's where we are. These were shown a couple of months ago, on the donor loco the traction motor cables used to pass through the floor here and on the recreated loco they're not used. They'll soon be hidden by the compressors and exhausters which will be fitted within a month or so.

At the other end of the loco is the control cubicle, this space sits under the cubicle - the four holes seen are for the traction motor cables and will be used in this instance.

News, 6 February 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:03:07 GMT

News, 6 February 2026

Plenty to report in this update, starting with the removal of more redundant cable entry points. The two points below were originally for the traction motor cables on the donor loco. We don't need these, there being two fewer traction motors on a Baby Deltic. Also, we're clever and we've implemented the BR mod to remove half the cable runs between the control cubicle and the motors. The holes which remain will be plated over once the weather warms up - no point welding when the loco's freezing cold.

Years ago it was obvious that we'd have to do something about the parking brake and the way it's applied / released. Whilst there are broad similarities between a Class 37 and a Baby Deltic parking brake the movement of the application screw and therefore the movement of the linkages was reversed between the two types.

We went round in circles investigating spring applied brakes (very common now in rail applications), hydraulically applied brakes (less so, but, Cl. 58s / 60s / 90s / others), air applied parking brakes (HSTs) and electrically applied brakes (Cl. 66 / others) but we kept returning to the originality quest and settled on HUGE EXPENSE to have a load of new parts made.

Principle amongst these were two (one for each end) new lead screws to reverse the application direction of the levers. Seen below is one of the new screws, one of the new trunnion blocks (carrying the application levers) and a new end-stop bush. What can't be seen are a new split cotter to hold it all in place and a new bronze bush and new thrust bearing the make it turn smoothly.

The new arrangement below shows the screw in place but not secured with (just visible attached to the lever) the two (one for each side of the loco) pull rods...

...the pull rods operate a straight lever and an angle lever (no photos of these, I forgot). The angle lever turns the pull motion through 90 degrees and then via another pull rod to another angle crank to change direction once again.

The cranks are the same as the donor loco one, just relocated.

The mechanical losses in this number of cranks are high, one of the reasons for all of the newish direct acting systems now in use on modern rail vehicles.

Finally for this update is the new brake valve control arrangement. Baby Deltics were only ever vacuum braked, our donor loco was dual braked. It makes perfect sense to have the recreated loco dual braked too, so that's what we've done.

The problem with this is that the drivers dual brake valve bears no resemblance to the original vacuum brake valve. The valve would stand out in the cab like a Polar Bear in a dinner suit trying to get into a "Penguins only" nightclub.

So we designed a brake controller which looks like the original Westinghouse vacuum brake valve but only serves to operate the dual brake valve (Westinghouse M8(A)) which is hidden below the desk. The two photos below show the new dummy and the M8(A) in their extreme positions; release and shut down. There's a universal joint / sliding joint assembly to go in yet but this is for a future update.

The wood behind the valve is only holding the quarterlight in temporarily and the M8(A) is not hidden yet . Don't write in :)

News, 24 January 2026

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:40:37 GMT

News, 24 January 2026

The work on the loco this week involved a load of inaction and messing about for very little return. Ages ago we dropped the compressors and exhausters into the loco to get an accurate idea of the space envelope for their installation (it fits on the drawing, etc.). This was great at the time but they were in the way of bulkhead repairs and the removal of unwanted traction motor cableways. They're out now and will be cleaned thoroughly and tested before reinstallation properly sometime in Spring.

The roof is seen here ready to go back on, one of the exhausters can be seen on the right and the compressors on the left of the photo.

One exhauster and one compressor seen just after removal. The table structure is for the top compressor. The exhausters are mounted side-by-side and the compressors one on top of the other.

While we were messing about 37057 came to say hello. It couldn't though because it's a loco and it can't talk.

News, 16 January 2026

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:35:07 GMT

News, 12 January 2026

One of our most frequently asked questions is; "Have you got the engine for it?"

The engine was the first thing we bought, it was there before The Baby Deltic Project was a thing. Our book (copies available here ) tells the story of the engine from finding it to making it run again. Seen below installed in the loco and bearing a replacement crankcase cover it waits patiently for the rest of the loco to be completed before being coaxed back into life one again.

Our second most frequently asked question is; "Have you a means by which I can support the Project by making a small, regular donation in return for a 1:59 chance of winning £250 each month?"

Why yes we have!

Our D5910 Lottery provides that precise opportunity. With only two tickets remaining and our monthly draw taking place tomorrow time is short!

Don't miss out - read all about the D5910 Lottery by clicking the link below.

News, 19 December 2025

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:11:48 GMT

News, 19 December 2025

We haven’t done a review of the year before, or at least certainly not for some time anyway.

It is worth remembering that everything we do on this project is done for the benefit of the loco and nothing else, it is also worth remembering that everything is done by people who give freely of their own time whilst maintaining jobs, families and (horror) other hobbies too. In addition to working on the loco that means; administration (accounts, filing returns, planning), web updates (website and social media), design (all aspects, from back-of-envelope to full FMEA CAD work), procurement (from sheet steel to complex assemblies and all inbetween) and liaison (everything else, for example see photos of the office move). These tasks alone can take a day a week.

In 2025 we have;

· Launched and run the ‘D5910 Lottery’, a once a month opportunity to win £250 for entrants whilst raising money for the project at the same time.

· Restored the radiator cooling fan housing and refitted it.

· Repaired the engine pre-heater. This second-hand item was bought at a fraction of the price of a new unit, rebuilt and tested remotely before being temporarily installed to the loco. This enabled us to keep the engine warm and enable a pressure-test of the internal coolant passages to prove the suitability of the cylinder liner seals.

· Procured and fitted the windows, to keep the loco watertight when it’s outside.

· Finished the roof sections.

· Had a massive change of direction following our invitation to The Greatest Gathering (TGG) including prepping and painting the whole loco (in undercoat).

· Attended The Greatest Gathering (the biggest and most successful event of its type in the UK) and showed ~45 000 people what a Baby Deltic looks like.

· Won an award from the National Transport Trust for our efforts so far.

· Showed the loco, including cab and engine room visits, to thousands of visitors to Barrow Hill’s Rail 200 gala.

· Cleaned up, repaired, serviced and tested numerous bits of control gear.

· Cleaned up, repaired, serviced and tested the two by pass valves (thermostats).

Without being glib, projects like this are as much about managing expectations as they are rebuilding locos. Sometimes, especially when it’s freezing, or wet, the work we do is enough without rushing home to do an update for social media and sometimes the work we do is so dull that it’s simply not worth an update – how many photos of something unrecognisable can you post in three stages of painting?

Have a Happy Christmas, don’t forget that there’s a lottery draw this Saturday and if you’re quick you can still join the draw.

Many thanks for your continued support.

These were the boxes where the traction motor cables passed through the loco floor. We've lost a pair of motors so these are redundant and have been removed. The holes where they were will be plated over once the weather warms up again.

Three photos of work done on the bulkhead between the no. 1 end cab and the auxiliary machine compartment.

To demonstrate the 'other than loco' commitments we have, this is this week's activity - moving the office at Barrow Hill. As part of the site enhancements coming next year my rented office (and BDP Tech Library / messroom) has been moved from its elevated position to a new location further from everything I access frequently. The BDP, literally going down in the world.

News, 19 September 2025

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:39:28 GMT

News, 19 September 2025

As mentioned a few weeks ago, we have been honoured with an award from the National Transport Trust - The David Muirhead Award. The Trust recognised us 'for one of the most technically ambitious and historically meaningful projects in recent railway preservation: the recreation of the long-lost British Rail Class 23 "Baby Deltic" locomotive.'

See here for full details of the award.

The photo below shows project member Richard Senior receiving the award from Edd China as Lady Judy McAlpine looks on.

D5910 Lottery draw TOMORROW (20 Sept) and every third Saturday in the month.

Don't miss out on a chance to win £250, tickets (although not many) still available - see this link for details.

Finally for this update - the loco will be on display at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse gala on 10, 11 & 12 October.

Details here.

We will have a display stand, sales stand and donation facilities and we will be offering 'something' (details to be confirmed) for those who are particularly interested in the loco and the work undertaken to get it to this stage - more information when it's confirmed.

News, 6 September 2025

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:03:28 GMT

News, 6 September 2025

No specific work activities to report for this update, but three items of interest nonetheless.

Firstly, for all those who missed the loco's appearance at the Derby event recently (and for those who went and want to see it again....) D5910 will be on display at the forthcoming Barrow Hill Gala over the weekend of 10-12 October 2025. Tickets will be available on the day, but may be restricted according to site capacity. To guarantee getting in (and to save a couple of pounds) why not click the link above and purchase entry tickets in advance? The loco will (probably) be on its normal road inside the roundhouse and should be reasonably positioned for photos. Some of the team will be in attendance so you can come along as ask us in person what colour it's going to be and when it's going to be finished.

Secondly, the bidding period for the replica worksplates which were fitted to the loco for the Derby event has closed. All of the winners and all the unsuccessful bidders have been contacted now - many thanks for your support and for the generous bidding, we raised almost £1200 by this alone.

Finally, work has resumed on the loco build, albeit gently. We've started this week by moving all of the 'stuff' which had accumulated inside the loco into our new(ish) storage cabinets. Thanks to the DPS for donating these cabinets which were surplus to their requirements.

Opportunities abound...

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:05:33 GMT

Opportunities to win money and opportunities to own a piece of history

As the third Saturday in the month approaches (it's tomorrow) we are reminded that the D5910 Lottery is drawn. There are only a few places remaining of the 59 places originally offered so make sure that you don't miss out on the chance to win £250. Details for entry are in the link below, but briefly; set up a standing order of at least £10 for at least 12 months (and don't forget to tell us that you've done so....) and you're in!

Also, of the five remaining replica worksplates (see picture below), four of them have been fitted to the loco before it left Barrow Hill so that they were carried during The Greatest Gathering. These are available for sale by sealed bid - see link below.

The fifth and final remaining plate has been carried on our 'dummy' number panel and will be subject something special in due course.

The BDP; now award-winning

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:56:02 GMT

Baby Deltic Project - award winners!

After a fantastic weekend at The Greatest Gathering where the loco was seen by around 40 000 people over the three days of the event, we returned home to find that The Baby Deltic Project has won an award!

The National Transport Trust has made us a winner of a Restoration Award 2025 and we are very proud to accept.

The entries this year were of the highest standard and so to win an award is a massive compliment to the project, all those who work on it and all those who support us in whatever form, thank you.

The Greatest Gathering

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:37:39 GMT

D5910 on display at The Greatest Gathering - this weekend

If you're lucky enough to have tickets for the event this weekend (tickets sold out almost immediately) the be on the lookout for D5910 and our sales stand.

The final position of the loco was yet to be determined as of 1800 Thursday but it won't be hard to spot.

Our sales stand is in 'U' shop - come and say hello.

Loco moved to Derby for The Greatest Gathering

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 09:43:19 GMT

(Big) news, 26 July 2025

We were asked a couple of months ago if we would like to attend The Greatest Gathering as part of the Rail 200 celebrations. Obviously we said 'yes'. We were told it could go exactly as it was at the time but we didn't like the idea of that. The paint (undercoat) was patchy at best didn't present the most professional image, so we set about improving it.

This photo shows what a couple of people can do when they put their minds to it.

All over repaint (still undercoat), windows installed, headcode discs fitted and working, door handles fitted and working, bogie brake gear fitted and working, roofs tidied up, buffer cowls fitted, cab footstep kickplates fitted, numbers and worksplates fitted, etc., etc.

Photo below taken in failing light on Thursday 24 July 2025.

By Friday morning, Allelys had arrived and loaded it ready for the short journey south to Derby.

Mid-morning and the loco is seen turning right towards Eckington, just after leaving Barrow Hill.

And then about 90 minutes later turning right again into Litchurch Lane and onto the Alstom site ready for display.

News, 19 July 2025

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:04:37 GMT

News, 19 July 2025

Today is a D5910 Lottery draw day, still time to buy tickets to win up to £250 and help the BDP at the same time. See the link below to find out more and to buy tickets.

With less than a weeks preparation time to go before the loco leaves Barrow Hill for The Greatest Gathering we've reached the clean and paint stage.

The loco will receive a new coat of undercoat (grey, as now) so it won't look too different from now. Since it was last cleaned a couple of years ago its accumulated a fair covering of dust, some self-generated from filler / rubbing back / grinding filings from adjacent works and some from the site - which is dusty. Help was brought in to clean the loco in the form of 1no. 'daughter' who appears to like this kind of stuff....

Starting with the roof the l eak finding solution 'snow foam' cleaner was sprayed on, it did a remarkable job of dragging off all the dust and debris in one hit leaving a surface ready to take paint.

Off site work also continues which the production of headcode disc catches. The catch hinge parts are ex-loco and the catches themselves are fabricated.

Proof that even loco parts like a bit of attention. This happy sub-assembly is for the radiator fan housing - it's a cover for the huge hole in the roof where the fan will be. You won't be able to see it from ground-level but it's as well made and purposeful as all the bits you will be able to see.

News, 28 June 2025

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:50:07 GMT

News, 28 June 2025

Something a bit different this week, the video clip demonstrates the enormity of the work undertaken by the project to get this far. We started the project in earnest in 2011 so it's been nearly 15 years in the making, who knows how long it will actually take to finish it? Don't ask, we won't tell you.....

The reason that the loco was on the turntable was to put it back on 'its' road after a couple of weeks under the hoist. We've finally got the three roofs to fit something like and finished adding the rain strips to them. This roof (to cover the area where the boiler would have been) is one of the few remaining bits from the donor loco, albeit much smaller now....

News, 6 June 2025

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:56:11 GMT

News, 6 June 2025

The last update was about roofs and this one's no different. The loco's been under the hoist and on and off the turntable more times than enough this week as the roofs were lifted off, had the overlap strips welded on, refitted and checked and then lifted off again for paint.

Out of interest, the loco will be on the turntable this weekend (7 & 8 June) so any visitors to Barrow Hill will be able to get (slightly) closer to it than normal.

The roof from the no. 2 end, control cubicle end. The chalked on identification is not as daft as it seems, it's fairly easy to forget which way round they are and which orientation too. This roof is a much-shortened piece of the donor loco roof with a overlap strip far smaller than they were on Baby Deltics. In order to complete the appearance accurately, it was necessary to weld a strip on the inside of the existing strip to extend its apparent width, the second photo makes this clear. The second photo also shows the new strip across the roof.

Two more view of the other side of the same roof, before and after the fitting of the strips.

News, 3 June 2025

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:14:20 GMT

News, 3 June 2025

The loco is back in the Roundhouse now after the Barrow Hill beer festival and concerts. The photos show the work now in progress which is predominantly preparation for our appearance at The Greatest Gathering in August. The loco will get most of the flourishes / detail pieces added to the body before a full paint IN GREY UNDERCOAT for the event.

There's a very obvious roof strip around all of the removable roof sections which is being added. Seen below is the main roof section with the strip tacked into place. It was tacked on with the roof in position so that it all lined up nicely once fully-welded.

And then with a coat of primer applied. The overhanging bits (bottom left) will be cut off once the roof position is confirmed on the loco.

News, 10 May 2025

Sat, 10 May 2025 09:47:48 GMT

News, 10 May 2025

The loco is outside for the next couple of weeks because of the Barrow Hill beer festival. As ever, when it goes outside it gets covered to keep the weather out. It's seen below waiting to go under the hoist and have the tarpaulin fitted. A nice side-on view where you can now see through the loco and out the other side....

With the new windows reflecting the roof of the roundhouse D5910 is under the hoist and about to be covered up.....

....like this.

It'll be back inside by the end of May where work will restart to prepare it for its appearance at The Greatest Gathering on 1 - 3 August.

We're going to The Greatest Gathering!

Tue, 06 May 2025 15:50:16 GMT

The Baby Deltic Project is going to The Greatest Gathering!

We are honoured to have been invited to take D5910 to The Greatest Gathering.

D5910 will be moved by road from its home at Barrow Hill Roundhouse and placed on display to the public at The Greatest Gathering event which is taking place on 1, 2 and 3 August 2025 at the Alstom Works, Litchurch Lane, Derby.

The loco will not be finished but it will be visually almost indistinguishable from the finished product. This will be a unique opportunity to see the loco close up and to talk to the people who are doing the work on it.

We would like to thank the organisers of the event for this invitation which we have been delighted to accept.

Last week some of the windows were fitted and this week they're all in. The sequence of photos below shows one of the bodyside windows in place and the finishing work now in progress to tidy up around the detail pieces which have recently been installed. These are the bodyside grabrails which were used for access to the boiler water tank filler hatch.

A similar photo to last weeks' moody night shot, but with the clutter out of the way. D5910 being ready for it's big weekend away.....

News, 25 April 2025

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:58:03 GMT

News, 25 April 2025

The loco has radically changed appearance this week. In preparation for the installation of the windows all of the apertures have been fully opened out. The cab windows were already cut, they were just tidied up, but the engine room windows were only perforated previously, leaving the blanks in place.

These are all now fully prepared and ready to take the glass.

With the internal lights shining brightly the loco shows off its new appearance below.

With the top compressor obscuring the view through the loco both no. 1 end engine room windows are seen to good effect below.

The drive end of the engine - still waiting for the main generator to return from overhaul - is seen through the newly cut window.

Napier Deltic T9 29, unique.

News, 18 April 2025

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:54:07 GMT

News, 18 April 2025

There has been good progress this week but none of it is photogenic. Instead here are two photos of the reason why this project is being undertaken.

25, or so, years ago we 'found' this engine in a five-plank wagon in a yard at the National Railway Museum. We bought the engine and moved it to storage, first at Paxmans (Colchester) and then at Barrow Hill (Chesterfield). In time we stripped the engine, repaired and refurbished it where necessary and returned it to a running condition. Without this background time, expense and work there would have been no Baby Deltic Project. One of our most frequently asked questions is "have you got an engine for it"? Yes, yes we have and here it is.

We bought a donor loco and set about converting it so as to replicate, so far as is practical, a Baby Deltic locomotive. We have spent an enormous amount of time, energy and money to get where we are today - the loco looks like a Baby Deltic, the bulk of the conversion work is complete and we're very close to the point at which we're going to have to commit to buying cable and pipework. Cable is copper and pipework is copper.

One of the best ways in which you can help us move towards completion is by making a regular donation by standing order. In January we launched our D5910 Lottery whereby a regular donation of £10 (or more) gets an entry to a monthly draw to win up to £250. Lots of people have joined us but we still have a few entries left - why not consider helping us and making yourself (a little bit!) rich in the process. Click the link for more information.

Seen below is the unique T9-29 Napier Deltic mounted in the loco. 16 engines of this type were built, they were given the serial numbers 363, 370 - 380, 385 - 388. This is 388 so it was the last one built and is the only survivor. Other 9-cylinder Deltic engines exist but they are not rail traction engines. At the risk of over-egging this pudding, this is unique.

The picture shows the free end of the engine the slightly rusty large-bore pipe is the exhaust outlet and the two green elbows which go into it are from A bank (left) and B bank (top), C bank is unseen - hidden by the turbo. Yes, it is a turbo not a scavenge-blower. It is a gear-driven turbo. Two shafts from the other end of the engine drive a speed-increasing gearbox and then the turbo, as the engine speeds up and the exhaust temperature increases an impellor relieves the load on the drive shafts and takes over the drive of the turbo.

Also seen is the air intake (centre of the picture, with the top covered in tank tape), the engine governor (top of the picture, painted black) and various external pipes for coolant and fuel.

The other end of the engine is dominated by the phasing case. This gearbox brings together the outputs from the three crankshafts (behind the three 'top-hat' covers) to a common output flange (centre of the photo, round and rust coloured). Gears in the phasing case also drive the Auxiliary Generator (top flange, partially hidden by the laminated page stuck to it), the two oil pumps, the governor and the engine overspeed and underspeed trips.

The only reason that this photo is possible is that the Main and Auxiliary Generators are away for overhaul at the moment.

Overhauling things is expensive, did we mention that.....?

News, 11 April 2025

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:07:33 GMT

News, 11 April 2025

As is so often the case at the moment the bulk of the work we do results in photos which are only any good as a reference and make no impact for publicity purposes. This week has provided a bit of a better opportunity.

The loco was shunted under the hoist at Barrow Hill so that we could mount (albeit temporarily) the radiator fan housing.

It's seen here nosing out of the roundhouse as the housing is being positioned at the other end of the loco. The sheet is covering the grilles - dust from other activities finds it's way everywhere...

The view from inside the loco with the housing in place. If it looks lopsided trust me, it isn't - parallax is your enemy here!

For the first time in ages the loco has got all of its apertures filled. Looking lovely on the turntable at Barrow Hill D5910 is being turned ready for shunting back onto its road in the corner.

News, 21 March 2025

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:18:53 GMT

News, 21 March 2025

We have acquired a set of batteries this week. Loco 55019 - owned by the Deltic Preservation Society - has had its batteries replaced and we have been the beneficiary of the DPS who have kindly donated the old set ex-no.19. These ARE NOT intended for our loco use but instead will allow us to test various auxiliary machines. The batteries are nominally 110vDC and whilst we have a charger and a 110vDC power supply neither can provide the current needed to start some of the bigger machines. Even though they are no longer up to the job of reliably starting a loco, these batteries will be more than capable of providing enough current to run machines on test and we are very grateful to the DPS for this gift.

Thank you.

The last of the heating and pressure testing has been completed this week. The engine was heated once again to around 50 degrees C and then pressure tested to show any leaks - internal or external. None have been found and so we are fairly confident that such things as cylinder liner seals and injector pocket seals are all good. The engine has now been filled with 30% anti-freeze and will stay like that until we are ready to start coupling up external pipework.

We've finally been able to turn over the radiator fan housing. This has allowed all the old paint and remaining dirt to be removed and replaced with primer and undercoat - the sequences below show the results of two days work.

News, 14 March 2025

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:30:25 GMT

News. 14 March 2025

A quick reminder that the second draw of the 'D5910 Lottery' will be drawn tomorrow (Saturday). It's not too late to enter and you would be in with a fair chance of winning up to £250 whilst helping the project raise funds. Follow this link to find more information and to enter the draw.

This week has seen the team continuing with the engine (static) testing. A few weeks ago the engine was filled with water to test it for internal leaks. A (previously acquired) Stroko heater has been loosely refurbished and now works fairly reliably. Providing 30kW of heat input, it raises the temperature of the engine from ambient to around 60 degrees C in around 50 minutes. With the engine at this temperature we were confident enough to apply pressure to the coolant system. The photo below shows the loco during the heating test, the blue pipe is a drain from the loco to, er, the drain.

Man poses whilst pretending to do something.

The heater set up is shown to good effect below. The heater (green, bottom left) circulates coolant (using the pump on the side of the heater) through the circuit. The circulation is in the reverse direction to the normal circuit for no reason other than the pipework arrangement was easier....

The coolant is drawn from the engine (large bore pipe below the exhaust outlet (white hardboard cover fitted)), through the heater and back into the engine through the other large bore pipe. The branch off between the heater and the engine is the drain. The translucent vertical pipe is the make up pipe through which the system is filled. The small bore pipe to the handpump on the lower right is to allow us to pressurize the system for testing.

Out of view is the vent pipe which emerges from a venting vessel fitted at the uppermost point on the engine (B bank exhaust manifold) allowing any trapped air in the system to be released.

News, 16 February 2025

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:05:31 GMT

Subscribe to our lottery, still time before the first draw....click below to learn more and to buy tickets.

Very little of visual interest to report this week - apart from the unsubtle reminder that there's still time to buy a lottery ticket before the first draw next Saturday (22 Feb).

We love standing order donations to the project because they allow us to plan expenditure far more easily. Since launching the lottery the number of standing order donors has tripled and that's a fantastic boost to the project - many, many thanks to all those of you who have joined.

A reminder of why the steady flow of funds is so important is shown in the photo below. This is the original EECo drawing for the engine oil tank and we can't run the engine without one. It's easy to think that it's just a tank - we had just such a tank made from steel when we ran and tested the engine all those years ago but that was just a cube with three holes in it. The proper tank is a complex shape, because of where it needs to fit, and should be Aluminium. We're waiting for quotes to come back now from friendly fabricators but I suspect that the price will be a shocker. Your money helps us spread the cost of big purchases like this. Thank you.

Last week's update showed the pre-heater temporarily fitted to the engine cooling system, this week we've looked at and tested the bypass valves which control the flow of coolant and oil through the radiators. It's a simple design with three pipes connected to a common chamber inside which is a wax capsule and a lever mechanism. The wax expands as it heats up and this moves the lever to rotate a shutter and simultaneously undercover one valve port as it covers another. The ports are arranged as follows: one is an inlet from the engine and the other two either direct coolant (or oil) back to the engine (or oil tank) when cold and to the radiator when hot. The Bypass Valves maintain the engine at a constant temperature throughout its operating range. The photos below show one of the valves being heated to its 'fully-open' temperature in a pan, then three as it opens the bypass port when cooling down. Closing the bypass port opens the radiator port, the two shutters are mounted on a common shaft.

Don't write in, I know that the hole in the lid of the pan isn't for a temperature probe, the water never got to boiling point and it was never unattended....

News, 8 February 2025

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:42:22 GMT

News, 8 February 2025

No, it's not what you think - although the smoke is diesel smoke.

This week, for the first time in fifteen or so years, the Napier T9 29 Deltic engine which is at the heart of the project was warm again. Not through internal combustion but through external combustion. We bought two Stroco heaters years ago and the time was right for getting them working, one is little more than a collection of spares but the other one worked with minimal effort. Connected to a 24v power supply and with a domestic heating pump circulating the water the heater raised the temperature of the engine by 35 degrees or so in a little over 20 minutes. The central heating pump isn't up to the job so it's been replaced.

Of note in the photo below, the heater (bottom left, almost obscured in its own exhaust), the connections to the engine (complete with isolating cocks), the make-up pipe disappearing off to the top right. The hardboard cover is to protect the engine exhaust.

This photo was taken almost immediately after the heater was started, the smoke cleared quickly and was little more than a grey haze once the combustion chamber had warmed up.

After about ten minutes B bank exhaust elbow had gone from 1 degree to 17 degrees....

A further ten or so minutes later and the temperature (this is C bank exhaust) had increased to 38 degrees.

Also this week progress has been made on the radiator fan housing, seen below in various states from dirty to painted.

Lottery tickets still available

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:27:15 GMT

Lottery update and tickets still available

Two weeks ago we launched the D5910 Lottery. Intended as a rewards based fund raising effort, the details are here:

It's simple, the more participants there are, the more money we raise towards the loco and the greater the chance you have of winning. We have sold approximately half of the numbers so far and the first draw is on 22 February so don't miss out.

Meanwhile work on the loco and its constituent parts continues.

News and thanks

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:42:13 GMT

News and thanks

As is traditional at this time of year we want to thank all of those people who support the Baby Deltic Project.

We’ve made incredible progress in 2024, some of it very obvious and photogenic and some of it less so. The photo below shows just how close to looking like the original Baby Deltics D5910 is. Each update we’ve done shows progress in one form or another, some of it minor (fitting footsteps in the bodyside) and some of it major (making and installing bodyside grilles). We must be doing something right because the loco has been on display for the last few Barrow Hill events rather than being shunted outside.

With a small number of personnel working on the loco it’s sometimes hard to see the end of any project but it really feels as if we are moving towards the end now. It's important to recognise the commitment made by those people, there aren’t many of us (and that’s fine) but locos don’t build themselves and without them we’d be nothing – thank you.

As ever there is still a fair amount to do and a fair amount of money to be spent (and raised…), 2025 will be a year of considerable spend – it is almost inevitable that we will be buying cable and lots of it. There isn’t a single strand of original cable in the loco and there’s hundreds of metres of it needed, of various sizes from small control cables to massive power cables.

Next year will see more progress as we move towards the completion of the project – we aren’t ever going to promise a date by which the loco will be complete, we’re not that silly! When we have something to say, we’ll say it here first.

Keep checking back here for updates, we will continue to use Facebook to spread the word but as it becomes ever more AI driven and ever more full of drivel our website will remain the only place where you can see full (and accurate) updates on the project.

Everyone can play a part in moving the project to its conclusion – we don’t have a sales organisation as such but you can buy a book about the progress of the project so far, a car / window sticker to demonstrate your support for the project, or make a donation through the sales page of this website.

Regular donations are a massive help to the project and we are lucky enough to receive money from a small number of dedicated enthusiasts who share our dream – to them especially at this time of year we want to say thanks, it really makes a difference and it really is very much appreciated. Thank you.

News, 13 December 2024

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:35:37 GMT

News, 13 December 2024

The fan housing, part of the 'cooler group', was removed a couple of weeks ago for cleaning and painting. Seen below the inverted housing shows the modifications made for the installation of a different radiator cooling arrangement. This is simply an additional cowling which takes account of the reduced diameter of the new fan and sits inside the old cowling. The inside of the fan housing probably hasn't seen any attention for thirty or so years and it's in remarkably good condition. Well-built and robust, the repairs will be restricted to a heavy clean and paint, no other work being necessary.

This is a FAQ, but here we go anyway - one of the bigger problems with the original locos was the arrangement for driving the cooling fan. It was mechanically driven (like most EECo. locos) off an auxiliary gearbox on the free-end of the engine. The engine gearbox itself appears to be robust but the cardan shaft between this gearbox and the fan / compressor / traction motor blower was weak and often failed catastrophically, when if failed it often whirled about destroying coolant pipes and anything else in its path. This would result in a loss of coolant and eventually (when the low-level switch in the header tank operated) the engine would be shut down, usually too late to prevent the ill-effects of a high-load shut down.

EE undertook three modifications to try and cure the problem; (1) improve the strength of the shaft (moderate success), (2) fit a coolant-flow switch across the pump to shut down the engine in the event of lack of flow (good move) and (3) make the compressor electrically-driven to reduce the load on the cardan shaft (good move).

We have gone one further and removed nearly all the load on the auxiliary gearbox by (4) removing the traction motor blower at the end and replacing it with an electrically driven one and, best of all (5) installing a hydrostatic fan and drive arrangement. Hydrostatic systems are beloved by the old power equipment engineers because (until the advent of modern control electronics) they can drive the fan at full speed with the engine at idle and provide maximum cooling effort when the engine needs it most - at idle after a high-power run.

(More) news, 10 November 2024

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 12:25:44 GMT

(More) news, 10 November 2024

The loco was shunted this week to get it under the hoist in order to remove the fan roof. Here it is on the turntable at Barrow Hill after the roof was removed.

After the roof was removed it was turned over to give better access to the underside in readiness for cleaning. The fan can be seen through the mounting arrangement leaning against the hoist. The fan on the donor loco is much bigger than a Baby Deltic fan, the smaller inner ring seen on this photo is the size of the new fan, the outer ring is the original. The new fan is hydrostatic and replaces the silly EECo method of driving a fan off a free-end gearbox - one of the problems of the original Baby Deltics is, therefore, eliminated.

With the fan roof completely inverted, it is seen here ready to be lifting again and dropped onto the trolley behind it. This allows us to keep it mobile during the cleaning / modification process.

Thanks to Barrow Hill for the loan of the trolley and for assistance with the shunting.

Two before and after photos below of work carried out on the electrical equipment. The upper photo is one of the cab indicator light assemblies which sit above the instruments on the Drivers' desk and the lower photo is a random (normally open contact) push button.

Finally for this update, the grab handles have been fitted into the (A side) bodyside. Originally used to aid access to the boiler water tank filler, these are only there purely for cosmetic purposes.

News, 10 November 2024

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 11:17:37 GMT

News, 10 November 2024

The November issue of Railway Magazine is out now. It features a piece on the BDP and we get a nice photo on the cover too. In the days of 'the internet' it's important to remember that plenty of people don't have / don't want instant news and it's heartening to see the printed press continuing to provide quality stories.

Please consider supporting Railway Magazine by purchasing a copy of this month's magazine.

News, 3 October 2024

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 08:29:54 GMT

News, 3 October 2024

More fabricating work this week. The Traction Motor connection boxes have been positioned on the loco, had the bracket mounting arrangements confirmed and then the brackets welded on and painted. These are ready for installation now but they won't go on the loco until it's lifted again over winter.

The covers on the left are for the Traction Motor connection boxes, the smaller panels are for the cab start / stop buttons. Both in undercoat now waiting the top coat just prior to installation.

News, 26 September 2024

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:39:07 GMT

News, 26 September 2024

It's been a while between updates and there's been plenty going on.

The first photo shows four newly fabricated Traction Motor connection boxes. These (a direct copy of the ones used on Class 20s) have been laser cut and bent up off site. Seen here after a dimensional check and before painting. Each one takes four cables from the control cubicle (four holes at the top) and connects them via terminals (not shown) to eight cables to each Traction Motor. The Traction Motor cables bolt to the bottom and seal the large aperture via a closure / gland plate attached to the cables.

Also laser cut have been the loco light switch mounting plate (top two items) and the engine start / stop button mounting panels.

New hinges for the engine room (bodyside) doors. Machined from 50 x 50 x 10 angle and bright bar these new fabrications were made on site for us by Sheaf Engineering. The hinge parts were tacked together on the loco to ensure perfect alignment before being removed so that they can be TIG welded up by someone who's better at it than me.

At the same time as the Traction Motor connection boxes were made, these box mounting brackets were made too. These will be welded onto the boxes and bolted to the loco. They're upside down in this photo...

Finally for this update, we have given detail before of the revised arrangement for the parking brake mechanism. One of the requirements of the new arrangement is that all of the ex-Cl. 37 pull-rods have to be modified for length. The two in the photos below were shortened and are seen after cutting / weld prep., then after welding with dye-penetrant crack detection still in place.

News, 30 August 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:12:52 GMT

News, 30 August 2024

Something a bit different this week. We've weighed the loco. It's been done before but it's something we keep an eye on during the build. It is essential that each of the wheels exerts a force on the track which is within a known variance from the other wheels. Specific limits are set for differences across axles, between axles on the same bogie and between bogies. The 'resistance to derailment' (DQ/Q) of a rail vehicle relies on these forces and forms part of the calculations submitted as part of the design and build compliance.

The loco is still light, as you would expect with so much still to go in - there is presently no cable, no pipework, no air receivers, no cab fittings and no exhaust.

It'll be weighed again after the installation of all of the above and the final weighing will be undertaken in 'running order', with full fuel, oil and coolant tanks.

Bits of history keep revealing themselves, as has happened again this week. No doubting which loco and end this instrument panel cover came off.

These links are reclaimed from our spare bogies and will become the reversing links for the hand (parking) brake in a couple of weeks. The fit without modification under the cab steps and transfer the 'pull to apply' motion from one direction to another.

News, 24 August 2024

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 12:05:17 GMT

News, 24 August 2024

The visible progress of the past couple of weeks draws to a close in this update. As the photo below shows, all of the mountings for the headcode lamps, discs and catches have been added and painted in undercoat. All that remains to do at this end now is to install the dummy recept for the multi-working jumper, finish the beaded edge round the coupling / draw hook and weld the lamp brackets on.

Work continues on other parts of the equipment repair with the cab seats now in progress. This is one of the seats before any work has been carried out.

The same seat is seen in the two photos which follow (upper) after removal of all the old paint and (lower) after a coat of primer.

News, 16 August 2024

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:48:12 GMT

News, 16 August 2024

Replicating the work done on the other end, the no. 2 end receives the same treatment this week. The cut-outs for the mounts for the route indicator disks are obvious in the photo below. This time next week the mounts will be welded in and painted and this time in a year no-one will even remember the effort we went to with such a minor detail.

The Drivers' instrument panel has been stripped and painted in primer ready for re-installation when the cab is ready. The 'Air Only' reference applies to the donor loco and not to the Baby Deltic. Ironically, the donor was air brake only (vacuum isolated), the original Baby Deltics were vacuum only and the recreated loco will be dual braked. Make your mind up....

Similar treatment, different base material for these cab light mounts.

In between other jobs the body repairs and mods get tidied up, filled and painted. No. 2 end cab gets some love in this photo.

News, 4 August 2024

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 15:36:37 GMT

News, 4 August 2024

One of the many attention to detail / thieves of time jobs (delete as appropriate). The sequence below shows the installation of the mounts for the spring-loaded catches for the headcode discs. Seen marked up before cutting out, after cutting, after the mounts have been welded in and after priming. They aren't centrally aligned with the holes for the lamp holders, they're centrally aligned with the centre of the lamp lens (not shown). Also, there's only one headcode lamp in the photo - the upper one is the tail lamp - so the top and bottom mounts are positioned relative to the horizontal centre of the disc (also not shown).

The overall effect of the newly installed mounts is good, albeit that they will be virtually invisible with everything else fitted.

News, 19 July 2024

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:05:10 GMT

News, 19 July 2024

The loco is presently hidden under a thin tarpaulin because of the danger of damage to the bodyside and bogies (traction motors) caused by work being done by Barrow Hill volunteers on the adjacent road.

This reduces the light available inside the cabs and shows the red laser line to good effect in the photo below. The laser is used to show the datum for the height of the Drivers' desk at no. 2 end. The desk itself isn't being fitted just yet, but the bracketry for the brake valves acts as its mounting on the left hand side. The brake valve bracket is welded to the cab / nose bulkhead at the front and to the cabside structure upright at the rear.

Once tacked into place the Drivers' desk was removed and the bracket fully-welded in, see here after painting in primer.

Just visible in the photo above but seen to better advantage below are the two new bulkhead plates which have been welded in recently. Both have been replaced at this end (as with the other end) because of excessive corrosion of the original plates. At both ends the plates now act as mountings for the repositioned parking brake brackets. The mounting holes for these brackets can be seen in both plates adjacent to a slot which allows the parking brake pull rod to pass through the bulkhead. The large hole in the middle will be used for cable and pipe runs and will be enclosed once the runs are in place.

News, 21 June 2024

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:15:36 GMT

News, 21 June 2024

On 19 June 1959 the last of the ten Baby Deltics entered traffic. D5909 being delivered to BR Doncaster Works from the EE works at Newton le Willows. The ten locos entered traffic between April and June 1959.

65 years later the eleventh loco is getting closer by the week. Since the last update work has focussed on the final bits of bodywork enhancements - all of them for visual purposes alone.

The cant rail mounted grille at no. 1 end is just there to create the appearance of the boiler air intake as seen on the original locos. Over the last couple of shifts the rain strip has been fabricated and added over the top of it. It's since been painted too and can be seen in the photos below fully finished.

The sequence of photos below show the main focus of the work since the last update. Class 40s and Baby Deltics had a reinforcement piece around the door frame which was not present on Class 37s. We've had to add this in to recreate the appearance accurately, even though it has no real structural benefit. The top and bottom pieces are different and the angle sections need to be bent to the same radius as the cant rail then fully welded all round - each door takes a shift, or so, to complete and with four doors to do they fit well and truly into the category of 'thieves of time'. The irony is that most people won't even notice.

Finally for this update, the photo below shows the electrical control cubicle. It isn't installed yet - it's still on the temporary wheels we used when it was out of the loco - but the doors have all been cleaned, repaired where necessary and painted. They are seen here having been refitted temporarily to check the fit.

News, 23 May 2024

Thu, 23 May 2024 09:38:02 GMT

News, 23 May 2024

After being the centrepiece display at Barrow Hill's annual beer festival the loco is now back on its road where work continued on the body finishing this week. The three photos below show the 'display condition', then the application of filler and finally in primer over the filler. This level of work will continue through the summer now with this finishing following the other body embellishments as they are added / finished.

Loco on display at the Beer Festival

Thu, 16 May 2024 13:40:21 GMT

Loco on display at Barrow Hill Beer Festival

Tomorrow (Friday 17 May) and Saturday, 18 May the loco will be centre stage at Barrow Hill's Beer Festival. It's been slightly dressed up and carries its numbers on one side and a BR emblem on both sides.

Entry to the beer festival is chargeable - you can pay on the gate on both days.

Click the button below for details.

65 years' ago

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:58:41 GMT

65 years ago

April 1959 marked the introduction to traffic of the first English Electric / Napier Bo-Bo Type 2 loco. The first loco to traffic was D5903 which was delivered to BR at Doncaster mid-April and allocated initially to Hornsey.

D5900 was delivered in mid-May 1959 and is shown below in this beautiful photo by the late Tommy Greaves, Shedmaster at Hornsey at the time.

65 years later sees the 11th member of the class looking something like at Barrow Hill this week. The cab roof at this (no. 2) end has been painted in undercoat now to match the rest of the body.

Also finished this week is the first of the cab door frame reinforcements. Not a feature on Class 37s, these were only on Baby Deltics and Class 40s. They are prominent in the photos of the locos so are a necessary addition for nothing other than appearance purposes. The two photos shown the door frames before the installation of the reinforcements and after tacking into position, they've since been fully welded in.

News, 4 April 2024

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:09:08 GMT

News, 4 April 2024

With the super-bright LED light string shining out the loco is seen below having the cab roofs worked on. A scaffolding was in place at Barrow Hill for their volunteers to undertake roof work on one of their brake vans and the opportunity was taken to use it this week. There were a number of jobs which required roof access and they're been stacking up for some time. The cab door aperture closure plates are a massive water trap and 60 or so years have taken their toll. All four have been renewed and sections of the rainstrip / gutter removed for replacement later.

At the same time both roofs have been stripped back to bare metal and had the cab vents and mounting holes for the Brake Selection Indicator Lights sealed up. This was completed with some filling to remove imperfections and then a coat of primer.

The sequence of strip and paint is shown below.

No. 2 end is seen below inside the scaffolding.

The beauty of being at Barrow Hill is the turntable, work on one end / finish / turn loco / work on the other end.

Here's no. 1 end before the work started on the roof.

News, 8 March 2024

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:49:04 GMT

News, 8 March 2024

Regular visitors to the website will recall the 'placing' of the top compressor in the loco for space / weight purposes. You will also recall that the compressor and its mounting were 180 degrees out and that the bottom compressor was missing. Both of these have been corrected as seen in the photo below. Still not fixed in any way, except by the constant force of gravity, both compressors are in more-or-less the right location and precisely the right orientation.

In a shift which involved plenty of lifting and the removal of all three roofs at various points during the day, the control cubicle was placed at no. 2 end of the loco. As with the compressors and exhausters it's not secured in any way, in fact, it's still on the wheels which were tacked to the bottom of it to allow it to be moved around the workshop when it was out of the loco. See here sited about 750mm away from its proposed location, it will form the partition between the cab and the engine room - standard EECo practice and, frankly, a silly idea with negative implications for noise / dirt ingress / fire performance and so on.

Never miss the opportunity for a photo of the loco.

With the newly-primed roof for the no. 2 ('electric') end very visible, D5910 is seen on a rare occasion outside the Roundhouse.

News, 26 February 2024

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:49:32 GMT

News, 26 February 2024

The control cubicle roof which was painted on the inside last week has been turned over so that the outside can be done.

The edges of the roof have been left unpainted because rain strips will need welding on to replicate the appearance of the original locos. These can't be added until the roof is put back on the loco so that all the strips line up from end to end of the loco.

Like a flashback to whenever we did the same at the other end, the no. 2 end nose door closure plates have now been welded in. We don't do structural welding when the temperature is low, whilst this isn't strictly structural it is high current / temperature so it's been on hold for a bit. Using a length of 60 x 60 x 10 angle which was cut / bent / rewelded to follow the gentle curve of the nose outline the addition completes the nose door apertures which have been waiting since last autumn.

The G-cramps aren't doing anything in the photos below apart from holding the outer strip clear while the angle was tacked into place.

News, 16 February 2024

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 13:09:11 GMT

News, 16 February 2024

An update accompanied by a picture of the loco on it will generate in the order of more than 2000 reactions on Facebook, an update without a loco picture will generate about a quarter of that. There's a limit to how many times we can include a loco picture however...

We don't do any structural welding during the winter because of the potential to induce stress in the parent material, we do occasionally do non-structural welding like this. This is a corner of the roof which sits above the control cubicle at no. 2 end of the loco. Considerably shortened from the original loco roof this has rotted in one corner and has been replaced with new steel.

Also seen in the photos below are other views of the same roof after cleaning and removal of paint.

Not the projects most interesting update I'm sure, but progress nonetheless.

News, 26 January 2024

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:51:17 GMT

News, 26 January 2024

A high-activity shift this week, with a shunt and plenty of lifting.

Whilst we are months off refitting the auxiliary machines permanently we needed to left them into position to alleviate my constant fear of something being missed and having to use the immortal phrase, "Well, it fits on the drawing..."

It's a double shunt to get the loco under the hoist at Barrow Hill, one loco to pull it off the road and another to push it into position - the loco being too long to fit on the turntable with the shunt loco as well.

It wasn't that long ago that we had to use humans to push the loco into position so we are making progress.

The cleaned and painted (in undercoat) compressor table is seen beside the loco prior to lifting in.

A hour later the table, the top compressor and both exhausters were lifted into their proposed location. There are two compressors on the loco, the other one mounts directly to the floor under the table. The exhausters (on the right in the photo below) bolt direct to the floor.

Note the three doors into the cab, only the centre one will be in use when the loco is finished, hence the exhauster nearest the cab being at right angles to its mate - fitting it in the same orientation would restrict access through the door.

As if to prove my point of a trial fit, the compressor table is 180 degrees out - the oil dipstick / filler point is against the bodyside in this photo which is a silly idea. If only I'd noticed it before this photo was taken.

On the original Baby Deltics this space was occupied by the boiler. The exhausters were at the other end of the loco and the compressor was under the cooler group (where the photographer is standing). As we're not having a boiler these essential auxiliary machines can go here where they are far more accessible for maintenance and you're not going to smash your knees and shins every time you walk through the loco.

Also dropped into position was one of the radiators, held temporarily in position in the photo below by gravity and a yellow ratchet strap.

The ducting and the remains of the cooler group only exist as pixels at present so this exercise was essential to avoid a visit from Uncle Cock-Up later in the build.

Broadly speaking the cooler group will look like the screenshot below, seen from the same perspective as the photo above.

News, 19 January 2024

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 11:01:06 GMT

News, 19 January 2024

It's cold. I'm not moaning it's just a statement of fact. When it's cold you can't really weld - you can and people do, but certainly with structural welding it's not a good idea without lots of pre-warming and post-warming. Instead the winter months are spent on less appealing but equally necessary jobs like this.

This is one of the doors from the cab to the engine room - there will be four of these of which two will be dummies. Each one will be prepared in the same way, cleaning, removal of old paint and repainting. The glass gets a clean too as can be seen in the photos below.

A job which has been put off for months is this - the radiators. These were recovered from a Class 20 and are broadly the same as used on a Baby Deltic. There are two separate radiators housed in a common assembly, the oil side is outermost and the water side inner. One complete assembly is mounted on each side of the loco and both of the assemblies are shown below.

They come apart fairly easily and the top and bottom tanks can be unbolted on the water side to allow the removal of birds' nests and other detritus.

The water side is upright here and has been lifted up to leave the oil side on the floor.

From here the radiators will be thoroughly cleaned and degreased before pressure testing to check for leaks. Then there will be a flow test to determine the level of internal cleaning necessary. All the joints and the fasteners will be renewed regardless of condition.

Progress update, January 2024

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:31:45 GMT

It's 2024, where is the Project and how far has it got to go?

This question is explored below, in the meantime don't miss the opportunity to click this link and help us move towards our goal of completion. We don't have a large sales range but we do like a donation! Thanks.

The photo below was taken in 2021, the other two photos on this update are about a year apart, the last photo therefore is from last year.

Let's not forget where we came from - for those of you who don't know the full story of the project so far I can strongly recommend the book which is available by clicking the link above, buy the 2nd edition - it's up to date. For anyone who already has the book or for those who don't want it here are the headlines:

2001, the sole-remaining Napier T9-29 engine removed from a Baby Deltic loco as a spare for D5901 during its work with the RTC, Derby was discovered at the National Railway Museum and subsequently purchased by the Baby Deltic Project (BDP).
2007, work begins on returning the engine to an operational condition.
2008, the engine runs for the first time in over 30-years.
2009, the engine is installed to a test bed loco to enable full testing and commissioning.
2010, the project to recreate a Baby Deltic (BR Class 23) loco is launched.
2014, the donor loco underframe is cut and shortened, D5910 is formally started.
2016, the noses are shortened.
2021, the bogies are overhauled and the power unit reinstalled.
2022, the underframe tanks are fitted.
2023, work starts on fitting the auxiliary parts.

In nine years then, we've moved from a loco which looked like a Class 37 to a loco which is a recreated Class 23.

We're not finished yet, there's plenty to do and much money to spend.

The photo below is from 2022, noticeable changes from 2021 include the installation of the underframe tanks, the completion of the cab sides and the installation of overhauled bogies.

Unseen is the vast amount of work inside and off the loco - nothing stays in bare metal for long and all the surfaces get at least a coat of primer and then undercoat, some of them get topcoat too if we're certain the nothing else will alter. Also unseen is the design work and the administration required to take something from (for example) a sheet of metal into a cabside, or from a sketch to a fabricated bracket to support the underframe tanks.

The final photo is from 2023. The cabsides and the nose end tumblehomes and valances are complete, the bodyside grilles are installed and the correct size buffers are fitted.

Unseen (again), off loco work has included the complete strip, clean and repair of the electrical control cubicle, the strip, clean and repair of the internal bulkheads and superstructure and the electrical and air designs. The main and auxiliary generators have been removed and are waiting overhaul off site.

We all know the question that you want to ask (and some of you will as it anyway) but we're not going to answer it. The loco is being built by people who work in their spare time and spare time is at a premium. If any of us suddenly becomes very rich indeed then we could work full-time on the loco but that's not overly likely. We have discussed a date and we're reasonably confident with our prediction, but, industry and commerce are filled with missed deadlines and we're not about to become another of these.

How can you help?

Tell us we're doing OK - we may not acknowledge every 'like' or positive comment on Facebook but we do see them all any they don't go unnoticed.
Buy something or make a donation! See the link above.
Make a regular donation, contact us for details, or, use the link above.

News, 15 December 2023

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:37:06 GMT

News, 15 December 2023

Three sets of sliders for you for this update - not, tragically, the footwear so desired by the youth of today, but some photos of boring old loco parts which have been cleaned and painted.

The first is the Drivers' Instrument Panel, shown in four states from 'as removed' to fully-primed. Despite the declaration above the Auto Air Brake Pipe gauge, the rebuilt loco will be dual-braked....

The second set is the progress on the B side (dummy) CWA water tank filler door. Dummy for two reasons; there is no CWA water tank and there is no point cutting a hole in the bodyside where one isn't absolutely necessary.

The final set is one of the Drivers' seats, again from 'as removed' to fully-primed.

News, 10 November 2023

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:11:22 GMT

News, 10 November 2023

Essential parts for driving the loco, these two master controllers have been cleaned and prepared for painting. Absolutely standard EECo KM26 controllers these will go back on the loco unmodified once complete. One has had all the cable removed and one has it still to be removed. There is no point in leaving any old cable in place for any component or equipment - it's completely useless, except for weighing in to go towards the cost of new cable.

The upper, longer handle is the power handle which sets driver demand by setting air pressure via a regulator valve fitted to the lower part of the assembly. No pressure = 0 power demand, engine idle. Full pressure (3bar, 45psi) is full demand, full engine speed. The lower, shorter handle is the master switch which is locked at 'Off' by a key. The master switch has three operational positions, Reverse (go backwards), Forward (yup, you guessed) and Engine Only. Engine Only energises the circuits necessary to start the engine, prime the oil system and hold the DSD ('deadman') live so that you can take your foot off the DSD pedal.

A new arrival (from our stores) is this compressor mounting stand. There are two compressors for the loco, one mounts direct to the floor and one mounts on top of this stand. Originally fitted in the nose end of the donor loco, this will go at no. 1 end of the loco between the cooler group and the cab. There are no modifications to be made to this; clean; paint; install.

The penultimate large hole in the bodyside has now been cut, this is for the dummy boiler water tank filler cover. The other side was done weeks ago and the installation of this now leaves only this side (B side, not A side, you can stop emailing me now - you know who you are) engine room door to go in next week.

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:24:06 GMT

Updated book published

The long-awaited second edition of our book 'Baby Deltic, The Story of an Engine's Rebirth' has been published. A fully-updated second edition with 110 pages and featuring two new chapters on the loco build and all-colour photographs it's a must for all rail enthusiasts.

Exclusively available from us through this website at £15.00 including (for a limited period) free post and packing to the UK.

The book should be in our hands by mid-November, order now to have your copy sent out as soon as it arrives.

Click the button below to go straight to our sales page to buy.

News, 20 October 2023

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:03:59 GMT

News, 20 October 2023

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,

And darker days are drawing near,

Soon it'll be too cold and wet to paint,

Now you're not here.

Those are the words which Jeff Wayne would have written if he'd been building a Baby Deltic.

With thanks once again to Johnathan Rance of the PDG for the spraying, the grilles are now all the same colour as the body. This is no. 1 end, B side.

And this is no. 2 end, B side.

It's important to get some layers of paint onto the body before winter. The Roundhouse is excellent in every way but like all old, uninsulated buildings it sweats when the temperature changes - and so does everything in it.

News, 6 October 2023

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:15:21 GMT

News, 6 October 2023

Yet another week of cutting holes in new metal. This time it's for the bodyside engine room door. Using the same template as for the grilles, modified once again to suit the height and width of the door aperture (1200 x 500 if you're interested), the hole was clean cut using a borrowed plasma cutter in about ten minutes - including the time taken to tack the template to the bodyside. The template centre datum is not used for this cut, so it being out of alignment is unimportant.

Baby Deltics (like 40s) had a very visible frame reinforcement around the doors. They'd given up adding these by the time they got to building 37s for some reason. The photos below shows the 30 x 30 x 3 angle iron frame fully-welded into position and painted in primer. The second photo will hopefully answer the FAQ of "have you got an engine / where's the engine?"....

Somewhat out of sequence with the other photos, the door was test fitted prior to the installation of the reinforcement frame. It fitted, obviously.

Finally this week, six grabrails / handholds have been fabricated. These will go under the boiler water tank filler, three each side. Seen here before final assembly.

News, 1 October 2023

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 14:49:13 GMT

News, 1 October 2023

This update is one photo from last week and three from this week. The first photo is the no. 1 end of the loco after the final grill had been welded in. There's only a grille on one side at this end, this and the cant rail grille shown a few weeks ago are for the boiler air supply. There won't be a boiler on this loco (updates passim) but the external appearance has to be correct, hence the holes / grilles / etc. The red laser line at the lower body position is the nominal position of the change in colour for when it's painted. It was being shone onto the loco to make sure that everything looked right - nothing would look more silly than something which is so easily referenced on old photos being in the wrong place.

We think it looks OK.

On the same theme of looking right, this is a (fake) boiler water tank filler door. It's a hole cut into the bodyside with a plate welded back in complete with a gap so it looks like a door. Also, there's space for a thumb catch (not fitted yet) to keep the fake door from coming open.

This door and it's brother on the other side of the loco have been a massive time sponge this week. I estimated half a day to make and fit both of them and after two days I'd made two but only fitted one. Hooray.

Tiny details, this is no. 1 end Second Man's side with the 'fire pull' surround bolted on temporarily to check the fit. It looks good, so we left it on......

News, 18 September 2023

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:54:51 GMT

News, 18 September 2023

In common with EECo. types 3 & 4 (Class 37 & 40), Baby Deltics had bodyside engine room doors. The door in the photos below was recovered from our donor loco and is being stripped and repainted. Like the cab and nose end doors it's cast aluminium (money no object in the 1950s.....) so there's almost no corrosion, but plenty of 'provenance'.

The last of the apertures for the grilles and bodyside windows were cut out last week. This is no. 1 end with the templates tacked on ready for the cutting to begin (upper photo) and after cutting (lower).

And this is no. 2 end.

News, 1 September 2023

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:48:53 GMT

News, 1 September 2023

It's the third report of cutting out bodysides, starting three weeks' ago with the (dummy) grille for the (non-existent) boiler the bodyside window immediately below it and all of it's friends have joined it. The photo below shows the grille (now painted in dark grey undercoat) and the template ready for tacking to the body prior to plasma-cutting the aperture. The line is the datum for all the bodyside apertures which is derived from the 'sill' of the cabside droplight windows.

After cutting and after the template has been removed. The plate will remain like this for a while, there's no real point in cutting a hole just yet, we've got the glass ready to go in but it'll get dirty / scratched at the moment.

Meanwhile the other side of the loco has had the same treatment, this is the B side at no. 2 end. Two windows and both grilles cut out.

Three windows and two grille apertures cut out and primed. The other marked area is for the bodyside door which uses the same template as for the grilles but cut down slightly. Note also that the marked area for the grilles is different to the actual cut area, this was because the marked area was an estimation for appearance purposes - the grilles are in the correct place....

The easiest method of accessing the other side of the loco is to turn it - a ten minute job because of the convenience of having a turntable on site. It takes longer for the shunt loco to build up its air than it takes to turn the loco. This is A side prior to the loco being turned, our allocated road is to the right of the loco.

News, 25 August 2023

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:28:09 GMT

News, 25 August 2023

Last week one or two people expressed their delight at our bravery in cutting new metal out to fit grilles. Encouraged by our success we have done some more this week.

The three sequences of photos in this week's update detail the work to install two of the five bodyside grilles which provide air to the engine room.

The first set show the template for cutting out the body. The tabs on the inside are used to weld the template to the body so that it doesn't move during cutting, the arrow heads on the horizontal rails mark the centre of the cut out and the arrow heads on the verticals mark the datum. The datum used for the vertical positioning is an imaginary line drawn between the sill of the cab droplights. This has been compared to numerous photos to get the position right. No drawings of the cut-outs exist in the EECo / RDDS collection......

The major cuts were made with a plasma cutter leaving the template attached to the body, the template is then removed and the final cuts made with a slitting disc in a grinder. This leaves a hole in the body.

The photos below show the (trial) fit of the first grille, the second cut out and both grilles being trial fitted.

The final selection are taken from inside the loco and show one hole, two holes and then the first grille trial fit. The orange Carver clamps are stopping the grille falling out whilst its alignment is confirmed.

To put all of this into some kind of design perspective, the uprights either side of the grilles form part of the loco superstructure and their position was fixed before we even started to remove the body from the donor loco.

Did they fit / are they in the right place? Yes.

News, 18 August 2023

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:55:41 GMT

News, 18 August 2023

Having spent ages replacing the bodyside (a few years ago now) the time has come to start cutting huge pieces of it out again. The first bit to go is at no. 1 end A side and it's to take the grille near the cant rail. Originally this was the air intake for the Carriage Warming Apparatus (boiler). We won't be having a boiler (haven't got one / don't want one / no need / no room) because the compressors and exhausters will be going in the space where it would have been. For the visual effect though this grille is critical. Previous updates showed the grille being fabricated.

It's positioning is critical, it is just big enough to fit in the space between the upper bodyside framing and the cant rail itself.

The sequence below shows the process from uncut body to welded in and primed.

Evidence that it's not all glamour, scraping and cleaning still play a large part in the project. This is the cab heater switch box, when it's done no-one will ever see it.

News, 11 August 2023

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:43:44 GMT

News, 11 August 2023

The bulkhead closing plates which were welded in and primed last week have been undercoated this week. The photo below compares well with the last photo in this week's update to show the amount of work achieved by one man in one shift.

The same plates seen from the nose side showing the different colour undercoat. The nose (and the engine room) are a light grey colour to aid visibility whereas the cab is 'body colour' to look pretty.

These photos only show the work at one end of the loco, unseen and unrecorded has been the work on the other end cab and nose. To walk between the two (one nearly finished and one just started) really hammers home the amount of work which still needs to be done not to mention the amount of work which goes unnoticed by most.

The two brackets seen below are (upper) to support the left hand side of the desk and the two Driver's Brake Valves. The valves aren't particularly heavy but need good support so that the pipework isn't stressed by vibration. The large hole furthest from the nose is for the Straight Air Brake (standard Westinghouse SA1 brake valve) and the smaller hole is for a dummy Vacuum Brake Valve.

The loco will be dual-braked and so there needs to be a brake valve capable of handling dual brakes - this already exists in the Westinghouse M8A, standard on many locos in various forms. The M8A will be mounted on the lower bracket (note the laser line to set the precise distance from the upper bracket) and will be connected to the upper (dummy) valve by a sliding universal joint. Once complete, the visual appearance will be of a vacuum only loco - only the cognoscenti will know the reality.

News, 5 August 2023

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:16:29 GMT

News, 5 August 2023

The picture below is the result of hours of design and hours of fiddling about on the loco, things like this are the thieves of time. The desk has been drawn up and laser cut and with the Master Controller fitted temporarily the alignment and fit have been validated. The requirement for the new desk originates with the need to place the Straight Air Brake valve in the correct position for a vacuum braked loco - Baby Deltics were never dual braked but the donor loco was.

Using some original EECo. drawings, some photos (see the example underneath the AWS indicator), some help from our friends elsewhere in preservation and a lot of CAD time the result speaks for itself. Further towards the bulkhead, in front of the Straight Air Brake valve, the base for the Vacuum Brake Valve can be seen. It all fits, it all lines up and it looks good too - a rare occurrence of something fitting 'on the drawing' and 'in reality'.

What can't be seen particularly well in this photo is the bracket arrangement which supports the left hand side of the desk and the brake valves.

(Below) The completed bracket is seen on the left ready for painting and the parts for the other cab's bracket are laid out alongside it in almost third-angle projection. I know that it isn't really TAP, don't write in....

Also shown is the desk top and a new panel to take the Start and Stop buttons. How many buttons? What are they all for? Have a guess - free car sticker to the first person who gets it right.

Just visible in the photo at the top are these two plates. Regular viewers will know what they're for but for everyone else; the two groups of four holes will mount the parking brake crank brackets. The cranks are necessary to turn, reverse and transmit the pull motion from the parking brake screw (not visible, in the cab) to the cranks under the cab door steps.

The plates are now fully welded in and next week the braces can go onto the cab side floor.

News, 21 July 2023

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:28:41 GMT

News, 21 July 2023

Working on the final details on the bufferbeam at no. 1 end, the mounting for the multiple-working recept has been welded on. The loco will not be fitted for multiple working, the originals were (Blue Star) but there's very little point for us and it's a layer of complication we don't need. The jumpers and the recepts will be there but they won't do anything apart from add to the picture.

When the nose end doors are fitted this will be unseen detail. There is a small step up / down from the nose floor to the bottom of the door. The curve follows the profile of the doors / nose front at a radius of about 2500mm. Using a piece of 70 x 70 x 8 angle, seven cuts were made in the lower edge to allow the angle to be bent to the correct radius. Once the top edge had been fully welded to the nose floor the slots were welded up, ground back and then the whole assembly painted.

In preparation for installation to the loco bodyside the five grilles have been painted in primer. With many thanks to Johnathan Rance of the Pioneer Diesel Group who sprayed them for us.

News, 30 June 2023

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:22:48 GMT

News, 30 June 2023

For a loco which is made of metal there's also quite a lot of wood too.

In the days before plastics really saw widespread use the most effective material for window frames, etc., was wood. Most of the framework which was removed from the loco was rotten, suffering from a combination of exposure to moisture and heat, it fell apart as it came out. Some sections were salvageable, some could be repaired with new wood being let it and some needed wholesale replacement. The photos below show all three examples and well as showing the skill of the person carrying out the restoration of these components.

The final widths of some of the sections is yet to be determined hence the slightly stand-out appearance of support pieces for the quarterlight mountings.

The no. 1 end nose is 95% complete now. Still to go in are the headcode catch mounting assemblies and the hold-back catches for the nose doors but apart from that it's done. The three photos in the gallery below show a day's progression with a paint brush.

News, 26 June 2023

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:38:39 GMT

News, 26 June 2023

The electrical control cubicle is nearing the point at which we can start to refit the control gear. The one fundamental alteration to the internal layout has been the need to incorporate the (new, electronic) load regulator. This will go on the centre 'row' at the extreme left in the photo below.

The whole cubicle has had several stages of cleaning, being stripped back to bare metal in places, before coats of primer and undercoat are applied as seen below.

The only other noticeable change from the OE arrangement is that one of the relay mountings has been relocated. The upper rail in the photo below used to be where the load regulator will now go so it's been moved and inverted. It will carry five NR28 relays as it did before, as a fringe benefit it's now closer to the other NR28 relays so they can chat to each other.

The sequence below shows two of the many control cubicle doors in a before and after state to show the effects of a decent clean and scrape.

The parking brake arrangement on the recreated loco has been a headache. A wheel in the cab turns a lead screw to move a trunnion and pull four brake blocks (two per side) onto the wheels. It's a standard thing except that everything is reversed on our loco. This is because there wasn't enough room under the cab floor to get the linkage in. To beat this into submission we've had to put some of the linkage in the nose end.

Seen in the screenshot below are the parking brake lead screw mounting the reversing lever and pull-rods for the secondman's side and the two bell-cranks and pull-rods for the driver's side. All of the levers can move freely to take account of the potential for the loco to be on a curve when the parking brake is applied. Both the reversing lever and the first bell-crank have a longer input than output lever - this increases the leverage ratio and ups the force applied to the wheel tread a little.

The photo below is taken from the nose looking towards the cab, the laser line is to confirm the alignment and set the position of the yokes which hold the pull-rods. Missing from the photo is the chain and sprocket which rotate the lead screw - they sit on the end of the lead screw just on the nose side of the black hole.

When's the loco going to be finished?

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:27:51 GMT

So, when then?

Without any doubt and up against very little competition our most frequently asked question is 'when's it going to be finished?'

The answer is always the same; that we don't and won't commit, even to a guess at a date, because it's almost impossible to keep to it. There's a massive difference between a professionally-funded project with a programme / Gantt chart and loads of resource and what amounts to a hobby. We are very much the latter......

Here's two examples of where the time goes. The first photo is the control cubicle. Obviously there's no specific requirement to take it back to bare metal and fully repaint it, but there is a need to clean it thoroughly. Also, it needs to be modified (only a bit, for different control equipment) so actually it's no greater effort to take it back properly.

One man has done all of the work on the cubicle so far, hours of it.

The second photo shows the almost complete arrangements for the headcode discs. Every part sets the position for every other part (no drawings exist), the position of the catch at the top (made by us, no originals exist) is set by the position of the disc (made by us, not enough spares exist (they are different to Class 20)). The disc position is set by the alignment of the hole for the lens (exactly central to the 'bulls-eye' in the lamp assembly. The disc position sets the location of the disc hinge mountings (made by us). The aperture for the lamp pockets is set by the position of the lamps in the nose end door. The lamp pockets are different to Class 37 ones (the nose profile is different) the lamp pockets are (you guessed it) made by us.

So, build the aperture (frame) for the nose end doors, align the doors, drill the hinge mounting holes, line the headcode lamp pockets up, cut the pockets out, fit the lamps, line the disc up, mark off the position of the catches. Repeat until complete.

Yes, I know that that's a tail light in the lamp in the photo - it was just the one I happened to have to hand, they're the same in all other respects to the clear lens of the headcode.

No ones complaining, we do this because we want to not because we have to.

But, it'll be finished when it's finished.

News, 9 June 2023

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:15:15 GMT

News, 9 June 2023

The focus on cab work continues this week. As with so much on the loco (any loco / vehicle actually), large amounts of stuff goes unseen. A prime example of this is the cab side windows - both droplights and quarterlights. The are supported and retained by a hard wood framework which is screwed and bolted to the cab superstructure. The original frames were in poor condition - not surprising because of their age and the exposure to water through leaking seals, etc. - and they have almost completely been replaced with new sections. Where the old sections were suitable for re-use they have been rubbed down to a bare surface, treated with fire-proofing and re-painted. The two photos below show a combination of new and old sections ready for painting. Once complete most of these will disappear behind internal cab metalwork so the attention to detail at this stage is critical.

Both ends of the loco are now identical once again with the installation of the nose ladder and the cutting out of the secondman's side headcode lamp apertures.

The final bits to go on this week were the two nose-mounted grab rails.

News, 2 June 2023

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:06:15 GMT

News, 2 June 2023

Back up to full speed now after a couple of enforced weeks off. With no further interruptions planned, we're going to work through the loco and get all the outstanding bodywork jobs complete before the internal fit-out begins.

Under the nose-end doors on the lower edge of the valance there's a stiffening member formed of 'feather-edge' section. It doesn't do a lot under the doors but helps a bit by the time it gets to the buffer cowl. Either way, it's very visible in the photos of the locos so it had to go on.

Here's a photo of the section being formed - the initial radius was bent round a former but minor corrections were made by eye.

It looks OK once tacked into position, note also the frame edging now in place around the door aperture. The whole lot will get seamed up once everything's in place and everything is lined up.

Meanwhile, work continues on sorting the imperfections caused by welding on the bodyside, this is the work done to no. 2 end Secondman's Side.

A full view of the nose end complete with edging strip, valance stiffeners and two of the four holes to take the headcode and tail lamp assemblies.

News, 31 May 2023

Wed, 31 May 2023 15:07:49 GMT

News, 31 May 2023

Back inside and back undercover again after the Beer Festival, the loco is seen (below) shortly after being shunted onto its 'home' road. This end of the loco (no. 2 end) has had the doors and lamps fitted (albeit temporarily) for some time and it's now the turn of the other end to loose its naked appearance. We've got a complete set of doors for the loco but for various reasons it was easier to remove the doors from this end and use them to get the hole position right at the other end.

In this day and age of lasers, CAD and all of the things which make building locos more accurate the fastest method of getting the holes drilled was still to fix the doors with clamps and mark off through the hinges.

Seen here (below) is no. 2 end with both doors temporarily fitted. The door with the lamps in it is on loan from the owners of 40118 - The 16SVT Society - and we're very grateful to them for it too.

No News, 12 May 2023

Fri, 12 May 2023 13:23:13 GMT

No News, 12 May 2023

In order to demonstrate our complete mastery of media (including but not limited to; social) we are proud to bring you this news update. There is no news this week, predominantly because no work has been done on the loco or its parts. The loco is having its annual trip outside in all weathers because of the Beer Festival at Barrow Hill next weekend and here's a photo as proof.

Actually, given that Work Done = Force x Distance Moved by Force then some work has been done in putting the tarpaulins on and securing them.

Supporters visit the loco

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 11:56:44 GMT

Baby Deltic Project hosts a site visit at Barrow Hill

This week the Baby Deltic Project hosted 12 people at Barrow Hill who attended a private visit to see the loco under construction. They heard from project members about the process of repairing the power unit, the build progress to date and about the design and development of the Deltic engine.

There was an opportunity to have a guided tour of the loco and see the work which has been carried out so far and time to take plenty of detailed photos of the loco.

This event raised over £1300 for the project and we would like to thank everyone who attended for playing their part in helping us.

We will run another private visit in the future, keep your eyes open for announcements.

14 years ago

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 12:53:27 GMT

Fourteen years ago

Whilst randomly sorting through photos for an upcoming event, this jumped out at me.

Fourteen years ago, on 16 April 2009, the unique Napier T9-29 'Baby' Deltic engine was installed to 37372. At the time the loco was to serve only as a test bed for the power unit with no thoughts at all about what we would do once it was up and running.

I think we've come some way, don't you?

News, 14 April 2023

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:27:06 GMT

News, 14 April 2023

Following on from the previous couple of weeks' work, the Main and Auxiliary Generators have been removed and shipped to Bowers for overhaul. Why weren't they done when the engine was repaired? There was no certainty that the engine would work, or what condition it would be in so there was little point spending money on electrical machine work which may have been pointless. At the time (it was 12-years ago now) both generators were stripped and heavily cleaned, statically tested and painted internally and both appeared to work well when the engine was run. With the end in sight (don't ask for a date.....) for the loco completion they're now going away for an overhaul.

The main (larger machine, left) and auxiliary (smaller, right) generators are seen below leaving Barrow Hill. The horizontal ratchet strap on the main is a belt and braces 'feel good' to remove any likelihood of the armature coming out of its bearing during transport.

With the roof already off and the rain starting to fall the two machines are seen ready for removal.

Two minutes later and the Auxiliary Generator is already off and out of the loco.

The Main Generator followed in short order leaving a sight rarely seen, the drive end of the engine without attachments. This is actually the phasing gear case the triangle at the top is the drive yoke for the Auxiliary Generator, the black rectangle to the right is the engine governor. The covers over the quillshafts (which couple the three crankshafts to the common output) can be seen equally spread about the output flange to which the Main Generator is connected.

The ratchet strap isn't doing anything, it's another belt and braces 'feel good' to stop the engine tipping back. It's only supported on two mountings with the generators removed, the cross-member under the bottom of the phasing case is doing all the work.

News, 7 April 2023

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 09:59:42 GMT

News, 7 April 2023

This week's update is not fascinating but will lead to fascinating photos on next week's.......

The Main Generator is now uncoupled and ready for lifting out next week. It, and the Auxiliary Generator, are going on holiday to Bowers Electricals for an overhaul. As previously mentioned the Main Generator is only supported at one end (the outer-end) with the drive shaft rigidly connected to the engine output shaft. The upshot of this is that the armature is unsupported once the engine is disconnected, this loads up the bearing in a manner which is wasn't designed for and doesn't do the armature and field coils (which would be in contact with each other now) any good either. I've seen all manner of straps and Heath Robinson arrangements over the years so here's a photo of a decent armature support bracket to counteract the bad vibes.

Possibly my favourite component so far? The cant rail grille. There's only one of them and this one's a complete dummy - the real thing was for an air supply to the steam generator (see below) but as we won't be having a steam generator this will do nothing about from sit on the roof and look like a masterpiece of CAD modelling, laser cutting and fabrication.

News, 31 March 2023

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:23:11 GMT

News, 31 March 2023

As mentioned last week, the corner valances were lined up and tacked on and this week they've been fully welded.

These have been a challenge to get right, there are no drawings and no other loco to copy. Working from photographs (the newest of which is fifty years' old) we have had to draw them up, cut templates to prove the shape, laser cut a thin gauge section to prove it properly, laser cut full thickness sections and roll them. They're heavy, the edges are sharp and they're awkward to hold in position using a myriad clamps. Once they've been painted they'll look like a continuation of the panels above and around and that's the point - hours of work and no-one will notice!

Another one of those things which no-one will see. This is the top of the control cubicle, the large strips are the Field Divert Resistors, most of which won't be needed on the recreated loco. Field diversion is a method used to extend the speed / tractive effort range of a DC motor. When the loco accelerates so do the Traction Motors, as the speed increases the motor starts to act as a generator and produces a voltage in opposition to that of the generator, this reduces the power which can be consumed and the loco acceleration tails off. To counteract this the Traction Motor field strength is reduced by 'diverting' some of the generator voltage through a resistor in parallel with the field. This reduced field strength reduces the tendency of the motor to act as a generator and allows acceleration to continue. Reducing the field strength also reduces the torque generated by the Traction Motor which is why you can't start from standstill in weak field.

I realise that some locos used to start from standstill with some motors in WF, but this was to counteract appalling dynamic weight transfer and reduce wheelslip, don't write in......

After the removal of the divert resistors the dirt can be seen. The holes in the top of the cubicle are exit / entry points for generator cabling (left) and control cabling to the engine (right). Most of the cables exit through the bottom of the cubicle directly into conduit.

The remaining resistor at the bottom of the photo is the Main Generator Field Limit Resistor.

In the second of two 'Basic Electrical' lessons for today, the Main Gen. Field Limit Resistor is shown below in the extract from the loco control schematic drawing.

The output of the Main Generator is controlled by two variables; rotational speed and field strength. The speed varies according to engine speed and the field strength varies according to a response by the Engine Governor to Driver demand. In a loco of this age the Driver sets the demand according to the position of the power handle in the cab, the governor responds by raising (or lowering) the engine speed to match the Driver demand. At the set speed the load control part of the Engine Governor takes over and increases (or decreases) the Main Generator field strength so that the generator is giving its maximum possible output for whatever speed it's running at.

This is controlled by the Load Regulator which varies the Sep(aratly) Exc(ited) Field strength. High field strength = high output voltage and high power.

And so to the point.....the Field Limit Resistor is always in circuit for as long as GFC (Generator Field Contactor) is closed. (GFC closes to complete the circuit to allow the generator to work and to allow the loco to move). Any condition (whether by Driver demand, or fault) which requires the power to be removed will result in GFC opening, because the generator fields are large and heavily inductive any residual voltage in the fields would have nowhere to dissipate and you could end up with a large voltage looking for an escape route - usually to earth. This is highly undesirable so the resistor provides a path for the voltage to 'freewheel' away and dissipate safely as heat. It also prevents the field from being fully saturated by limiting the voltage applied at 'full field'. This doesn't matter so much with this loco because we're having an electronic load regulator but hey ho.

Yes, I am bored today.

Have a nice weekend.

News, 24 March 2023

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 11:56:55 GMT

News, 24 March 2023

There are still a very limited number of places on the visit to Barrow Hill to see D5910 'in build' - details are here if you're interested. Details are here if you're interested or not, but you know what I mean.....

Work since the last update has been on the cab sides at no. 1 end. Last week's update showed the skins removed having been tacked on ages ago for effect. They've since been fully welded on and the sequence below shows the detail which goes into finishing them off.

The final bit of work his week has been the no. 1 end driver's side buffer surround. This is now tacked on and looking good. Just the tumblehome to form which will be done next week.

News, 18 March 2023

Sat, 18 Mar 2023 10:48:13 GMT

News, 19 March 2023

The cabsides at no. 1 end were only tacked on so the appearance of a (more or less) complete bodyside was a myth. In what appears to be a retrograde step the cabsides were removed yesterday in readiness for permanent fixing next week. The metal was already renewed and the cabsides themselves were new too so it's not an onerous task to grind the tacks off and reweld them. The photo below, taken before the addition of the lower edge reinforcements to stop the tumblehome from deforming, show the bare framework with the edges of the frame ground clean to allow the panel to be welded back on.

Two of the cab to engine room doors have been stripped back and repainted, seen here in primer.

Using only Flash bathroom cleaner, the inside of the control cubicle has cleaned up remarkably well. Once we're certain if any of the internal bracketry will need altering or moving, the cubicle will be painted inside and out ready for reinstallation.

News, 15 March 2023

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:55:20 GMT

News, 15 March 2023

A quick update this week with a specific purpose. Someone has (almost) anonymously made a significant donation to the Project. It's been made direct to out bank account. We'd love to thank you personally but I have no contact details for you - if you could get in touch via the contact link here . If not and you are happy to remain anonymous then thank you - very much appreciated and very generous of you.

Seen below are a couple of photos of this week's efforts so far; the upper photo is the drive shaft between the engine and the main generator, now clearly visible after the removal of the fan.

The lower photo is the fan (in two halves) and the top part of the adapter ring. The adapter ring is split in two, approximately 70:30 so that the fan (split in two 50:50) can be eased out after splitting. An extremely difficult and awkward job made slightly easier by hand turning the engine to access the bolts. Quite how we did it when the engine was seized solid is beyond me.......

Right at the bottom is a short clip of the engine being hand turned. The torch is attached to the auxiliary generator drive shaft.

News, 10 March 2023

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:54:50 GMT

News, 10 March 2023

Many, many thanks for the donations sent to us as a result of last week's update - very gratefully received and much appreciated - you are stars, thank you.

Only a small update this week but a good one nonetheless. This photo shows the loco after the buffer valance has been undercoated - the effect of everything being the same colour is astonishing.

One of our most frequently asked questions - apart from the obvious two - is 'have you got the engine / where is it?' The following two photos answer both quite nicely. The power unit (engine and generator set) is installed in the loco and has been since July 2021. Facing the number 2 end of the loco is the main generator with the auxiliary generator mounted above it. The large casting on the walkway to the right is the top section of the generator adapter - see last week's update for details of why it's been removed.

At the other end (facing number 1 end of the loco) is the engine itself. Working from left to right the following can be seen here; (top, painted black) governor; (below it) 'AB' bank crankcase; (light grey paint) air intake; (underneath 'AB' crankcase) A bank exhaust elbow; B bank exhaust elbow; (between the two visible elbows) turbocharger; turbo blanking plate c/w sad face. The face is sad because the loco's not finished. To help finish the loco with a donation, please follow the link below.

News, 3 March 2023

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:06:22 GMT

News, 3 March 2023

For the first time in years this week's update contains news regarding work on the engine, but first this.

The no. 2 end driver's side buffer valance is now about finished, with all the will in the world it's almost impossible to form the tumblehome at the bottom of the panel without small deformations and defects. After the welding is complete and the bottom edge is put on, there are a good few hours to be spent on removing these defects and the result is seen below. Only the other end to do now....

The same applies to the bodyside and the no. 1 end B side is receiving the detail treatment too.

The position of the vacuum train pipe is slightly different between the donor loco and a Baby Deltic, certainly in terms of how and where it passes through the bufferbeam. To replicate the original locos as faithfully as possible we've moved the pipe and filled in the (now) unused hole. The photos below show the sequence.

In readiness for the overhaul of the main and auxiliary generators we have started to get the generators uncoupled. The auxiliary generator is mounted on top of the main generator and is easily removed. The main generator is less easily removed. It is flange mounted (in common with the Type 5 locos and most other EECo traction) and therefore is rigidly connected to the engine by a split adapter ring. The photo below shows the engine (left of shot) and main generator (right of shot) with the generator cooling fan in between the two. The fan is also in two parts and has to be removed to expose the bolts which couple the engine output shaft to the main generator input shaft. Once this is all off the generators can be lifted out and sent away.

This overhaul is expensive. We don't ask directly for donations very often and we're not going to break the habit now, but, we are approaching a period of high spend (electrical machine overhauls, cable and pipe purchase) so if you feel about to help with a donation to our funds, please follow the link below.

Thanks.

Site visit update

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 11:41:56 GMT

Site visit opportunity, 25 April 2023

Spaces are still available for the visit / tour to Barrow Hill to see / photograph / inspect the loco and meet some of the people involved.

For details and to register your interest, please follow this link.

News, 18 February 2023

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 11:35:35 GMT

News, 18 February 2023

Over the last couple of weeks all of the buffer valances have been rolled ready for fitting. The driver's side of no. 2 end has now been fitted and the three photos below show the progress.

The laser line is to mark the bottom edge of the panel beneath the nose end door and was previously used to set the reference to the buffer centre line in both horizontal and vertical planes - the lines can be seen extended onto the loco body.

The hydraulic jacks are there to correct for an uneven rail level by lifting under the bufferbeam and dragbox, there no point using a laser level if the loco itself isn't level.

This photo was taken before the panel was rolled, when the panel was offered up to set the start and end points of the roll - seen marked in chalk to the right of the ovoid cut-out.

Once rolled, the panel is tacked in place at the loco centre line (left-hand end in this photo), supplemented by clamps to stop it levering down as it is fitted. The panel is pushed into place and at each point tacked and the re-checked for level and what is now becoming a compound bend.

After fitting the loco was turned to allow the other end valances to be fitted. This photo is the same end (no. 2 end) as the previous two photos but it now faces the turntable. Seen here after the tumblehome has been added and the first coat of paint has gone on.

News, 3 February 2023

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 08:31:57 GMT

News, 3 February 2023

It's easy to forget that loco recreation is not all about body work and welding, huge amounts of effort have to be put into other systems too. As Pirelli said in the 1980s; power is nothing without control and here is the 'control' in our case. What began as a Class 37 control cubicle is in the process of cleaning and assessment before modification to make it suitable for our purposes. The photo below is of the cubicle after stripping had started, the Field Divert Contactors can be seen on the floor to the right.

Now completely empty it's ready for modification. The bulk of the modification is already complete in actual fact, we don't need four of the Traction Motor Contactors, one of the Reversers, three of the Field Divert Contactors along with the divert resistors, any of the (current balance type) Wheelslip Relays. The Auxiliary Voltage Regulator is the wrong type (correct type held in stock) and one of the spaces created by removing contactors will be filled by an electronic Load Regulator.

Just in case you were wondering, the wheels are temporary......

News, 20 January 2023

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:46:03 GMT

Thoughts on fundraising, 20 January 2023

Thanks.

I'll start by paying tribute and saying thanks to the small number of people who are kind enough to donate money to the Project on a regular basis. The amounts vary but they are consistent and they are very helpful indeed - knowing that money is coming in regularly helps us plan the spending and is a major factor in the overall timescale for the loco's recreation.

If anyone feels that they could make a regular donation (a standing order) to the Project we'd be very grateful. In the 'old days' this was usually set up by completing a form and sending it to your bank by post - such a form still exists and is on this website. The more modern users can set a regular donation up directly with their bank by contacting them by telephone, online or on their banking app.

The details you will need are:

Beneficiary: The Baby Deltic Project

Bank: HSBC

Sort code: 40 19 15

Account number: 72535408

A regular donation may also be made via Paypal, but, they charge a monthly fee from the privilege so we don't receive all of the money from your donation. Thanks in advance.

Visits to see the loco.

We are considering ways of raising money by offering rewards to people for their donation. One of the thoughts so far is to sell a visit to Barrow Hill to see the loco in detail and take photos / videos of the parts unseen by general visitors. There will also be the opportunity to meet people involved in the recreation and see a presentation of the work done so far. The visit would last around four hours and would include breakfast / a light lunch.

If we go ahead with this visit as a straw poll how many people would be interested, the visits are likely to be mid-week and would be pitched at around £100 per person.

Let me know what you think here - no commitments either way!

Since the last update we've been finishing off the bogie footsteps and the grilles. In order to fit the footsteps it's been necessary to remove the existing brake cylinder air pipework. It was old and rusty anyway so it was always going to happen.

The footstep mountings (below) had their position set using a jig (not shown). This set the vertical and horizontal location and also the distance apart for each side. Once the brackets were tacked into place the step was bolted on so that the brackets could be fully welded without distortion. The laser level also confirms the position of the steps relative to the cab door.

One of the grilles (below) having had all the welding completed waits ready for the weather to warm up so it can be painted.

Christmas Message

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:45:10 GMT

Christmas message

These are hard times - the news is full of stories of hardship, cost of living increases, cuts and financial challenges. It is often the case that, however difficult life is it could easily be worse. At a time when plenty of people are struggling we would not ask you to support us financially.

At this time of year though, we would urge you - if you can afford it and if you feel comfortable doing it - to support a charity which helps others in need. If you'd like to do this we'd ask that you support the P3 Charity which is Derbyshire based and helps the homeless and others in need.

Click the link below to go to their donation page, thank you.

Work this week has seen the bogie footsteps fully welded, NDT carried out and painted in primer.

Two of the five grille assemblies have been fully welded too but no-one took a photo of them.....

This time last year the loco had no fuel tanks, no (dummy) water tank, the nose ends were blank shells and there were no windows - we think we've done OK and we thank your for your kind words of support, all of which are much appreciated.

News, 16 December 2022

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:15:17 GMT

News, 16 December 2022

All the laser cut parts for the grilles and bogie footsteps were delivered last week, this week they've been tacked together. It was so cold yesterday that there was no real impetus to handle (literally) freezing steel and anyway it's not good practice to weld when the parent metal is so cold.

The tacking was sufficient to prove that the drawings were correct and the sub-assemblies fitted together. The fabrications are now in a state where they can be seamed up next week when it's warmed up a bit.

The photos below show the four bogie footsteps and one of the body grille assemblies, this with some of the louvres test fitted.

Last week at Barrow Hill the loco was used as a projector screen for the 'Shine a Light' event, the opening part of which was an animation of the loco outline being 'laser cut'. The animation used our drawings as the source for the information and, as can be seen, the outline is remarkably accurate. Proof if nothing else that it really does fit on the drawing and fit on the loco.

This video clip is reproduced here by kind permission of the producers of the animation - Illuminos.

Their website is well worth exploring www.illuminos.co.uk

Click below to play the video.

News, 9 December 2022

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 10:28:55 GMT

News, 9 December 2022

You've never seen it look like this before.....

As part of Barrow Hill's "Shine a Light" event this week the loco has been used as a projection screen. Seen below is the test image used during the set up to ensure that the multiple images are aligned properly and evenly distributed. Behind the colours is an image taken from our GA drawing of the loco, the upshot of which is that we appear to have built a loco which is the same as the drawing - a second example within a month of something fitting 'on the drawing' and fitting 'in real life'!

Delivered this week are the parts which will be built up into the bodyside grilles. Thanks go to Charles Day Steel of Sheffield for their attention to detail and impressive timescale. These have been laser cut and bent to shape by them, reducing by an order of magnitude the fabrication time for a fairly simple but highly repetitive assembly.

Double danger. More history uncovered this week as the engine room doors have been rubbed back to reveal two differing signwriting styles used during the donor locos life.

Finally, another loco photo with some of the kit needed to project images.

News, 14 November 2022

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:51:48 GMT

News, 14 November 2022

There are two separate work streams at the moment, one concentrating on refining the surface of the body and one concentrating on completing the details around the cabs and noses.

The body refining is the iterative process of filling, flatting and checking that the imperfections left behind when the body panels were welded on are removed - progress seen in the photos below. The slightly darker coloured paint shows to good effect the areas which are to be removed to fit grilles, windows and a door in; no point perfecting pieces which will end up in the skip.....

The two new footstep designs have been completed and the parts laser cut. In a remarkable occurrence of two assemblies fitting both 'on the drawing' and 'on the loco', the cab footsteps and bogie footsteps (minus, for now, the actual treads) are seen having a trial fit.

News, 25 October 2022

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:19:40 GMT

News, 25 October 2022

When the loco was moved for the recent open day the opportunity was taken to position it next to a 37 to allow some comparisons.

In the photo below the far end buffers are precisely lined up with the 37. It is very obvious just how much length has been removed in the conversion process.

On the same day, the new warning-horn grille was temporarily placed in position, just to check that the drawing and the production process were in agreement. They were....

Precision machining

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:08:27 GMT

Some precision machining delivered

Here are some beautiful parts which have been made for us by http://17d-engineering.co.uk/

They are two brake valve handles (one shown with an original for comparison) complete with a notch / trigger and a horn grille.

Both parts were CAD drawn by us and CNC machined from solid by 17D Engineering, the trigger was cast from a lost-wax mold and then finish machined.

The parts were delivered on time, on budget and precisely to our specification and we can highly recommend 17D Engineering to anyone who is looking for precision machining and good value.

Progress video

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:28:12 GMT

Progress video added

We've created a video / slideshow of some of the work undertaken on the loco in the last ten or so years and posted it in the videos section of the website (link in the header above). The video was shown during the Barrow Hill open days recently and for anyone who missed it, or for anyone who wants to watch again it's below too, no-one wants to follow too many links do they?

Thanks

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:51:07 GMT

Thanks

Just a quick update to acknowledge the many kind remarks and comments made (both in person at the event and by email, etc., afterwards) on the progress with the loco.

Many people took the time to come and visit our small display at Barrow Hill and the expressions of appreciation of what we are doing were both warm and encouraging.

Those people who looked at the slideshow at the event were able to see the changes dating from almost the beginning of the project right up to last week.

Even to the people involved in the Project it was rewarding to see how far we had come and be able to compare the look of the loco from five years ago (when the body was far from complete) to now.

Very many thanks, your comments are appreciated and welcomed.

Loco on display this weekend

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:19:09 GMT

D5910 on the turntable at Barrow Hill, Friday - Sunday this weekend

Showing the results of work undertaken in the last couple of weeks and with many thanks to the 16SVT Society (owners of 40118) for the loan of the nose-end door with the headcode discs on it D5910 is seen today (below in the doorway of the Roundhouse and above on the turntable) at Barrow Hill. Complete with cab window glass, headcode discs, ladder, grab rails, doors and (on one side at least) the completed buffer valancing and wraparound, the loco gives a real taste of what it will look like when it's finished.

Come along and see the loco over the weekend - the open day is Friday 26th until Sunday 28th. It's at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Campbell Drive, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 2PR.

There's parking on site and a free shuttle bus service from Chesterfield railway station.

Entry is £17 on the gate.

Why not come along and give us some money too to celebrate our excellence?

Barrow Hill Open Weekend

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:27:04 GMT

Barrow Hill open weekend 26 - 28 August 2022

In partial preparation for the loco featuring as the centre-piece display at next weekend's event the loco received an all-over wash. Using the traditional methods of brush / sponge / soap / water / hose it took nearly an afternoon to wash on one of the hottest days of the year. In the photo below the loco is seen drying off rapidly in the heat, free from dust and debris for the first time in months.

Apart from the clean we've been busy making an effort on the 'visual progress' but if you want to see what we've done you'll have to come to the open weekend at Barrow Hill.

It's on display from 26 - 28 August at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Campbell Drive, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 2PR

There's parking at the site and if you're coming by public transport you can use the free shuttle bus from Chesterfield railway station.

And no, we haven't painted it and no, we won't be running the engine.....

Loco to be on display at Barrow Hill open weekend

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 09:02:32 GMT

Barrow Hill open weekend

Celebrating 152 years of railway history for the iconic Midland Railway roundhouse and the wider railway industry it supports to this day.

A mouth-watering line up that will appeal to families and rail enthusiasts alike.

The three-day event is taking place from Friday 26th August to Sunday 28th August 2022.

Barrow Hill Roundhouse is delighted to release further details of its 150+2 Celebration Gala. Tickets are now on sale for this great occasion, which will recreate the British Railways-era Open Days which took place at the Roundhouse in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Highlights include:

GWR 1500 class 0-6-0PT shunting engine 1501, the sole survivor of its class, in steam and working the Barrow Hill shuttle trains from Roundhouse Halt up the Springwell branch line. Our thanks go to the 1501 Pannier Tank Association and Severn Valley Railway for providing the engine for the Gala.

Midland Railway 158A Class 156 2-4-0, from the National Collection, will be on display alongside Midland Railway Compound 1000, the first time for many years that the two Midland Railway locomotives will have been seen together. Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, the charity responsible for the Roundhouse, has signed a three-year loan agreement with the National Railway Museum to enable the locomotive to go on static public display here. The locomotive was previously at Locomotion in Shildon, where it had been receiving conservation work and asbestos remediation. It has strong historic ties to the region; it was designed by William Kirtley and built at Derby in 1866 before being withdrawn in 1947.

GB Railfreight’s Class 69 69003 will be named “The Railway Observer” by the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society during the Gala weekend.

The following diesel locomotives will also be visiting the Roundhouse during the Gala:

- Classes 08, 20 & 37 – courtesy of Harry Needle Railroad Company

- Class 37 – courtesy of Colas Rail

- Class 37 – courtesy of Rail Operations Group

- Class 46 46010 – courtesy of Mr Mike Newton

- Class 50 50008 – courtesy of Hanson & Hall Rail Services

- Class 56 – courtesy of DCRail.

- Class 66 66726 “Sheffield Wednesday” – courtesy of GB Railfreight

- Class 67 – courtesy of DB Cargo

They will be joined by the Roundhouse’s resident locomotives including:

- Class 45 45060 and 45105 (newly painted) – courtesy of Pioneer Diesel Group

- The Baby Deltic Project’s D5910 – on display on the turntable

- Classes 81, 82, 83, 85 & 89 – courtesy of The AC Locomotive Group

The Roundhouse’s Class 02 D2868 and Class 07 07012 will operate brake van rides in the Roundhouse yard. The Roundhouse’s Class 03 03066 will support GWR 1501 on the passenger train services.

A variety of railway society stands and trade stalls, food and drink outlets, a range of children’s activities and historical enactments of Roundhouse characters will complete the celebrations of 152 extraordinary years of this unique railway building. There will also be a free shuttle bus service from Chesterfield railway station operating on all three days of the Gala.

Tickets are on sale now from www.seetickets.com . The Gala will be open from 10am to 5pm on each day (last entry at 4pm). Entry tickets will also be available on the day during the Gala. More information about the Roundhouse and forthcoming events including the 150+2 Celebration Gala can be found at www.barrowhill.org .

Grab rails.....

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 17:51:43 GMT

Nose top grab rails

There's no point in having a ladder on the nose if you haven't got anything to hold onto as you reach the top - this week has seen us add the grab rails to the nose. We've done loads of other stuff too, but this is the only thing which was photographed.

Bufferbeam work

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:12:23 GMT

No. 2 end bufferbeam stripped and painted

The Baby Deltic Project has issued its bufferbeam update, here it is:

The multi-working receptacle on the donor loco was mounted in an ever-so-slightly different place compared to a Baby Deltic. As part of the constant strive for attention to detail we elected to move it towards the loco centre-line where it should be. It'll be a dummy when it's re-sited, no multiple working will be fitted to the loco. To this end the minor mis-alignment of the hole through the bufferbeam will not be a problem, in fact we'll probably weld it up.

Seen in the images below are the stages involved.

Please cut and paste this article into your own 'news' website, changing perhaps one or two words to make it look as if you've written it.

More nose end detail

Sat, 09 Jul 2022 08:19:25 GMT

9 July 2022, more nose end detail

The ladders seen in last weeks' update have now been offered up to confirm their position on the nose end. Also to be seen in the photo below is a headcode disc similarly offered up for position. Both of these will be more permanently attached in due course, obviously.

Some of the few parts reused from the donor loco are these; the tail light assemblies. Seen below prior to any work....

......and below after removal of decades old paint. Seems almost a shame to have to paint them again.

The tail lamps and the similar marker lights sit in these pockets (below). These are new and fabricated from steel. The originals are aluminium but couldn't be reused because the nose profile is different enough to make it difficult to fit them satisfactorily.

Nose end detail continues

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 11:08:42 GMT

Nose end detail continues

The detailing pieces for the nose ends are coming along nicely. Delivered this week have been the laser-cut parts for the ladders and Marker & Tail Lamp pockets. The ladders (seen below after tacking together) are a rare example of having a drawing to copy (albeit for a Class 40) and having a detailed photo available too. This made the manufacture a doddle and for once it took longer for the parts to be delivered than it took to design something.

The rungs (left, in the photo below) were bent up from 12mm bar on a purpose-built mandrel. Similarly the nose-top grab rails (right) were bent up from 20mm bar. In both cases the leg length has yet to be trimmed.

The rungs were placed and clamped to a jig to ensure perfect pitch and alignment.

News, 17 June 2022

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:07:36 GMT

News, 17 June 2022

Each shift which takes place now sees real progress and after so much time spent underneath the loco or bent over a fabrication on the floor it's a pleasant change to be able to work whilst standing up. Seen below are the Second Man's side droplight and quarterlight being test fitted. They've been given a cursory clean and will probably end up being replaced with new. After all the work undertaken on the cab and having replaced the whole of the cabside superstructure and sheeting it's always rewarding when two things which haven't changed drop straight back in again.

Not much to look at, and difficult to 'place' if you don't know the loco but this is the cab footstep. The two new spacer plates visible at the back are to allow the handbrake linkage to stand off from the back of the step to clear the linkage bearing. These will drilled through so that the linkage can be installed in a couple of weeks.

CAD images seem to be in vogue at the moment, so here's a couple more. The first one is obvious - it's a Headcode Disc assembly. We've got all the discs and the pivot mechanisms but we haven't got the upper and lower retaining fixtures so these will need to be cast shortly.

Also needing to be cast are the Warning Horn grilles - one at each end and stupidly, but prototypically, mounted just above the Second Man's side buffer.

News, 13 June 2022

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 08:27:18 GMT

News, 13 June 2022

More progress this week on the push towards the completion of the body. The holes for the Marker and Tail Lamp mountings have been cut from the no. 2 nose.

The use of a laser level makes the positioning easier but only if the loco is level in the first place. The track where the loco is isn't level and so the loco doesn't sit level either. Two small jacks under the buffer beam have been used to get the loco level in both planes (longitudinal and lateral). Using the datum kindly provided by EECo when they built the loco nearly 60 years ago we were able to establish the buffer centre lines (horizontal and vertical) before we cut the noses off. These data were used to ensure that the noses were straight and level when they were reattached and now are used as data for positioning the cut-outs, etc.

Just visible in the photo below is the horizontal line (highlighted with a yellow paint pen) across the buffer centres. Once this was made level according to the laser it was easy to establish the position of the 'first row' of lamp mountings (Marker Lamps) and then the second - the laser line shows the Tail Lamp positions. The Tail Lamp assembly is placed only for photographic effect.

The Second Man's side door will need two similar cut-outs for Marker Lamps, one level with the lower row / lower hinge and one level with the upper hinge. The addition of the nose ladder will complete the nose end external appearance in a few weeks.

News, 4 June 2022

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 12:57:12 GMT

News, 4 June 2022

The loco is back inside now following the beer festival at Barrow Hill.

Work in the last week has seen the woodwork in the no. 2 end cab being fitted. This will allow the installation of the cab droplights and quarterlights in a move towards making the loco weatherproof.

The eagle-eyed will see that the bodyside has been marked out with the location of all the apertures ready for cutting out. The yellow line, just visible in the photo below, is a datum for the horizontal position of the apertures.

The video below is a recent 360 degree view of the loco, this also appears in the 'Videos' section of the website, it's speeded up a bit - the turntable isn't really that fast.....

Trackside Magazine, Issue 11, June 2022

Mon, 16 May 2022 12:50:14 GMT

BDP article in June 2022 edition of 'Trackside' magazine

'Trackside' magazine - a newish player in the field devoted to the heritage scene - has published an article about the BDP in their June 2022 issue. Compiled by friend of the project Ben Jones, the five page article (with photos) shows the project in detail and should provide valuable publicity for us. Why not show your appreciation of them by buying the magazine?

News, 9 May 2022

Mon, 09 May 2022 10:38:08 GMT

News, 9 May 2022

No progress to report for this update because the loco is outside now for a couple of weeks while the Barrow Hill Beer Festival is taking place.

It provides a decent opportunity for a photo of the complete loco from a variety of different angles and here is one of the best.

Work will restart in late May and this will focus on getting this end finished - buffer cowls / skirts on, nose end doors finished, etc.

A nice photo of both of the newly fabricated and installed tanks complete with all the bosses for the dummy fuel / water tank contents gauges, fuel pick-up and return.

News, 29 April 2022

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:53:33 GMT

News, 29 April 2022

Both cab side panels are now fully-welded and the filling / painting / flatting back has started. The intent is only to bring the entire bodyside up to a reasonable standard and then to go round again after all the body modifications are complete - for example the apertures for windows, grilles and vents are yet to be cut. The scabby tarpaulins and sheets protect the bogies and traction motors from filler powder which gets everywhere. The obvious gap in the valance / tumblehome at the lower edge of the bodyside will be filled in once the buffer shroud and cab footstep is finished.

The dummy CWA (Carriage Warming Apparatus, i.e. boiler) water tank is as good as finished now. The (also dummy) tank contents gauge mounting boss is seen waiting its dummy gauge. The rectangular panels to the right of the tank are for (yes, you guessed) dummy inspection covers. The OE tanks had the engine starting battery within them and - mainly because this is a silly idea - we're not doing that, the appearance of the original tank will be maintained by the inclusion of false doors.

There were still areas on the loco which had yet to be attended, this is one of them; the cab footsteps. The step comprises an aluminium treadplate screwed to a steel plate itself welded on top of void formed from the load transfer plates under the door. It's a corrosion nightmare with bi-metallic action between the treadplate and lower plate and the void not having any ventilation to remove moisture. To be fair it's lasted nearly 60-years but the photo below shows how poor it was. The original lower plate is still attached, complete with the holes which let the water in.

The two thick (15mm) load transfer plates hadn't suffered too badly, they'd lost about 1mm off the thickness and a little off the top edge but they weren't going anywhere so they've been left in. The rust and other debris has been removed and two coats of black gloss applied to ensure that this assembly will outlast us all. Note also, the G clamp to the right which is holding a new pillar and backing plate in place ready for welding. The sharp-eyed will notice that the last bit of acb floor structure has now been removed (compare the photo above and below).

Finally for this update, a photo of the lower footstep plate from the outside of the loco, now fully-welded in. Also replaced are the bottom sections of the door seal closures which were very conveniently the same as 25 x 25 x 4 angle so a quick and easy job for once.

News, 20 April 2022

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:04:45 GMT

News, 20 April 2022

The dummy CWA tank is now complete, the sequence of photos below show the final assembly and the next update will detail its installation. Seen below, the tank has been removed from the loco where it was temporarily mounted to ensure that the assembly remained tight to the mountings and didn't move during welding. It is on a PW trolley to allow access to the mountings on the end plates.

The inner end bracket fully-welded to the end plate. This is my 'favourite photo' of the entire fabricating process, taken before the paint spoils the view of all the welds. Note that the three middle holes in the bracket have had nuts 'trapped' on top because they are almost impossible to reach from the top once the tank is installed. It's not best practice to insert bolts from below but it is unavoidable in this instance - certainly if we ever want to remove the assembly again in future.

The final stages of welding on the outer end of the tank; the inside framework is fully-welded together, the frame is stitched to the platework on a 25/75 basis and the bracket is fully-welded to the platework with three runs and a capping run. To coin a welding phrase, it's not going anywhere......

The tank next to the loco just after it was removed. The eagle-eyed will notice that the end bracket is only tacked on at this point. The front of the loco will be transformed once the buffer cowls are added.

News, 8 April 2022

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 12:11:58 GMT

News, 8 April 2022

One day we'll be able to post about something other than tanks but until then....

The gallery below shows the progress from the latter part of this week with the installation of the loco-mounted bracket which will support (part of) the outer end of the tank, the outer end of the tank with the sub-assembly of framework tacked on, the same part attached to the bracket, the inner end of the tank with the bracket tacked on and the inner end of the tank attached to its bracket.

News, 3 April 2022

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 11:58:06 GMT

News, 3 April 2022

Whilst waiting for some mounting plates to be laser cut for the dummy CWA tank the opportunity was taken to make a start on the cab side panel installation. All the cab sides were all tacked on last year to get the loco (almost) weatherproof for when it had to go outside and now this one is fully attached. With green primer clearly showing the number and position of all the welds the panel is seen below shortly after completion. This particular panel was was done first because it was the one which needed the greatest amount of work around it - the paint at the top corners shows the areas where new metal has had to be welded in at the front and rear of the panel, note also the beautiful recreation of the radiused bend at the bottom of the quarterlight.

This (below) is the electrical control cubicle, it was removed ages ago as part of clearing the loco interior and it's been in store on site. With work on the body and underframe nearing completion a start has been made on its refurbishment. The side on show in the photos is the engine room side, the other side of the cubicle faces the cab and forms the cab rear bulkhead. The access doors are in two forms; attached with a turnbuckle (upper) and attached with bolts (lower) - the bolted ones are absent in these photos. The bolted doors generally cover the equipment to which infrequent access is required and the turnbuckle ones cover equipment needing more regular access.

This is an excellent before and after shot showing two shifts' work of scraping paint by hand.

News, 30 March 2022

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 12:29:44 GMT

News, 30 March 2022

The no. 2 enf nose-end doors, fitted for some time in bare metal, have now been primed and undercoated. The front of the loco still looks odd because the buffer shrouds aren't fitted yet and neither are the cab windows. Also, the buffers are 22" diameter and they should be 20", we've got the right ones but they're not yet fitted. Ultimately the nose-end doors and the nose front will need to be cosmetically altered to accommodate the marker & tail lights - there were six lights in total at each end.

More progress on the fuel tank painting. It's had the lower radii sections welded on and now is indistinguishable in appearance from the OE specification.

The dummy CWA tank (see previous updates for explanations), is being built now. The photo below is the outer (no. 1 end) of the tank. It incorporates a return to accommodate the bogie brake slack adjusters which protrude some way from the back of the bogie. Laser cut from 3mm S275JR mild steel with an angle steel frame of 50 x 50 x 5 and 60 x 60 x 8 it doesn't do a lot in this form. It's only real job is to look like the end of the tank - more will become clear as the build progresses. It takes longer to cut out all the angles, including the 'let-ins' for the mating pieces, than it takes to draw the tank end and send the instructions to the laser cutters.

The other end of the CWA tank - no return on this one as it's parallel to the fuel tank and has no need to keep out of the way of anything. This is the outer side, the photo above being of the other end inner side. This outer side has the mounting bracket welded onto it - it is only tacked here to avoid any unpleasant 'but it fits on the drawing' conversations with the designer. Once temporarily mounted and set on the loco it will be removed again and seamed up, NDT inspected and reassembled to the complete tank.

News, 17 March 2022

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 12:15:57 GMT

News, 17 March 2022

Last week the fuel tank was installed to the loco. Whilst it may have to come off again once more at some point we can probably tick this one off the list now. The loco is seen below having been moved onto the turntable at Barrow Hill ready to be shunted outside to position the tank.

With the tank mounted on a PW trolley to ease its movement around the site, it was pushed outside and is seen here prior to being picked up with a forklift.

Once removed from the PW trolley the tank was moved out of the way so that the loco could be shunted outside.

Installation complete! The outer end loco bracket (the far end of the tank in this photo) swings out of the way to allow the tank to be lifted vertically into position. It is then simply a case of bolting the inner end up, bolting this hanger brackets up and bolting the outer end up. In all the whole process took less than an hour.

The underframe is now starting to look better. Fitting the tank has improved the appearance no end and the loco looks more and more complete as each month passes.

The final part of the installation will be to fit the two lower rolled edges. These were left off to make installation easier and to reduce the chance of damaging them with the fork lift. This photo makes an interesting comparison with the earlier one from the same position.

News, 4 March 2022

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 10:10:32 GMT

News, 4 March 2022

Further to the update posted earlier this week, the sides have now been welded onto the tank framework and the appearance of an original fuel tank is obvious. The original locos had battery boxes incorporated into the fuel (and CWA tank) space but the recreated loco won't have. The battery will instead be mounted inside the loco. To keep the appearance accurate we have had to build-in dummy battery box covers which, on this side, will serve as useful access points for the fuel filler and to enable easy inspection of the mountings for the (real) fuel tank. The covers were laser-cut as part of the side seen in the photo, they have been removed and kept aside for adding later.

The tank is seen in front of the loco and mounted on a PW trolley courtesy of Barrow Hill.

Note the (also dummy) fuel tank gauge bosses which have been welded on.

The other side of the tank.

This also has an access point for fuel filler and mounting inspection, albeit smaller than A side.

The two square bosses are (guess what, dummy) fuel suction and drain points for appearance only - the real fuel feed will come off the tank end and run internally to the delivery pump inside the loco.

The heat scars betray the position of the tank framework and show the amount of weld used to hold the sides in place. Access to these weld points is awkward and uncomfortable, the floor of the Roundhouse is cold and blobs of burning metal comply with the laws of gravity and land smouldering on the welders body. Ha ha ha, he said, I love this hobby.

An example of the accuracy and repeatability of CAD design and laser-cutting. Six bosses and six covers all cut and delivered for not much more than it would cost to buy the raw material.

Thanks, as ever, to Charles Day Steel, Sheffield.

News, 1 March 2022

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 09:52:30 GMT

News. 1 March 2022

The fuel tank is nearly complete now. It's been removed for the last time so that all the inaccessible (with it fitted) welds can be laid in. Once the framework is fully-welded the sides and bottoms will be put on and the tank re-fitted, hopefully never to be removed again. Note the 'picture frame' around the fuel filler in the photo below. This enables us to use the pre-existing fillers on the Class 158 tank rather than adding extra pipework to get the fillers in the correct (OE) position. We will still add fillers where they were for appearance but they, like the bulk of the fuel tank, will be dummies for visual effect.

A different view of the tank, seen end-on here. Looking at the bracket in this photo and comparing it with the framework photo above it can be seen that the bracket does (virtually) nothing. Like so much that we have had to adapt and alter it exists almost entirely so that the recreation is as close as we can possibly make it. It would have been easy to leave it off entirely - there's no structural reason for it being there - but the loco would have been lesser for its exclusion.

This end of the tank is supported by two brackets at either side of the structure - seen here above the fuel fillers. This brackets are bolted to the loco on two new hangers shown in previous updates.

A couple of weeks ago another load of laser-cut steel was delivered to finish off the fuel tank and construct the dummy CWA tank. Seen on the left of this shot is one of the radiused lower sections for the fuel tank.

On the right is one of the radiused lower sections for the dummy CWA tank.

Although we've explained previously we do get questions about a 'dummy CWA' tank. CWA is an acronym for Carriage Warming Apparatus (a boiler). The original locos had boilers to provide carriage heating and these boilers were supplied with water from a CWA water tank mounted underneath the loco, next to the fuel tank.

The recreated loco will not have a boiler and so there is no need for a water tank. However, there is a need for somewhere to hide air receivers which are needed for the dual braking ability which the loco will have. On the donor loco these were inside the engine room but having reduced the length of the loco we don't have the room internally for them and the space where the CWA tank was is ideal. They can be hidden away quite easily and no-one will know any different.

News, 10 February 2022

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 12:31:29 GMT

News, 10 February 2022

Photos of the loco always go down well, so here is one - seen at Barrow Hill this week. The scaffolding to the left is nothing to do with us but it is likely to be used on the loco in the next couple of weeks to allow roof access so that the remaining bits of the cab roof and weather seals can be attended to safely.

There is now only one tiny area of Mainline Freight blue paint remaining on the loco and here is it (below), the inner edges of the cab door frame and the adjacent droplight rear panel. The cab doors previously wore a scruffy combination of blue, primer and undercoat but they've all now been painted in dark grey undercoat.

News, 28 January 2022

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 14:13:53 GMT

News, 28 January 2022

The fuel tank build continues. At the far end of the photo below the dummy tank end is seen already welded to the Cl. 158 tank, at the near end the dummy tank end sits on the original (relocated) Cl. 37 bracket - as described previously. Work this week has concentrated on locating and mounting correctly the Cl.37 tank bracket. It is seen here suspended by new bolts for the first time. The bolts are too long (deliberately at this stage) and aren't secured with prevailing torque nuts, both anomalies to be corrected on final installation, also, there's a gap between the mounting face of the bracket and the underframe - a packing piece will correct this later.

How to drill upside down. Possibly, although subject to some debate, the best thing we've bought for the build to date - this mag drill. Providing the mounting surface is thick enough (magnetic attraction being proportional to mounting material thickness) this will drill holes up to about 35mm diameter in any position, these at 20mm were a doddle. With nice long swarf tales showing a good sharp drill bit, the second of eight holes breaks through the underframe.

Offered up for alignment checking at this stage, the B side fuel tank side is seen here (below) held in place by G clamps. The clamps on the end plates are only there to straighten the ends temporarily while the sides are located.

It's not all about tanks, in other areas progress has been made with the cabs too. This photo shows the identification carried for 20 years or so from the early-seventies - 37159. The loco was built as D6859 and carried 37372 when it was re-geared in the 1990's. Removal of the paint from the cab doors (as here) and from any number of other places has revealed the loco's history at various stages of the conversion.

News, 22 January 2022

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 15:14:34 GMT

News, 22 January 2022

More tank news this week; the Cl. 158 tank we're using (at a significant saving over the manufacture of a bespoke tank) is now fully mounted for the first time. Here is it seen supported at the far end of the photo by a bracket which exactly replicates the original Baby Deltic type and at the near end by new hangers to pick up the original mountings for the 158 tank. The far end bracket is attached to a replica Baby Deltic bracket as it would have been on the original locos. The near end hangers are laser cut then welded together to form the assembly seen below. The shiny bolt goes through the final part of the hanger (the bolting plate) which is fully welded to the two cheek plates above it.

The chain hoist is holding the dummy tank end in position to allow the accurate location of the (not visible in this photo) bracket which will sit on the original Cl. 37 (identical to a Baby Deltic) underframe bracket, itself seen here held in position temporarily by Carver clamps.

Once all the correct positions of the dummy tank ends, brackets and underframe brackets is confirmed they will be welded onto the tank and drilled / bolted to the underframe respectively.

This (below) is the second 'cheek plate' for the tank hanger tacked into place. The one to its right was done first and a spacer used between the pair to set the correct separation. It should be noted that the tack at the very top in this photo is on a plate joint above it. This weld, and the seam which was added later, does almost nothing for the strength of the mounting, being attached only to the engine room floor above it. The strength of the completed assembly is almost all in shear along the web of the I beam which forms the loco longitudinals.

Added to the assembly are two (one either side of each hanger) shear plates whose only job is to prevent longitudinal distortion in the event of an incident resulting in serious deceleration - i.e. a collision / derailment. The total gross weight of the tank and all the dummy cladding assemblies is less than 3000kg, the shear plates are 15mm thick, there are four of them and they are fully welded to the longitudinals, the bolts (M18 x 12.9 grade) will shear off before the mountings do.

The bolts shown in the first photo of are 8.8 grade and are temporary for use during the build stage.

This (below) is the other side of the loco to the other photos but the arrangement is the same - here the spreader plate is held in position to allow it to be tacked / welded in. This spreader is designed to keep the cheek plates apart in the event of serious deceleration, it also shares the load of each cheek plate.

The load path of the shear plates between the cheek plates is completed by a yet-to-be added second spreader coincident with the bottom web of the longitudes. It is omitted at present to allow the bolting plate to be added without the spreader getting in the way.

A manufacturing drawing of the fuel tank (to the left of the drawing on this arrangement).

News, 15 January 2022

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:20:56 GMT

News, 15 January 2022 - with update.

It's been a busy week this week. Two of us were able to make it for almost a full week, I could do Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and Richard could do Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Monday I decided to finish welding the fuel and water tank brackets which I'd designed before Christmas and then sent on an email to a laser company in Sheffield to make and then deliver to us. The previous week I'd ground on the weld prep, an essential but very boring task necessary to allow root fusion which especially hard to achieve in fillet welds. I moved all the parts to the machine shop with a pallet truck and then took the welder round too.

Meantime Richard was under the loco finishing off the cleaning and painting ready for the fuel tank to be installed. He was using a needle gun and degreaser which he applied with a paint brush. This is a horrible process which is dirty, repetitive and means working overhead. While doing this he wore some old overalls which he'd had for some time and then had throw away. He'd had them for so long in fact that he sent me a photo of me and him (and some other people we used to be friends with) taking a break from painting another loco nearly twenty years ago, he was wearing the same overalls back then! How time flies!

By Wednesday the fuel tank was ready to take the newly manufactured bracket. Other people were on site that day including the Barrow Hill archive team, the Barrow Hill Community Growth team, the Pioneer Diesel Group and Simon from Barrow Hill who was fitting bearing oil pads to a Barrow Hill wagon which the Barrow Hill volunteers have been restoring. It was like having lots of friends to talk to, one of the BH staff even brought his dog in!

The photo above is one end of the fuel tank with the new bracket welded on. The welds are fillet welds and were all done with the tank on its end so that our lazy welder didn't have to do any complicated overhead or vertical-up welds. There's a 5mm root run with two further 5mm runs either side, this is finished with a capping weave across the high-stress areas.

Meanwhile Richard had finished with the underframe cleaning and moved on to painting. We use a high-strength, high-build, one coat paint which is suitable for oil rigs. If the loco ends up in the sea it'll be OK!

The photo below shows two things; one is that the tank end has had the cladding added, this is to give the appearance of a Baby Deltic fuel tank so that when the loco is seen no-one will know that it isn't a different tank - clever! Unfortunately, it also shows that the CAD monkey isn't as clever as he thought because the inner profile is wrong and has resulted in too big a gap between the tank and the shroud. Fortunately I had some surplus 20 x 20 SBS to hand so I was able to make a backing piece to hide the numptiness.

Once the shroud was welded onto the tank we decided to do a trial fit to make sure that the 'enlarged' tank would still fit. We did this because the CAD monkey is useless (see above) and can't be relied on. To fit the tank we needed to use Barrow Hill's pallet truck but first we had to find it. I asked around and someone said that they thought they'd seen it in the workshop corner but someone else thought they'd seen it somewhere else. There was only one thing for it - we were going to have to look ourselves but first we had lunch. I had a Pot Noodle (Chicken and Mushroom) left over from when my Son (Alex - also a BDP member!) was at Barrow Hill every day in Autumn working on 03066 and Richard had (homemade) cheese sandwiches. I don't know what kind of cheese it was, I'll find out for next time. Cheddar I expect.

UPDATE - it was; Extra-Mature Cheddar.

Once we found the pallet truck (it wasn't where anyone thought it was!) we mounted the fuel tank onto it and pushed it under the loco. It did fit so the CAD monkey was pleased and with a little pushing and shoving we got it into position and were able to rest easy that everything was OK.

The photo below is not the one I though it was, I thought it was one of the tank complete with the shrouds fitted so that you could see what it looked like but it isn't, it's one of the tank with the bracket held in position so that we could check everything lined up.

On Friday I was the only one there, apart from Barrow Hill staff and a Barrow Hill volunteer, so I carried on with the other end of the fuel tank shroud. I also cut lots of pieces of steel angle to length ready to repeat the 'dummy tank' process for the CWA tank. The lengths were 2245 (6no.), 2229 (2no.), 1860 (2no.), 820 (1no.), 620 (1no.). These were put out of the way of the Barrow Hill weekend volunteers and I swept up and went home.

I think Richard had gone shopping.

UPDATE - he hadn't gone shopping, he was volunteering at a Covid vaccination centre.

News, 11 January 2022

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 08:43:15 GMT

News, 11 January 2022

As mentioned in the last update, the brackets for the fuel tank and (dummy) CWA water tank have been completed now.

The slideshow below shows both types at various stages of construction.

News, 8 January 2022

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 09:56:29 GMT

News, 8 January 2022

This is one of four brackets which hold the fuel and (dummy) CWA water tank in place. The brackets are of two designs, this one having a bigger support bar and more (and larger) gussets because it holds the 'heavy' end of the fuel tank. The other three don't have any gussets below the support bar.

The support bar is slightly bent as a result of the laser cutting and the weld prep. has yet to be ground on - don't write in!

Look back here next week for exciting pictures of this and the other three brackets all welded up.

News, 22 December 2021

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 11:13:23 GMT

Pictures of locos always go down well so here's two, one real and one in CAD.

It is easy to have a idea about building a loco - you can describe it as 'kitbashing in full-size', you can describe it as just a 'cut-and-shut', you can describe it as whatever you want. When all is said and done someone has to have the wherewithal actually to do it. In the case of the Baby Deltic Project, this 'someone' is a tiny group who regularly commit to doing whatever they can to help realise the dream.

It seems a long time ago now that we installed and ran a Napier 9-29 engine in 37372 and sometimes it seems a long time until we can look forward to seeing it run again in D5910. There can be no doubt now that we are significantly closer to the end than we are to the start. We're never going to answer the perpetual question of 'when' because no plan stands contact with the enemy but we can look at what we've achieved this year.

In the last 12-months we have installed the overhauled bogies, installed the power unit, sorted the handbrake design and today I have ordered the laser cut parts to complete the fuel tank and its mountings.

Thanks for your support.

News, 10 December 2021

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:07:31 GMT

In one of those fortuitous moments that occur all too infrequently we found one of these at an auction. It's a fuel tank for a Class 158/159. Dimensionally it is smaller in every way to the OE design for a Baby Deltic fuel tank - it would, effectively, fit inside one. So we bought it at a cost significantly less than it would have cost to have the steel for an OE tank cut.

It is seen here after delivery to Barrow Hill this week.

And seen here temporarily mounted under the loco to make sure that none of the vents, mountings or sight glasses got in the way - they don't.

It's quite a bit shorter than a loco tank, as witnessed here when compared to the position of the bracket hanging from the loco underframe.

Seen against the newly-installed centre bracket (see previous news updates) and temporarily suspended by Carver clamps and resting on wooden blocks.

By the end of this weekend the OE fuel tank design will have been modified to become a shroud / cover which will attach to this tank so that the appearance of the loco will be unchanged.

News, 26 November 2021

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 10:16:18 GMT

The (temporary) installation of the outer skin for the cabs a few months ago has enabled the manufacture and (temporary) installation of the hardwood framework which carries the inner skins and droplight seals.

The photo above is no. 1 end secondman's side and the photo below is the driver's side. The wagon in the background was the source of the wood used for the frames - this is a joke, do not write in.

Once cut the the right size and fully-prepared the wood will be treated with an intumescent sealer and varnish for fire and rot protection.

Underneath the loco, work to install the centre bracket between the fuel and water tanks is finished now. The photo below shows the bottom part of the bracket after Dye-Pen testing - complete with a small flaw which is now ground out, rewelded and retested.

The bracket fully installed complete with (removable) angle sections to support the tanks.

News, 1 October 2021

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 09:55:41 GMT

News, 1 October 2021

A demonstration of a basic understanding of CAD/CAM techniques once again this week with the delivery of a new bracket for the loco underframe.

This bracket sits between the (new) fuel tank and (new, dummy) CWA tank and supports part of both. Designed to look broadly like the original Baby Deltic bracket but with modifications to ease its installation and manufacture. The bracket is welded to the longitudinal underframe structure but from the outside of the underframe as opposed to the inside on a Cl. 37. The bracket on a Cl. 37 is annoyingly in the wrong place by about 350mm so was cut off ages ago.

The new, shiny bracket is seen having been offered up and, once the weld prep. has been added, is ready for installation.

The lower edges are not quite coincident in the photo below, don't write in - they will be once installed properly!

Continuing where we left off last week, the other (no. 1 end) cab inner roof has been removed, the before / after shots below are fascinating.

News, 24 September 2021

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:30:16 GMT

News, 24 September 2021

Back at work now after the Beer Festival and attention turns to the cabs once more. The hardboard inner roof is a silly idea - it burns well and provides no sound insulating quality at all. This was OK in the 1960s but it's not really fit for purpose now. We will replace it with perforated aluminium and a foam insulation as is commonly used on modern locos and some life-extension locos of a similar generation to this. The MCB arrangement is for the lighting circuits and is excellent at catching the top of your head, they will be moved to somewhere more convenient when the cabs are rebuilt. the switch panel will also go, to be replaced by one more accurate (like on the early Class 40s) for a Baby Deltic.

The photo below shows the underside of the cab roof after the removal of the hardboard seen above. The bracket in the centre of the photo is one of two added by BR when NRN radios were added in the 1990s.

History keeps throwing itself at us, a reminder of the original loco is seen here on the reverse of two of the trim strips which helped to hold the inner roof in place. 6859 was the as-built loco number, 2 is no. 2 end and RH is right hand.

Finally for this update a nice three-quarter shot of the loco back inside with all but the cooler group tarpaulins off.

News, 17 September 2021

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 11:26:29 GMT

News 17 September 2021

No news really, just this photo.

With the Beer Festival at Barrow Hill we've been unable to work on the loco but we have moved the loco outside for a week or so which presented an opportunity for this image.

News, 19 August 2021

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:41:27 GMT

News, 19 August 2021

Since the installation of the power unit last month work has focussed on readying the loco for its annual stay outside in the weather because of the Beer Festival at Barrow Hill. The images below show the work undertaken on the loco this week.

News, 30 July 2021

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 09:57:39 GMT

News, 30 July 2021

The long-planned work to install the Power Unit (PU) to the loco has taken a major step towards completion. Over the previous weeks you will have seen photos and descriptions of the final assembly and weld-testing of the PU mountings, yesterday they received their first physical test when the PU was lowered into place.

The photo below shows the loco on the turntable at BH ready for the shunt to get it into position ready for the installation.

(Below) The loco outside in the sun for the first time in over a year with the VDA behind which has held the PU safe, dry and secure for some considerable time.

(Below) With the roofs already removed from the VDA and loco, chains attached to the generator and engine lifting points, two BDP personnel keep a close eye on a potential pinch point at the generator end of the PU. A tape measure malfunction (mine) when the PU was stored in the VDA years ago necessitated a slight shift away from the roof once the weight had been taken on the crane hook.

(Below) Two photos of the PU coming out of the VDA.

(Below) The PU in the air for the first time in a few years as the loco is shunted underneath it.

(Below) Almost in, the PU in the final stages of being lowered into the loco. Four people had 'eyes on' this part of the installation, two are not visible at the far end.

(Below) The engine end mounting pads were already tacked into position, the generator end pads weren't attached at all to allow them to be aligned perfectly with the engine in place. This picture shows the PU in position and the lifting equipment disconnected.

(Below) Two of the BDP personnel were unable to attend this shift, the ones who did are represented below - they know who they are and they know what I think of them, thanks.

And finally, did it all get aligned OK? Yes, yes it did.

News, 23 July 2021

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 07:26:49 GMT

News, 23 July 2021

After a collosal amount of work over the previous three months the bogies were installed to the loco yesterday.

The underframe has had all the superflous bracketry, clamps and attachments removed followed by a detailed three-stage cleaning programme and then painting. Predominantly the work of one man.

The jacking process is very quick and easy. One of the difficulties of using a donor underframe is that the jacking points are not in the correct place for the 'new' loco. Unable to use the donor lifting points because, well, we'd cut them off to allow the new bogie brake cylinders to fit, we had to use an alternative point. While this is perfectly strong enough and just about in the right place the jack anvil fouled the body tumblehome which necessitated the use of 40mm thick steel packers between the jack and the loco. These only just fitted without fouling the remaining superstructure so they needed careful alignment. In the real work you wouldn't tolerate this but as we're not going to lift the loco often it is an acceptable solution.

With the loco in the air the bogies were rolled under and the loco lowered down again, the photo below shows the loco after the jacks had been removed.

The gallery below shows a series of photos from the installation and starts with the side bearers, freshly painted and never to be seen again.

News, 2 July 2021

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 10:05:54 GMT

News, 2 July 2021

The massive amount of cleaning and painting on the underframe has now been completed. Virtually the work of one man and having consumed almost all of the effort since the return to work this commitment cannot be understated - and nobody will see it.

The Power Unit mountings have been fully-welded in now. These were tacked in last year and have remained in position waiting for time to be able to weld them in 'properly'. The photo below shows the engine end mounts closest to the camera complete with an alignment jig to ensure the correct centre positioning. What isn't clear on the photo is the laser line across the pointed parts of the jig which indicate the longitudinal centre of the loco.

The generator end mounts are furthest from the camera and feature a nice laser-cut triangle as a representation of our logo.

The lateral centre line of the loco is the edge (quite by coincidence) of the strengthening member in the bedplate - the two yellow triangles identify the c/l.

A detail close up of the left side engine mount. NDT yet to be done, don't write in......

News, 27 May 2021

Thu, 27 May 2021 08:02:55 GMT

News, 27 May 2021

'Social media' is a trap. In order to chase the ratings of (usually) non-contributory supporters the world often is full of pleasing, self-congratulatory images inviting emoticons and GIFs of congratulation.

Not here. For weeks and weeks now two people have given freely of their time in pursuit of something they desire. They have done it in the cold, dark and highly unpleasant location seen below. This is a common theme across the restoration world and by no means unique to us but I haven't got any photos of anyone else.

Here's three photos, one of an unidentifiable man holding a big, heavy grinder, one of another unidentifiable man holding a welding torch and one of a Dye-Pen weld test.

Not a single person will be able to see the work when it's complete and no-one will care that it's been done.

Gas-cut frame sections being dressed, welded up and NDT tested.

News, 29 April 2021

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:54:34 GMT

News, 29 April 2021

Having discovered the 'before and after' function of the website builder it seems a shame not to do another one....

Yesterday's shift produced impressive progress on the underframe once again. Seen below is the result of the efforts spent in carrying out more painting - the pictures were taken facing the opposite direction this time, looking towards the no. 1 end buffer beam.

News, 27 April 2021

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 07:35:19 GMT

News, 27 April 2021

Our donor loco spent its last months as a Sandite loco - Sandite is a fluid used during the Autumn to increase adhesion on the railhead in order to mitigate the effects of leaf contamination. It comprises an adhesion modifier (er, sand) suspended in a paste which is delivered to the rail head as the loco travels along. In the process of applying it to the railhead it also liberally applies it to every surface of the loco underframe. We had a go at removing the bulk of it with a steam cleaner last year but the only way to removed the remaining bits was with a scraper and wire brush. The before and after photo below shows the fantastic single-handed result of months of work.

News, 22 April 2021

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 08:09:59 GMT

News, 22 April 2021

Yesterday work restarted on the conversion after a delay of around five months as a result of the restrictions on movement across the UK.

With the bogies now ready to re-install we continued the tedious, physically exhausting and monotonous task of preparing the loco underframe. It is a statement of the obvious that the underframes of the donor loco are different to the underframes of a Baby Deltic and there's quite a lot of heavy stuff in the way. One example of this is the item shown on the left below - the side-bearer. It was fitted in the hole shown on the right below. The majority of the force applied to it in working condition is sideways so it's held in position by a 100mm diameter spigot and retained by eight bolts. Installed by EECo in 1964 or so it hasn't been removed since and put up a fight when we wanted it off.

Working overhead from within a pit with heat, noise and physical effort was robust reintroduction to the loco.......

News, 17 February 2021

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 10:45:43 GMT

News, 17 February 2021

The light overhaul of our bogies has been completed.

These photos from yesterday shows the bogies back in the Roundhouse at Barrow Hill waiting to be fitted to the loco.

They were moved to Sheaf Engineering (on site, at Barrow Hill) in September and they have been progressed quietly and without fuss since then. The Traction Motors (moved to Bowers Electrical a couple of years ago) were worked on at the same time and returned to be fitted in January.

All of the work on these bogies has been undertaken in complete compliance with the CV-19 restrictions in place in England, even our own volunteers haven't been able to visit the site since November.

The completion of this work is a huge step forward in the project to recreate a Baby Deltic loco, we are extremely grateful to Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society and to Sheaf Engineering for their assistance with this work.

A detail photo (below) of the no. 2 end bogie. Note the installation of the correct type of equalising beams (holes machined in for lightening) and the retro-fit of original style (i.e. non-automatic) slack adjusters.

Neither bogie is painted, this is a cost-saving measure which will be undertaken by our volunteers in due course.

20 January 2001 - twenty years ago

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 12:56:28 GMT

Twenty years ago

We all love an anniversary; twenty years ago today (20 January 2001) was the day that we 'found' the Power Unit which was to become the heart of our project to recreate a Baby Deltic.

We say 'found' but it was never really 'lost', claimed by the National Railway Museum (NRM) from Stratford DRS and moved to the NRM in a five-plank wagon it sat, outside and seemingly abandoned for twenty five years or so. An abortive attempt by others to purchase it fell through and it remained - still in the wagon in which it was delivered - until we 'found' it.

It took around a year for us to negotiate the purchase and within a day or so of the purchase being agreed it was moved to MAN BW (formerly Paxmans) in Colchester where it was stored in their warm and dry overhaul shop before moving again to Barrow Hill where the story of its restoration to working order began. This restoration led to us being able to make a decision to recreate a loco.

The story of the engine restoration is told in a book available from our sales page here , from where you can also make a donation to support the project should you wish to do so.

News, 24 October 2020

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 08:49:26 GMT

News, 24 October 2020

It's not all glamour. Most of loco restoration / conversion / preservation is tedious, physically tiring and repetitive. Seen in this week's update are two examples of this. In the photo below the bufferbeam at no. 2 end is seen after removal of paint and scale. The lines on the buffer mountings are one of the most important data necessary to get the loco built correctly - 'buffer height' appears on drawings everywhere and is the reference used for all heights above rail level.

The pipe is the Vacuum Brake Pipe and the two mountings in between the buffer mounts are for the Multi-Working receptable and jumper cable 'swan neck'.

The rolled-up rug used to be in my office.

I think this the first photo which shows in any detail the adapter arrangement necessary both; (1) to correct the centre pivot position between Class 37 and Class 23 (it moves towards the loco centre) and; (2) to allow the installation of the Class 20 bogie. The original Class 37 centre pivot is clearly seen above the (green) steel adapter. The adapter is welded to the loco longitudes and to the Class 37 centre pivot and then the Class 20 centre pivot bolted on. Also visible, to the right of the centre pivot is one of the repositioned side bearers - the bearer itself is not fitted, only the support steelwork can be seen.

The drips of water are evidence that the loco underframe has been steam cleaned from end to end to remove years worth of brake dust, oil and Sandite. A terrible task which no one will know or care about in a couple of weeks' time.

The other end of the loco prior to cleaning. The hacky flame cut in the foreground is where a member was removed from the original frame. The appalling cut will be dressed and the remaining parent metal will be crack-tested and repaired as necessary before painting.

News, 9 October 2020

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 14:46:12 GMT

News, 9 October 2020

Pictures of men at work and the progress of a paint system are hardly fascinating, but, they represent the work being undertaken every bit as much as glamour shot of the loco.

There are four equalising beams (note; the correct type for a Baby Deltic, complete with lightening holes) on the loco - two per bogie to equalise the load on the axleboxes. Having been tested for cracks they were cleaned and painted ready for reassembly to the bogies later on.

Needle-gunning is hard, boring, noisy and repetitive. Why not donate some money to ease the misery? Follow the link above to the 'Shop and Donate' page to see how.

News, 25 September 2020

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:48:35 GMT

News, 25 September 2020

Everyone likes to see a man enjoying his work so here's a picture of one.

Mike Kerry, rail bearing expert, has inspected the axle bearings on our wheelsets this week. He's happy and we're happy.

News, 18 September 2020

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:43:05 GMT

News, 18 September 2020

(Above) Sometimes the news updates are mediocre and sometimes they're less so, this time it's a fairly substantial move - both literally and metaphorically.

Seen from the coaling stage at Barrow Hill, D5910's no. 2 end bogie is being shunted round to Sheaf Engineering earlier this week (a shunt loco was on one end out of shot and the no. 1 bogie on the other). Sheaf will undertake a light overhaul on the bogies to a scope drawn up between the BDP and Sheaf. Sheaf have considerable experience of bogie overhaul and repair and we are very pleased to have them work on our bogies.

(Above) with D5910 on jacks in the background the two bogies have been pushed onto the turntable. With no traction motors (away for overhaul at Bowers Electricals) and most of the rigging missing (already removed for repair) the bogies weigh almost nothing and are an easy push into position.

(Above) Looking slightly forlorn whilst supported on jacks in the Roundhouse at Barrow Hill, the loco is pictured just after the bogies were pushed out. Although it's completely safe to leave it on jacks, shortly after this photo was taken the loco was lowered onto stands where it will remain until the bogies are finished.

News, 7 September 2020

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:03:52 GMT

News, 7 September 2020

Much progress for this week, starting with the cleaning and painting of the no. 1 end engine room side bulkhead. It's the usual story of clean / remove loose and corroded material / degrease / prime / undercoat. Note also the refitting of the door hinges and catches on the bulkhead and the nose-end door in the cab beyond.

The unpainted square in the left-top of the photo contains a datum for the loco longitudinal centre-line. A permanent datum plate will be fixed here later on.

At the other end of the loco, the cab floor repair work has been completed. The corrosion at this end was far worse than at no. 1 end and new floor plates have almost completely replaced the original metalwork. The plates without the slots have been let into the existing floor to completely replace the old steel and the slotted plates have been added over the top of the existing steel. The reason for the different treatment is stress; the locos, not ours. The area beneath the slotted plate is immediately adjacent to the centre pivot / bogie mounting and we didn't want to risk any distortion by removing existing platework - however badly corroded it was. The new steel has been fully welded (hence the reason for the slots) onto the original plate and now forms a super-strong shear arrangement across the centre-pivot.

The original handbrake lever slot and multi-way cabling egress slot have also been blanked with new plate. The handbrake screw mountings remain and the new handbrake screw arrangement will go on here.

The rectangular hole surrounded by bolts holes used to carry a duct for cooling air to the traction motor, whilst this isn't going to be used for air it is being retained for access for now - when the time comes a new plate will close the hole.

The third photo in the sequence is a different view of the driver's side plates and shows the exit point for the new handbrake lever, complete with stiffening shroud.

Finally for this update, the loco has been out in the sun for the first time in ages. It was moved onto the fuel road at Barrow Hill for the underframes to be steam cleaned. It is seen below drying off before being shunted back inside the roundhouse.

News, 26 August 2020

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 11:11:50 GMT

News, 26 August 2020

This (below) is the No. 1 end cab / nose bulkhead, part-way through the painting process. Seen before but worthy of note is the new style (actually old style) Secondman's side instrument panel.

These (below) are the newly manufactured engine and generator mountings. The end closest is for the engine and further away, for the generator. They are exactly similar to the OE installation for Type 2 Deltics, albeit at a slightly greater height above the longitudinals - because of the difference in frame height between Class 23 and 37. Note the laser line for lateral alignment, the template on the engine mountings with a centre-finder for alignment and the nice triangle which is laser cut into the brace for the generator mounting.

News, 31 July 2020

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:21:51 GMT

News, 31 July 2020

I suppose that this image marks the beginning of the last chapter of the bodywork conversion. With filler being applied to the reworked nose ends it is time to think for a moment about the enormity of the work done to date.

If you were to take a piece of chalk and make a mark on all of the areas of bodywork which remain from the donor loco you wouldn't use much chalk.....

The cab roofs, most of the cab corner pillars and the extremes of the nose tops just about sums it up. Thousands of man-hours and thousands of pounds have been spent in replacing just about every single square metre of the body and not one piece of it was done because of vanity - all of it was entirely necessary, either because of corrosion or to alter the appearance of the completed loco.

Even though the bulk of the bodywork is now complete there is still vast amounts to do - none of the apertures (apart from the radiator area) have been cut out and the cab sides (fabricated, rolled and on site) are still to weld in. Als o, as the photo lower down shows, there is still work on the floors to complete.

However, with a new month about to start and a gradual return to normal volunteer hours on the loco there is a glimmer at the end of the tunnel.

As someone famous once said; "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning".

This photo (below) is taken looking down through the cab floor onto the bogie. The lever is part of the brake linkage, the unconnected end attaches to the cylinder and to the (new) handbrake arrangement. The floor has been removed through need (corrosion) rather than to make access to anything easier. The (new) handbrake operating lever will pass through the floor in an area out of view on this shot and will attach by chain to the brake cylinder.

These brackets are a new arrangement for securing the loco roofs in place. We elected not to use the conventional arrangement of a bolt through the two angles to provide clamping force. The design seen below (almost) replicates the sort used on the original Baby Deltics but more usefully to us they provide a perfect means of aligning and holding the roof in place.

News, 20 June 2020

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 13:48:18 GMT

News, 20 June 2020

Not much of note to report this period. I've been busy updating the 'as built' models on CAD which can be a nightmare at times. The full loco model is so large it really slows down my computer so that manipulating the image on screen is a drag. The get round this (in part) I've kept the bogies separate which is why they appear in outline only on the drawing below. The model in the arrangement shown is used primarily for gauging; the '1055' is the buffer centreline height above the running rail, the standard loco height. This enables me to check that everything is clear underneath and that the vehicle gauge is observed all round.

Having a CAD model will make (real) gauge clearance far easier when it comes to route acceptance for when the loco is rail moved to galas, etc., in the future.

A screenshot of the model is on the second photo - the very obvious planes in the model are a lazy man's means of establishing and maintaining centres and provide an easy way of joining six minor models (two cabs, an underframe, two bogies and the body together so that they fit.....).

News, 2 May 2020

Sat, 02 May 2020 11:30:28 GMT

News, 2 May 2020

During the gaps in work undertaken in accordance with Regulations on essential non-home working I have been able to complete the no. 1 nose end panel work. Work which would, under normal working patterns, take around two shifts has taken the best part of two weeks. Looking up from the front corner at the Driver's side the new profile (compound curve) of the nose front corner can be seen clearly here.

The loco has been turned on the turntable and the other end can now be brought up to the same standard. Here's a decent photo of the finished end. The crease on the left hand side looks worse than it is because of the reflective nature of the (at the time) still drying undercoat, depending how how bad it looks when dry it'll either be (a) beaten out, or (b) filled and flattened back at a later date.

News, don't donate your money to us

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 12:20:07 GMT

Don't donate to us

We know that this is a difficult time and that money is short, but, please donate any money that you may have given to the BDP to a health or medical charity.

In return we'll show you some photos of the nose end looking almost complete.

All the work shown below has been completed in full compliance with Regulations on essential work & social distancing; I have an essential job which requires me to travel to Barrow Hill on a daily basis, during break times I am allowed to carry out work on the loco and I comply with BH's procedures for Lone-Working whilst doing so.

(Above) I've been able to tack into place the nose top skin. It's not perfect and some of the edges of the original nose top are more filler than they are steel - hence the awful blow holes in a couple of places. The small pieces of angle are there to hold the skin in place and level with the adjoining panel whilst it was tacked in.

(Above) The view from the Driver's seat. The vertical bar is part of the (new) window frame, it's there for strengthening the frame whilst it was installed and will be removed.....

News, 27 March 2020

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:12:26 GMT

News, 27 March 2020

Work on the loco has stopped for now - for obvious reasons.

Here's a selection of photos from the last working party a couple of weeks ago. The first, below, shows the nose top outer piece (secondman's side, no. 1 end) tacked into place.

The same end, driver's side this time. These pieces are rolled from flat steel, the radii are different at the front and back of the piece which caused some difficulty initially. The original intent was to go from one side to the other in one piece but the skill ran out so three pieces were used in the end.

An interesting viewpoint (below). Taken from no. 2 end nose looking through the loco. The photo follows on from one shown a few weeks ago and demonstrates just how much equipment, conduit and pipework has been removed.

Finally (below) the no. 2 end cab / nose bulkhead in undercoat. It'll stay like this now until the topcoat goes on.

News, 20 February 2020

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 09:39:01 GMT

News, 20 February 2020

The work of (almost entriely) one person over the last couple of shifts is shown in the photos below. The keen-eyed will note the level of detail mentioned in previous updates - i.e. the replacement of the Class 37 style secondman's side instrument panel with the earlier style as seen on Baby Deltics. We are indebted to the DPS for the loan of a panel to copy to enable this fabrication. The removal of the old panel also requires the relocation of the heater switch assembly.

With all the cabling and supply pipework having been removed earlier in the conversion the master controller was removed (five bolts are all that hold it in place) to allow a clear run at the entire bulkhead for de-scaling and painting.

After painting the bulk of the area in primer the number of cut-outs can be seen more clearly - a structural engineer's nightmare. The areas which haven't been painted are left unpainted because they require welding or other changes still to do.

Note that the heater switch cut-outs on the driver's and secondman's side aren't horizontally level - they aren't on the real thing either so this is deliberate.

News, 6 February 2020

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 09:34:58 GMT

News, 6 February 2020

It's been a couple of months since the last update and we have been busy. Each photo below shows the progress made to date. This one is the window modifications at no. 1 end - the same was done at the other end last year. The bars are temporary and serve to maintain the shape of the new frames as they are welded in.

One of the more obvious visual differences between the donor loco and the recreated loco is the Secondman's side instrument panel. The Baby Deltic had a triangular form of panel - as with Class 40's and 55's rather than the later style panel shown in the first photo. If we are going to do this properly we have to take all reasonable steps in the conversion to ensure that the visual clues are as detailed as the noise.....

The sequence below shows the process of replacing the instrument panel and cleaning / painting the remaining bulkhead. The old panel and its mounting were removed and all the old weld ground back; a cardboard template was cut to ensure that both ends of the loco were the same and that sufficient weld-gap could be made without having to grind away loads of 5mm plate; the replacement panel was tacked in and checked for alignment before being fully-welded; the whole area (including the other parts of the bulkhead which were de-scaled and cleaned) was painted in primer to protect the surface.

News, 13 December 2019

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:20:01 GMT

News, 13 December 2019

This will be the final news update for this year - just a few photos of progress on the loco over recent weeks.

This is the state of progress inside no. 2 nose end. All unwanted equipment has been removed, the old paint has been scraped off and it's ready for repainting.

(Below) and this is no. 1 end further through the same process.

(Below) the cab underfloor of no. 1 end with the traction motor air ducting partially removed and the handbrake linkages off. The handbrake crank mountings are still to be removed but the handbrake screw has been taken out already.

(Below) and after all the remainder of the equipment has been removed. This leaves a clear space for the installation of a revised handbrake arrangement.

(Below) one of the more difficult parts of the conversion has been the deign of the revised handbrake. The donor loco used a standard lead-screw / trunnion arrangement to pull on the handbrake and linkages transferred the force to the centre brake cylinder on the bogie. With the change of bogie the handbrake direction of force needed to be reversed. We will achieve this by moving the handbrake linkages under the floor and by having a new (opposite hand) lead screw machined. The photo below shows the new position of the lever which reverses the direction of force and transfers the movement to the bogie from under the cab floor. This places the pivot lever in the middle of the cab footstep - a silly idea but one which is both unavoidable and true to the original loco.

News, 27 November 2019

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 15:42:52 GMT

News, 27 November 2019

No photos for this week's update - it's all been scraping and painting in the nose end which (while necessary) is far from photogenic.

This week there's simply a screenshot of the nose section with part of the cab framework attached for reference.

The bits which appear to be missing are left out deliberately to allow for detail to be added later.

This is part of the complete (computer) model of the loco which is refined from the design / construction model and which will form an 'as built' record of the loco.

News, 13 November 2019

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 09:44:10 GMT

The Doors......

One of the questions most frequently asked of us is, "what will the front end look like?" Hopefully this will put that question to bed once and for all. The photos show D5910 complete with nose-end doors fitted (albeit temporarily) as of yesterday. They have been mounted to allow the holes to be drilled and other nose end parts (lamps, the ladder, headcode discs, horn grille) to be positioned relative. The position of the doors is critical as the lower edge of the bottom hinge marks the line where the bodyside colour changes from red (nose) or cream (body) to green. The cardboard valance is wrong and the error clearly visible here as it should protrude below the doors - the benefits of using cardboard make corrections easy......

News, 3 November 2019

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 10:52:26 GMT

News, 3 November 2019

This week's work has focussed on the replacement of the cab windows. It is obvious from detailed study of photographs that the cab windows on a Baby Deltic are a slightly different size to a Class 37, they are the same width but shallower. There are no drawings for the windows, vague references are made on the cab and nose drawings to a template but nothing appears to exist. With the starting point taken as a very good square-on photo we have drawn the aperture and printed it to the same scale as an existing Class 37 template, gradually making adjustments and reprinting several times until it looked right. From there a full-scale template was laser cut and held against the loco with changes being made again until the appearance matched the photo.

The new frame couldn't simply be welded into the existing frame because it was too thin in a number of places to allow reasonable welding without distortion. The image below shows the final frame arrangement held in place by multiple clamps into the cut-back original (Class 37) frame ready for welding.

The photos below show the sequence of replacement in full, from tacking in, fully welded and dressed back, centre window welded in and both windows in primer. As I have said before; time taken to do job = 8 hours, design time = 24 hours.

The other piece of work this week was a bit of cardboard-aided design looking at the easiest way to make the skirts round the front of the buffer beam. They're not the same as the Class 37 and they have an annoying return on the bottom edge which continues round the curve. These will be made on site - each one will inevitably be slightly different so a sub-contract out would be a brave move.

News, 25 October 2019

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:46:43 GMT

News, 25 October 2019

With the bulk of the work under the nose ends and cabs of the loco now completed, the bogies have been replaced and the loco lowered back onto them. The picture below shows the first of the bogies ready to be pushed into position. We can now make sure that anything on the existing underframe will not interfere with anything on the bogies in any scenario of rotation, pitch and twist.

More grey on top of green primer, as promised from last week. The Baby Deltic Project always delivers on its promises.....

News, 18 October 2019

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 10:15:35 GMT

News, 18 October 2019

Last week's sea of green has been turned grey......

The final piece of plating for the no. 2 nose end floor extends into the cab. The odd-shaped plate seen below completes the filling of the holes left by the nose shortening work. The welds on the plate are capping runs hence the higher than normal bead.

No sooner had the plate cooled and the NDT chemicals been removed the whole floor was painted in primer. Tune in next week for a photo of this in grey......

News, 11 October 2019

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:52:59 GMT

The same nose end floor as shown in last week's update is now shiny with dark grey undercoat (right).

All the preparatory work on the lower sections of this end nose is now complete, the next stages will be to finish the top of the nose structure and then move back into the cabs to finish the under-floor parts.

The other nose end is about two shifts behind this one and the final photo in this week's update (below) shows the platework variously complete (left hand side as you look at it) and tacked in (right hand side) waiting to be seamed up next week. Paint will follow bringing no. 2 end up to the same high standard as no. 1.

News, 11 October 2019

A sea of green now covers the no. 1 end of the engine room floor (left).

Having had the brackets and extraneous parts removed then laboriously cleaned and de-greased the floor is almost ready for the equipment to be placed prior to a final decision on where to put it.

Although the new design is almost complete in CAD form, nothing is better than dropping something into place before new bracketry, etc., is fabricated and welded into position.

We are aware of the designers refrain that "it fits on the drawing" and are keen not to fall foul.

News, 3 October 2019

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 10:48:36 GMT

News, 3 October 2019

More progress this week on the preparation of the engine room and nose ends in readiness for the installation of the equipment later on.

The upper photo to the right show the view looking down on to the nose end after completion of the floors, weld dressing and painting in BR Spec 81 green primer.

At the 'top' corners of the photo you can see the sandboxes and the blanking plates referred to in last week's update. Next to the sandboxes are the two foundation plates needed to be able to widen the nose front as a result of the shortening process.

The lower photo shows what will be the auxiliary equipment room (formerly the radiator compartment).

This will contain the compressors and exhausters and possibly a traction motor blower - the decision on blowers has yet to be made, ideally we want to use a couple of ex-Class 08/09 blowers but don't know of any which are overhaulable.

The four boxes on the floor are the cable break-outs for the traction motor cables for this end.

The other small holes in the floor will be blanked in due course, once the precise route for coolant and oil fill & drain pipework is defined.

News, 25 September 2019

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 11:57:54 GMT

News, 25 September 2019

The inside of the loco is filled with brackets, fixtures and other ephemera which is no longer required. Whilst a cutting torch can get close enough to removing the parts in their entirety the final dressing has to be completed with a grinder. Boring, hot, tiring and seemingly never-ending this work has continued this week. The image below shows the last pieces of the walkway support / conduit cover being ground away.

With the brackets fully removed, two coats of paint are added, the green is primer and the dark grey is undercoat. Note that the remaining floor plate is tack-welded to the longitudinal underframe members, this is a seam weld underneath the loco which creates a seal. The yellow line just visible on the longitude is the geometric centre-line of the loco, this is a critical reference for placing the power unit and other equipment in the recreated loco.

Also competed this week is the replacement of the floor plates in the no. 1 nose end. These three plates complete the joining of the (shortened) nose end to the loco. Not visible in the photo are the two sand box filler apertures which have been covered over and sealed.

News, 12 September 2019

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 13:06:34 GMT

News, 12 September 2019

The best-attended shift for many months saw significant progress this week.

With two teams split between work on the underframe and in the engine room we were able to continue the removal of bracketry, junction boxes, redundant parts and framework from outside and inside the loco. The no. 1 nose floor plate which was prepared some weeks ago was finally welded in, crack tested and painted.

The two outer sections will be added next week, these have been waiting for the loco to be lifted to get the root weld in from beneath.

The photos tell the story far better than I can.

News, 6 September 2019

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 09:12:13 GMT

Uplifting news

Taking advantage of an opportunity to use a set of jacks at Barrow Hill, the loco was lifted this week. The bogies have been removed and set aside and will be cleaned later to allow an inspection of their condition.

Whilst in the air (shortly to be set down onto stands, it won't stay on jacks) all the outstanding work on the underframe will be undertaken. This mainly comprises the removal of all the (now) superfluous bracketry, pipework and conduit from the donor loco, then cleaning and painting the remaining frame parts.

There are quite a few large, heavy and unnecessary structural bits remaining from when the loco was a Cl. 37 - things like side-bearers and outriggers - which obstruct some bits of the Cl. 20 bogies, these will be burnt off and turned into scrap.

At the same time detailed drawings will be made of the underframe as it now (as opposed to how it was, or how it exists in CAD....) to enable the design of the fuel and (dummy) water tanks for the recreated loco.

The fuel tank will be as per the original EECo. design but the water tank will be accurate in appearance only, it's internals will contain air receivers and other ancilliary equipment which are necessary for the recreated loco to be air / vacuum braked.

News, 8 August 2019

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 09:13:29 GMT

News, 8 August 2019

Just one photo for this update but one which demonstrates the enormous amount of time necessarily spent on the design side of the project, rather than the build time.

The object shown is a clamp which, along with its five friends, holds the engine room roof in place.

The five component parts of the assembly are drawn on Solidworks CAD, laser cut (including cutting the weld preparations) in 10mm thick S275J/JR mild steel and sub-fabricated in a jig off the loco. They are then welded into position using 1mm ER70 wire with a Argon/CO2 shield.

The weld process was approved by an independent engineer as were the stress calculations for the parts as individual pieces and as an assembly.

Following the attachment to the body a sample was tested for flaws using a Dye Penetrant (DP) process. In accordance with our Quality Management System, 10% of the total welded on the day should be tested - although in reality this amounts to one of the assemblies (you can't test 0.6% of an assembly....).

Once the dye, developer and weld residue has been cleaned off the entire area will be painted in BR Spec. 81 primer, undercoat then topcoat.

Finally, once the roof is finished and all the other relevant parts of the loco are mounted on it the roof will be secured properly by torque tightening the fasteners, locking the nut with a Nord-Lock washer and paint marking to show any movement.

Time taken for design, fabrication and preparation = 2 days.

Time taken for welding into position and taking a pretty picture = 10 minutes.