Boat at Boat Lane Bridge Weston Sunday Sept 4, 2011

Boat Completed

Radnor is now practically completed, final engineering work to be completed includes - sealing steam condenser and final testing. Screw reverser to be connected by gear boxes so that engine can be reversed from steering position.

Several trials and steamings have been completed and final running configuration, cut off, blower, chimney height finished.

Boat back at Hoo Mill, hoping to take it out again in the next few weekends.

Nearly Completed

Carpets installed and much of the boat finished. Help applying OSMO onto all the wood - fantastic job. Wood work on doors started and a folding table built. Lots of hard work with little to show. Built a plinth for the bathroom cabinet.

New exhaust pipework fitted to slave engine.

Rubber engine cooling pipework fitted to calorifier and to steam supply and exhaust - hot water after about 30 minutes.

Window treatments to be sorted out asap.

Domestic stuff rolling in - carpet tiles, mattresses ready for a major push at finishing the inside of the boat, the only items to finish will be the final lining of the doors and fitting locks, bolts etc.

Boat used

The boat was used today, domestic tanks refilled and water circuits tested. Gas stove tested and working, family visited to brew tea. Shower working and pumping clear. Wood to be rubbed down one last time and the oiled/varnishing etc

Boiler Inspection

Annual inspection undertaken this weekend and boiler passed with flying colours. Excellent.

Work on engine stopped and transfered all efforts to finish the main cabin, cabin largely completed by March 4, 2011.

Pictures show: part of bathroom, bedroom, galley, engines and front door/main room stove etc

Further engine work in November has been the stripping down of the big end, this has revealed some scoring on the journal and shims on the bearing spit line, big end ovaled vertically, shims removed and oval removed, bearing reassembled.

Aux engine re-piped with 1/2 inch valves and 3/8 copper pipe. exhaust needs to be repiped to 1/2 inch.

Main engine supply pipe reduced to flexible pipe only.

New regulator valve fitted with extension so can be operated from the steering position.

Main cabin, shower tray turned 180 degreees to move drain. Pipe work to waste pump extended.


Set of Whit spanners obtained from Marcus at Stafford Hardware
Boat frozen in Nov 26/27/28/29 Dec1 , likely to continue !

Link motion reassembled and tested Sunday 14/11/2010. Changes to main steam pipe to remove severe bends appears to be sucessful with better power to prop shaft at all steam pressures, further reduction planned to remove excess length in main steam flexible hose. Boiler steamed for 1hour 30 minutes. Boiler saftey valve lifted at 110 psi, sealed at 95 psi, boiler blown down and refilled twice. Engine much quieter, but identification of major knock associated with big end bearing, need to strip remetal/remachine, one set of nuts 1 1/8 in whit, other not yet known.

Link motion dropped to fix die block. Die block found to have four sacrificial brasses, fixed by 2BA brass countersunk screws. Brasses replaced and new screws from MaccModels. New w brasses 1/8 inch think and have removed 3/32 inch spaces in the link motion. Link to be assembled and tested w/e Nov 13, 2010.

Boat at Hoo Mill for boiler washout and some general engine room work. Inside of the boat progressing well but not finished yet.

NB Radnor

This is the first entry for a new steam powered narrowboat, moored at Hoo Mill , Staffordshire