Boiler Work Progress June 07, 2006

Boiler Work Progress June 2006 Photographs © Neil Marsden
	No not a 'gallows scene' a view looking at the boiler front, showing the exposed boiler shell (with smokebox removed) the tube plate, showing all but essential fire tubes removed and the three furnace fronts. The scaffolding in the foreground being set in place to allow external scaling of the boiler shell. The rope? Well that's there to hold the funnel cover securely in place, much of the damage to lower tubes and the smokebox was caused by rainwater ingress via this convenient 'pipe' over 20 years!
View of the port wing furnace top, note the pitting as described in the text, the sheen is from wire brushing the surface back to bright metal. This view taken through the forward tube plate, shows the combustion chamber and one or two of the remaining fire tubes left in situ to ensure alignment etc.
	Another view through the tube plate showing volunteer Pete Murray happily cleaning away within the boiler shell. The view gives a good indication of the condition of the inner boiler shell, stays, combustion chambers and so on. The upper manhole door is clearly visible ( a snug fit for most of us these days!!)
Peter cleaning between the combustion chambers (that boilersuit was clean on this morning!!)
	Cleaning the condensers. Here the starboard condenser undergoing some 'cleaning up' in preparation for tests, the tubes have been 'rodded' and brushed through, now the end plates are cleaned. Ultimately the condenser will be tested for leaks using an ultra violet sensitive dye mixed with water. Any defective tubes will be repaired or replaced as necessary. As the condensers are an integral part of the main engine frames this is a particularly important procedure. Ordinarily sea-water is circulated through the tubes (two passes) to condense the exhaust steam from the engine(s) which flows over the tubes, condensing as it does so, to be pumped back to the boiler and re-used via the engine driven air/feed pump.
Volunteer, Mike Escott pauses whilst wire brushing the end plates
	Brushing (rodding) the port condenser, here Colin Brogan (standing inside the coal bunker) pushes first a steel rod, then a wire brush through every tube to clear it's length. The plastic sheet is there to catch the dirt/dust from the tubes, we try to avoid cleaning the bilges yet again by this method!
Colin in the bunker! (Not quite the same as a round of golf!!)
	Group shot commemorating 'the last tube and last smokebox piece' removed from the boiler, Volunteer Phil Janion, donning shorts for the first sunny day for a while obviously at pains to demonstrate he's still wearing protective footwear!! A typical 'Tuesday Gang' turnout, aside from me behind the camera, two more volunteers were busy elsewhere, making sixteen in all and collectively adding another 93 hours to the tally!
Remember the scaffold in Photo 1? Brothers David and John Broomby erected temporary staging to allow safe access to the upper boiler front. This area, normally enclosed within the smokebox structure has been exposed with it's removal and will now require cleaning. Here John personally 'tests' his scaffolding prowess! (No it didn't fall down after the photo!)