Since last year’s announcement of the placing of a £1m order for two new Diagram 118a boilers from DB Meiningen (DBM) significant progress has been made.
We recently dispatched the regulator and pilot valve castings and forged foundation ring corners from Darlington Locomotive Works to Germany for incorporation into the new boiler. Further discussions have taken place between our engineering and operations teams and DBM to finalise the locations of the increased number of flexible stays in the firebox based on experience with Tornado’s boiler.
The recent design review went smoothly and will now be submitted to DBM’s NoBo (Notified Body) TüV for approval after which DBM will send the Trust complete copies of the Technical File which defines the design for perusal by various UK bodies that we have to notify or consult. Provided these organisations do not have any significant comments, the revised design will then be fully released for manufacture. The parts that have been manufactured to date will not be affected by any of the proposed changes to the design.
Other boiler related progress to-date includes:
- Boiler design study completed
- Forged foundation ring corners manufactured
- Regulator and pilot valve castings delivered
- Superheater header cast and machined
- Superheater elements being assembled
- Smokebox assembled and trial fitted to the frames
- Chimney cast and fitted
- Boiler cladding manufactured and trial fitted to frames
- Boiler order placed with DB Meiningen for delivery in 2021
- DBM has completed the detailed redesign of the banjo dome to ensure that it fits under the P2 cladding
- Revised design for the dome has been submitted for stress analysis to FEA (Finite Element Analysis) specialists, CIDEON, who's report confirms that the design is satisfactory
- Completion of the detailed design
Following on from this leap in progress, we would like to encourage those who haven't yet joined The Boiler Club to help us fund the purchase of No. 2007 Prince of Wales' most expensive component. We must reach our 300 members target in 2021. You can join The Boiler Club here. Photos by Christopher Wörfel, DBM/A1SLT.
The drilled firebox tubeplate
A detail of the above image
One of the coned sections showing the perforations for the banjo dome steam collector
Dome top covers
One of the foundation ring corners awaiting welding
The Foundation ring with all four corners tack-welded in place
A corner fully welded up
The two completed foundation rings
Boiler barrel cones
A stack of superheater elements