1863 Mountaineer Locomotive Project

Dear Friends and Mountaineers,

Update. Now that the excitement of the successful trial fitting of the boiler has settled, we have to decide on where to focus the next stage in engineering and fund raising.

The workshop at NBR Darlington is heavily committed to finishing two projects before Christmas, leaving little machine or fabrication time for our project, until January 2024.

We are now focussing our design and fundraising energies on having 1863 Mountaineer running on air before summer 2024. We have to manufacture the entire inside motion linking the pistons to the rear axle.

David Rees of NBR is creating both 3D and traditional workshop drawings, enabling us to estimate our financial requirements.

A short but incomplete list of motion components follows:-

1. Clupet piston rings Purchased
2. Piston material Purchased, needs machining
3. Slide bars
4. Expansion links Estimated cost £1800
5. Weighshaft
6. Eccentric cores
7. Eccentric sheaves Purchased, needs machining
8. Drop links 2 @ £980
9. Radius rods
10. Eccentric rods
11. Piston rods
12. Cross heads
13. Coupling rods Fully funded, on order
14. Motion brackets Funded and fitted
15. Slide valves
16. Valve spindles
    

This is not a complete list but a guideline of how much work we have to do. It will be updated as we receive estimates from our production team.

We have to start fundraising now. Any contribution made, will reduce the pressure on the reserve fund. If you would like to financially contribute towards the machining costs or even sponsor a particular component please contact us via Email: chairman@1863moloco.com or Paypal.me/1863mountaineer.

Originally, several parts of our inside valve motion were forged by Victorian blacksmiths and would not pass muster today. We have the modern alternative of manufacturing from solid material using C.N.C. machining or fabricating. The upshot is, that once funded, Triotek of Washington, (who already has the contract to manufacture our conrods and coupling rods) can get on with producing our
parts.

David Rees of NBR has submitted several drawings of the motion parts for costing. We will authorise manufacturing as soon as funding allows. To have Mountaineer running on air is a major stage in construction and will draw in more sponsors and supporters.

I would like to express my gratitude to all Mountaineers and financial contributors for your continuing support, thank you.

Please don’t hesitate in calling me for further information.

Kind regards,
David RC Wood
07712 584821