Picture 1 below is the oven. This heats the item up to over 600 degrees.
Here we see a bush that has just been withdrawn from the oven.
The red hot steel bush is then plunged into a bath of quenching oil to cool down. This has the effect of hardening the steel.
The lack of oxygen when the bush is emmersed stops it from bursting into flames. If the bush was to be withdrawn at this stage, the oil it is coated in would instantly catch fire.
When the item cools, the oil calms down.
Allowing the bush to be brought out safely.
Although the steel has now become very hard, it has also become brittle. The next stage is to reheat the bush to a lower temperature than before, for a period of time. This will temper the metal and remove the brittleness.
The finished bush is then pressed into place using the hydraulic press.
A brake pull rod with the new bushes pushed into place.
Here we have Matthew and Nathan cleaning up a valve push rod.
More parts in the wash. These are valve spindle, die block slide bars.
These are the front valve covers with the tail rod bushed pushed out for attention.
Assorted brake gear, some have been rebushed, some are still awaiting bushed. When finished they will be painted with primer and then black enamel.
More brake rods.
One of the cross shafts with its bracket, refurbished and refitted.
The rear valve covers with the slide bars and glands removed.
Newly manufactured cylinder block bolts and brake block pins.
A new turnbuckle for brake adjustment.
More brand new pins, this time loco to tender draw bar and safety link pins.
The draw bar itself.
The left and right hand expansion links. These have been split to have new blocks machined. The new blocks are placed to the right on the top of each half.
