Letters

MORE MASHAM MEMORIES

Dear Editor

I was interested to read Derek Rayner’s article in July’s Old Glory (No. 365) “Some Thoughts Around Masham Rally,” and in particular the problems with the leaky fusible plug.

Several years ago Stuart Harrison had the same problem with the fusible plug on the 1912 Fowler D2 Road Loco No. 12899 Western Star and asked me if I could help. Eric Robinson and I were, at the time, in the throes of re-boxing our 1927 Wallis & Steevens 10t Advance roller City of York No.3 and, as work related, I knew of a chap in Hull who had a large range of odd sized Heli-Coil equipment.

Fortunately he was prepared to lend me the special oversize tap to cut a thread for the BSP Heli-Coil insert so Eric and I, like Derek and his mates, spent an hour or two in firebox filing out the hole to the correct tapping size, gauging it with a plug-gauge I had made. We then tapped out the hole with the borrowed tap and inserted the Heli-Coil. Stuart,