February 2024

February started as we left January with the difficult job of boiler lagging preparation dragging on. The issue that creates so much difficulty is the lack of space around the boiler to the side decks and boiler casing. The space is literally inches in some places so there is no possibility of coaxing even the slimmest of our crew members into the space on top of the boiler to position the newly constructed crinolines. In commercial days the majority of jobs relating to the boiler was achieved by cutting and craning off the boiler casing with the Wheelhouse in situ, to reveal the boiler within but such measures are now impracticable and unaffordable for our volunteer group. So, to achieve our goal other methods have to be employed. Some years ago, several areas of the top of the boiler casing, including a section beneath the wheelhouse floor were cut out in order to provide what are essentially inspection plates that can easily be removed to facilitate access points for the Boiler Inspector and easy access to steam pipes, steering chains, telegraph wires and chains and electrical wiring to forward areas of the vessel. The crinolines were constructed away from the vessel and then transported to the quayside in order to do the necessary alterations for fitting into the tight space and around the paraphernalia mentioned above. This involved cutting the crinolines and creating bolt-together sections that would fit through hatches and bolted back together once in position. Whilst several of the crew toiled on with the lagging job, others have been attending to issues with the condenser. Once again during our trip up the River Weaver last year, mud and silt was picked up by the salt water suction with resultant overheating of the condenser. On the Sunday of the Leigh Arms Steam Party several of us removed the forward condenser door to clean and inspect the condenser tubes. It was suspected that a number of tubes were leaking, and back in Liverpool, pressure testing confirmed our suspicions. Both end doors, which are very heavy and awkward, have now been removed, the ferrules to the leaking tubes sealed, and new and expensive joints cut. The joint faces have been scraped ready for the doors to be manoeuvred and bolted back into position with the new joining. Also in the Engine Room, the faces of the main engine pressure gauges have over time become distorted and discoloured. Fortunately, a friend from the wider steam fraternity is a graphic designer and has taken on the task of replicating the original WVV Lidgerwood gauge faces, so the gauges have been removed and packed off for their refurbishment. Despite the incessant rain, the weather boffins tell us that February has been the hottest on record, so there was no excuse for not getting on and finishing the repainting of the funnel, and whilst the level of coal in the bunkers is low, to paint the upper areas of the bunkers. And, whilst the paint brushes were out, to paint the upper areas of the boiler shell before the lagging covers it up. As we are now officially in Meteorological Spring, we should make use of the theoretically good weather!