Here - Heritage Express

3801 Project
Progress Update
Volunteer Noel Ackland commences the task of removing
accumulated mud, rust and grime from 3801’s engine bed
with the needle gun. He stands in the space where the
ashpan hopper normally sits, above the trailing truck.
Photo by Craig Mackey
Most Sydney-siders will remember Wednesday, September
23 for the red dust which enveloped most of the city. At
the 3801 Project workshop at Chullora, a very special event
also took place that day when 3801’s cast-steel engine bed
(frame) was lifted from its wheels.
Two mobile cranes were ordered to enable a vertical lift
(due to the centre of gravity of the frame with smokebox
attached), to ensure a smooth separation from the coupled
wheel axleboxes and the king-pin from the leading bogie.
Weighing some 31 tonne, the frame, smokebox and nosecone
of 3801 was swung south and gently placed on stands where
the overhaul team can concentrate on removing
the cylinder liners and arranging inspection of
Receiving attention at a contractor’s works are 3801’s tender
the SKF roller bearings.
bogies. Pictured here are two of the tender’s roller bearings,
Prior to lifting the frame, the brake gear required
removal. The following task was to unbolt the
hornstays beneath the axle boxes. This job is
difficult enough under normal circumstances,
however RTM Staff have completed this phase of
the work without the luxury of a pit.
The most dramatic parts of the dismantling
process have now passed and the Project now
moves to a component restoration phase, albeit
concerning some very large components.
rotated for inspection and showing off their paired, tapered
arrays.
Photo by Craig Mackey
Design Sign-off
On 15th September, a major milestone in the
project to procure a new boiler for steam
locomotive 3801 was reached, with the
signing-off of completion of the Preliminary
Design Review (PDR) stage by RailCorp. The
design review is used to allow RailCorp’s
engineers to check that the design of
the new boiler faithfully copies the
original, with allowances made for the
differences between riveted and welded
construction techniques. The PDR passed
smoothly, with few issues raised, and communication continues between
RailCorp and Dampflokwerk Meiningen on a regular basis. The signingoff
of the PDR allows the engineers at Meiningen to concentrate on
completing the design, focussing on the detail design issues yet to be
finalised, and the manufacturing techniques yet to be agreed.
Line drawing © DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH 2009, supplied by Halcrow Pacific Pty Ltd
Retired NSWGR Engineer for the Westinghouse Brake,
Albert Taylor, has been giving the team valuable
advice and assistance with the overhaul and
servicing of the engine’s 15-inch brake
cylinders. Photo by Craig Mackey
The crane and truck crews join members of
the 3801 Project team following the boiler’s
relocation to the outside of the workshop.
3801’s
tender
underframe
and bogies
viewed from
the Project’s new
scaffolding. Paul Gray
and Matthew Lee can be
seen in the background, while
volunteers Frank Licastro and
Tim Ball prepare the locomotive’s
electrical wiring system for removal.
Photo by Craig Mackey
The cranes are about to depart, having relocated the
frame across the workshop to rest on stands alongside the
wheelsets. The Project’s staff and volunteers admire the
now-lost technical art of manufacturing an intricate, singlepiece,
cast-steel frame like this.
Photo by Colin McDonald
Follow the official web-pages, detailing the
stages of the 3801 Project
as they take place, at:
www.3801.com.au