Crank Axle Assembly and Roller Bearings
The machining of the Coupled Axleboxes and special fasteners is well under way at DWL. As with the Plain Axles, the roller bearings will shortly be available from Timken. It is the supply of the forgings for the two stub axles and the crank pin that is causing concern. These have been severely affected by the situation in Ukraine, and raw material prices. Once we have an indicative programme for the forgings with stable prices, we can consider ordering the forgings for the sweep webs, and then the machining of all the crank axle components.
For both the Plain and the Crank Axle assemblies, the six coupled driving wheels are currently undergoing non-destructive testing at William Cook Cast Products after being proof machined at ADA Machining Ltd.
Cylinders
Design work on this package of work is planned to be completed by the year end. The designer will then move on to the design of the bogie. The cylinder design has focussed on creating fabricated cylinders and saddle to replace the original castings.