Re: WP&Y 61

Was the cylinder itself breached/shattered, or was it just the outer shell? I thought broken cylinder castings were not repairable as welds would not be strong enough to withstand the steam pressure.

That said, there was one instance here in the UK where an 0-8-0 standard gauge loco, which had suffered a cracked cylinder, buckled valve gear and severe frame damage due to a water carry-over incident in 1959, was successfully repaired by stitch-welding the cylinder using modern techniques, allowing the loco to return to service after more than 40-years.

Regarding new cylinders, a replica 2ft gauge Baldwin-design 2-4-2 tank loco, Lyn, has now entered service on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway with fabricated cylinders, not cast ones as the original loco had. An even larger standard gauge loco, LBSCR 4-4-2 'Atlantic' Beachy Head, is also under construction at the Bluebell Railway and it also has fabricated cylinders.

Lyn


Beachy Head's cylinders