Work continues at a great pace at South Devon Railway (Engineering). The tyre fitting is being done using the ex Swindon works tyre heating equipment. The quartering machine is a special form of horizontal borer which can bore crank pin holes or turn crank pins (if already fitted) from both sides of the wheelset at the same setting; provided the setting is not altered whilst swapping wheelsets, this ensures that the distance between the crank pins and the axle centres and the angle between the crank pins is consistent for all four wheelsets which is vital for smooth running of the finished locomotive.
All photos by Rob le Chevalier
The crank axle in the wheel lathe for turning the back of the rims
Another view of this operation
The leading coupled wheelset in the quartering machine
Tyres fitted to the trailing coupled wheelset