E6001/73901/73001  |
| Some "befores and afters"....in that less-than-fetching yellow & black livery, 73901 is being manoeuvred in the DFDA siding at Lydney Jcn., December 2002 (photo D.Hughes). |
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| After a protracted overhaul, a resplendant E6001 is pictured on 26/4/07 at Lydney Jcn., near complete, a couple of weeks before test running (photo L.Wayman). |
| E6001 put in some test running in May/07, eventually working its first revenue earning train on the DFR come
6th June 2007, standing-in for steam. Whilst it performed
very well for the first 4 month or so, the loco suffered a major main generator bearing failure in mid-November and so
was consigned to the "awaiting attention" siding. A real shame, what with it having a good set of batteries but
that's how it goes, sometimes.
Late spring 2008 saw the lump+gen lifted out with the latter dispatched to Dowding & Mills for repairs. The generator was back at Lydney w/c 11th Aug. and so it came to pass on 21st Aug. that the gen was re-united with the power unit. Here then are a few photos taken on 21/8 during that re-uniting process. All photos by B.Thomas. |
 The refurbished generator is pictured prior to the lift onto the the p.u., E6001 behind takes interest. The generator is not that big in mainline locomotive terms but you still wouldn't want one on your foot. |
 The output shaft end of the 4-cylinder, 600hp English Electric power unit is revealed from under its protective tarp. The flywheel had been removed and placed in the end of the gen housing as it's easier to fit it that way. |
 A peek inside the generator shows the skimmed commutator gleaming in the sunshine while the spotless brush housing makes it seem like a shame to use the thing and get it dirty again. |
 The generator is slowly offered up to the power unit. No mean task finding a few mm adjustment to bolt-hole alignment when trying to mate up more than a few tonnes of copper, iron and steel. |
 With the joining up of the p/u output shaft to the flywheel and generator, the 2-piece fan assembly was re-bolted to the flywheel. Drop one of the bolts for the edge-to-edge securing plates into the generator and it's not a case of tipping it up and shaking it out. Best not go there. It didn't happen, but what if? |
 The top support bracket proved to be the most awkward bit of the re-assembling. The casting was a tight fit, not helped by a thin, tin-like shim between the casting and the generator (nearest). The shim continually moved out of aligment (the bolt holes were misaligned) so in the end, a tap (as in tap & dye set) was put through the bolt holes to clear the mm or two of shim that partially obscured the clear passage of the bolts. The bracket also acts as a support for the turbo. |
 Looking towards the electrical cubicles, the 'lump' should go back in here, hopefully by the end of August, depending on when the DFR's big crane can be wheeled over to the DFDA mtce. area (and the weather, no doubt!). At the time of writing, all efforts were being made to get the loco ready for the gala of 27/9/08. |
 E6001 is pictured near the end of the day, just a few weeks away from a return to service, if all goes well with the re-introduction of the power unit/gen and the subsequent testing that'll be needed, seeing as it's spent twice as long out of service than it was 'in'. Below, the view from the cab of 31210, the hole as left by the removal of the secondman's-side marker light during the Type 2's detailed overhaul. But that's another story!!  |