Steam Inc. - Ka945 Restoration Project

The Second Restoration of Ka945

By Alan Bailey
Engineering Manager

When Ka945 first ran in private ownership in 1985 (see our locomotives page) it had been the subject of a very rapid restoration to working order. While much was achieved is was by no means a complete restoration since, at the time, there appeared little likelihood of it running on the main line again. As events turned out, further work could be carried out in between trips during the subsequent ten years that it ran on main line excursions and charters. Now that the locomotive is out of service for it’s 10 year boiler overhaul, it is an opportune time to carry out those other jobs that either never got done or have become necessary after a hard ten years of operation.

Much of the work is simply a matter of man-hours of volunteer labour, but real money will be needed for materials and for those jobs that the society has to contract out simply because it does not have the required facilities. Because of the nature of the steam locomotive it is not always possible to know exactly what needs doing until the machine is dismantled. Having dismantled it, it is sometimes appropriate to do something simply because it would be a big job to do it later. Some of the work that now needs to be done is given below as an indication of the need for financial support in this project.

Frames: Check alignment and straighten if possible. Examine for cracks and repair if required. Replace most of the pedestal liners. Straighten the front headstock. Check for wear, and re-bush where required, all of the suspension and brake hanger brackets. Repair cracks in smokebox saddle.

Cylinders: Tighten, or replace, loose cylinder bolts. Check diameter and length of cylinder liners and replace if required. Check diameters of valve liners and re-bore or replace if required. Repair or re-pack the exhaust passage expansion joints. Repair valves and make new rings. Replace pistons and rings. Re-position cylinder lubrication chokes for ease of cleaning.

Suspension: Check dimensions of equalizer beams and correct if required (Some are believed to be from K class locos which are different). Check dimensions of spring hangers (some may be from K class) and repair/replace where required. Check all suspension pins and replace where required. Check all springs for cracked or loose plates and camber, and repair where required. Check pedestals for wear and repair as required.

Driving wheels: Dismantle cannon boxes, check liners and repair pedestal bearers. Replace roller bearings with new ones. (The bearings are on hand, but the actual job of replacement will be expensive). If any of the wheels should prove to be loose on their axles, it is likely that new axles may be required. (However, we have the forgings). Re-profile the tyres. (One of those jobs it is expedient to do while the wheel sets are removed). Check the diameter of the crank pins and re-machine if required.

Front bogie: Check profiles of tyres and re-machine if required. Check alignment of axles and correct if required.

Smoke box: Remove superheater elements, pressure test, repair where required. Remove superheater header to repair regulator valves, camshaft, and camshaft gland box (this will first necessitate removal of the main steam pipes, the blast pipe, and the chimney). Repair thin areas of smokebox casing.

Brake gear (mechanical): Check all pins, bushes, spreaders, hangers, pull rods, brake shoes, and repair where required.

Brake gear (equipment): Check, clean and repair as required the brake valves, distributor, brake cylinders, and brake piping.

Boiler: Washout tubes and flues. Remove a sample number of the tubes and flues to gauge their general condition (generally good from what can be seen through the washout plug holes). Brush down front tube plate, check for thickness and cracks, and repair as required. Hopefully we will not need a new one. In the firebox replace cracked areas of plate, and check the combustion chamber tube plate. Replace wasted staycups, cracked stays, and those needed to be removed for the plate repairs. Check for grooving of plates at the foundation ring.

Mountings and fittings: Rebuild the two air compressors. Repair the control gear for the injectors. Repair vanes and linkages for the firedoor and bottom damper. Remove reverser cylinder so that boiler cladding can be removed for access to boiler stays.

Motion work: Check all valve gear, connecting rods and coupling rods for cracks. Check all pins and bushes, die blocks, expansion links, and bearings for wear and replace/repair as required. Check knuckle pins and bushes and repair as required. Check all ring brasses and steel bushes and repair/replace as required. Check little end bearing, plate, wedge and bolt, and repair as required. Check sizes of slidebars, crosshead slippers, valve guides, and valve crossheads, and repair as required.

Tender: Check water tank bottom plate for thickness and repair/replace as required. Repair baffles. Repair tank top. Fit water level gauge. Check bottom of oil tank for corrosion and repair as required. Check oil heaters and repair/enlarge as required. Fit oil level gauge. Possibly fit ground level fillers. Check alignment of bogie frames. Re-profile tyres.

It will be seen that there is a lot of “as required” in this list. But that is the nature of the steam locomotive. Until it is taken apart one is never quite sure what should be done. Having taken it apart, usually with great effort and much time, should one repair it anyway to make sure it will last another ten years?

Last updated 25 October 2007 - STEAM Incorporated