Restoring the 234

Last update: 08/11/03

This is how the 234 got to me - looking rather sorry for
itself, bogie missing, all pipework missing, burner tubes missing.
Not a surprise as the ad described it well, and what do you expect
for thirty eight quid! Paintwork is quite reasonable though, and a
quick bucket test showed the boiler was probably sound.



Following a quick order from Greenweld, the steam pipework
was quickly reinstated - I used 3/32 pipe rather tha 1/8. As this
is a provisional job for now, I used industrial epoxy resin rather
thatn solder - invisible, just as strong and easily undone.



Making up the bogie wasn't that hard - mainly thanks to some
pictures and measurements I received from the inestimable Mr.
Roly Williams. Wheels are of course much too bright, and are
presently soaking in an unspeakable concoction to age them
up a bit.




Here's the 234 with the new (very shiny) bogie in place. The
burner body is present, but the burner itself is missing.




Here is the burner in the making. Actually constructed from
and old telescopic aerial!



And here it is - fitted to the old burner body, painted to match and
burning merrily.



Off we go! After spitting out 70 years of accumulated grime from
its ports, the 234 ran quite merrily for half an hour on 100cc
of water and a bit of meths. Of course the engine had been
veritably doused in oil before attempting to run. All unions have
now been verified as steam tight. The only thing not yet in place
are the exhaust-to-chimney tubes - not essentiall to functioning,
so we'll see.