Lubrication

	Photo added 1st August 2003 One of the mechanical lubricators being refurbished in the home workshop.
	Photo added 1st August 2003 Fitting the lubricator in position by utilising a ladder as a slide way.
	Photo added 1st August 2003 In position and ready to be piped up (see below).
	Fireman's side cylinder and part of valve gear, with mechanical lubricator above. Note that the slide bars are mounted to the mainframes by a massive casting and are not actually fastened to the cylinder rear cover.
	Close up of the fireman's side mechanical lubricator, which contains 16 independent pumps on a common shaft. The shaft is driven via a ratchet and pawl mechanism, which is in turn driven from the rocking motion of the expansion link (in this photo the linkage to do this is not yet fitted). 14 of the pump outlets are used, supplying 150 grade lubricating oil through pipework to axleboxes, slide bars and other non-reciprocating moving parts. Oil level in the lubricator can be checked by means of the sight glass on the right side of the unit.
	On the driver's side of the locomotive there is a similar lubricator, fitted with 12 pumps, for supplying oil to the cylinders and valve chests. Due to the high steam temperatures involved, this lubricator uses 1000 grade 'steam oil' which is piped to the cylinders and, via atomisers, the valve chests. Only the valves are fitted with atomisers, the cylinder barrel lubrication has been modified to "Solid Feed" in line with Western Region practice (circa 1961). The four pumps for the barrel connections have 60% greater capacity than standard. Two of the atomisers can be seen at middle left of the photo. This lubricator contains a "warming pipe" supplied with steam from the manifold.
	Photo added 17th June 2003 Coupling rod oil reservoir with cork removed. These reservoirs will be topped up by the driver during his daily 'oiling round'.
	Photo added 17th June 2003 Cork screwed into place. The centre of the cork is drilled out and a piece of cane inserted to allow the oil in the reservoir to 'breathe'. Note the grease nipple for the coupling rod pivot pin in the background.
	Syphon lubricator mounted above the piston rod gland. This device consists of an oil bath with lid, a feed pipe to the gland packing and a worsted trimming. The top view shows the strands of worsted (tail), which are held together by the twisted wire. The bottom view shows the trimming in place in the feed pipe. The worsted will 'syphon' the oil continuously from the oil bath and down the feed pipe to the gland packing. The rate of flow can be regulated somewhat by the number of worsted strands in the trimming. The oil level in these boxes is always checked by the driver as the locomotive is prepared for a days running!
	Close-up of the connecting rod big end, coupling rod joint and return crank, showing both oil and grease lubrication. The "square" part of the big end contains an oil bath and feed pipe similar to the picture above. Instead of a syphon trimming, the feed pipe has an adjustable screwed restrictor. This receives its oil supply by the reciprocating motion of the big end throwing the oil onto the restrictor. The coupling rod bearings are oiled in the same way. These oiling points require topping up every working day. To do this the cork in unscrewed, sufficient lubricating oil added and the cork screwed back into place. The coupling rod pivot pin, which has limited movement, and the return crank rod bearing, which has a self-aligning, double row, ball bearing, are grease lubricated and can be attended to at normal service intervals.