April 2021

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Easter came early in April 2021, but it was not chocolate that was consumed by our Engineering volunteers that made the festivities, but on Easter Saturday our 1935 Admiralty Scotch boiler was treated to 6 new screwed stay tubes, leaving just the remaining 16 to be fitted. 
That, of course, is not the end of this project, as once all the stay tubes are screwed in these have to be expanded in their respective tubeplate holes to ensure they are steam-tight and can maintain the hydraulic test pressure of 270 lbs per square inch. There were a number of plain tubes that had to be removed for access purposes, and they will have to be refitted and withstand the same hydraulic test. 
On 24th April, the last 12 tubes collected from Leek Engineering were lowered into the Boiler Room for fitting. So whilst something of a momentous day, there is still a lot of work to be done down below – so May looks likely to be another busy month! 
Whilst the favourable weather has seen the Hemperthane gloss paint out in force making the vessel look really presentable, our mantra for some time now has been to ‘get her back in steam’ and as such the Boiler has, and will remain very much the focus of our attention. For Kerne not to be in steam to celebrate her 50 years in preservation would be a crushing blow for our group, but we are nothing if not optimistic. 
We have faced many challenges over these last 50 years and we are yet to be beaten; we will not be beaten now. 
As well as the Engine Casing exterior now being resplendent in its’ shiny new paint , the undersides of the Engine Room skylights have been de-rusted and painted in our standard blue/grey gloss, and very smart they look. 
So with the boiler tubing to complete, the access holes cut out in the bunkers to be replated, Wheelhouse re-wire to be completed, there is still more than enough to do before we can light the fires and see our wonderful 1913 WVV Lidgerwood Triple Expansion Engine turning under its’ own steam.

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