Boiler (front end) Plug ???

Guys,

Can anyone tell me what goes in to the threaded hole at th top of the front of my boiler ?? I am no where near fitting the smoke box yet, but was just nosing at my boiler and noticed this largish threaded hole.

Cheers

Malcolm.

you are right, a plug.

Malcolm

It's called the tubeplate plug BU22115 that comes in kit 21 and it can be a bugger to fit, Doesn't appear to serve any useful purpose when fitted other than access to the top part of the boiler. Why you would want that I'm not sure. The 'bugger' factor is fitting it, you need a small child with re inforced gloves and nimble fingers to srew it in. With the smokebox fitted and all those threaded bolts protruding into the smokebox like the teeth of a shark ready to shred you fingers as you try and tighten the plug. Some of these are very close to the hole that the plug fits in to so you might have to ensure they are not excessively long. The size of the plug is also a pain as, from memory, I couldn't get a socket on the end to tighten it up and too small to get ring spanner on it, because of its close proximy to the edge of the boiler so had to adapt. I think I read somewhere in a set of instructions that it is useful to enable you to fill the boiler up. The grief of removing and refitting outweighs that option!

All the best

Al

Al,

Thanks for the info, I couldnt find any reference to the plug whilst I was looking at the boiler info !!!
I think that I will fit the plug whilst the boiler is still out and has plenty of access, I will have to go through my list of kits to find the bloody thing tho !!!

Today i have skipped the rear wheels asembly to make a start on the tender, what a fiddly job, my fingers are "tender"
from getting rivetts and nuts together.
The smoke box is just about completed and painted with Cal Fire satin black, its looking good.
The front wheels are now assembled and primed, as is the front axle..
I am going to try to paint the wheels before I fit the tyres, I intend to let the paint harden for a week or two before I mess about with the rubber compound, I hope that I wont regret doing it this way ..

Cheers for the info, I expect to be posting lots more quieries over the next couple of weeks as I intend to have an intensive build campaign...
"Assuming my wife llets me off course !!!!"

Malcolm.

Malcoln

Re tender, araldite or otherwise affix the 3 bolts of the lower roller bracket in place so they protrude out. That way you wont be forced to fit the lower bracket of the winch roller guide before you seal the water tank up and thus cause a problem when lining and trying to get passed the bracket. The full size engines had the nuts on the outside anyway.

Make sure you get the pick up pipe for the pump on the correct way, I think on the front union, the instructions dont show it very well but if you get it wrong it will cause all sorts of problems, ( I got them wrong and when I was about to steam her up had to strip the whole lot down because of my error, at least 4 hrs extra work!) put the unions in place before the end plate of the tank as the small bolts coming through holding the top of the tank will foul the lock nuts of the water pump flow and bypass and you will only be able to lock the 2 connectors in place by turning the union itself, not the lock nut, so access to this is required.

Be aware that one of the small bolts holding the dividing plate between the coal area and standing area holds the beading on, or the plate, I cant remember which but it was a niggle when i thought I had done it right.

Other than that it's pretty straightforward

Also, I would advise putting tyres on before spraying wheels, you can always mask rubber off when spraying. I really is a messy job putting tyres on and if you resort to levers you will damage paintwork

Hope this helps

Al

Al,
Thanks for the tips, anything that saves grief later is much appreciated mate.
Good idea to araldite the bolt heads inside the tank on the lower roller bracket, I will definately do that.
I will try to fit the tyres before painting the wheels, I have already primed the wheels, I guess that they will clean up ok.
Not a job that I am looking forward to I must admit..
I have to call STW on monday as they didnt put the two filter connectors in with Kit 7 (BU20732), I still have plenty of things to keep me occupied tho.

All the best

Malcolm.

Hullo,

Not sure if you've read ALL of the posts but I'm quite certain I mentioned what a swine it was fitting this plug once the units are assembled together but to re-cap, I used an allen key. I basically stuck the plug into soft jaws,drilled down into the centre of the plug by a small amount (enough to get an allen key in nicely) and got an old allen key (cant remember the size,5 or 6mm maybe?) and whacked it in with a hammer, it took out the drilled radius of the hole and basically cut the hex shape into the plug hole(the one you've just drilled) and voila, able to fit the boiler plug with ease..

Might be of help to you mate..

Regards

LilyJack

Thanks Al,

I intend to fit the plug before i fit the smokebox, I have yet to check out a few things to make sure that I can do this without causing myself grief later on, I will have to go thro the kits to find the plug, I am sure that someone posted that it is in kit 23 !! I have all of the kits here so I will see if that plan is possible.
I was a real prat a couple of days ago, I put all of the dummy rivets in the rear wheels the wrong way around !!! god knows what I was thinking of !! A call to STW soon sorted another batch of rivetts out for me.
I have to say that I am well impressed with STW and their customer relations, they are excellent, the small items that have been missing (3 so far out of the first 12 kitts that I have checked) have all been in the post the next day...
I found the Tender very fiddly, all those rivetts have made my fingers sore !!! I am looking forward to priming it this weekend ans then moving onto the Horn plates...

All the best

Malcolm

Sorry lilyjack,

My last post was a reply to you mate,

Malcolm.