5" Butch

Hi there

I am helping to refurbish a 5 inch Butch and will soon be ready to commence steaming. I am currently trying to insert the grate.

To save reinventing the wheel to I am wondering if someone can tell me what is the best method is for inserting the grate. Do i need to make a special tool and if so does anyone have a sketch/drawing they could let me have.

Regards

Adrian

Adrian,

Normally the ash pan is made removable so the grate can be inserted from below. The ash pan is then used to retain the grate. Is that possible on the Butch?

Michael

Michael

Thank you for your reply. This ash pan on this Butch is built to the drawing and is not removeable. The owner did not want it modified as the engine was built by his father many years ago,

The grate has to be pushed in through a slot in the rear at angle to ride over a rolling grate bar at the front of the firebox, whilst at the same time slots on the rear of the grate rest on a "grate keep bar" that has to be swiveled upwards. I suspect it easy when you know how.

Adrian

hi Ade,

if you send me your details via PM i will put you in touch with a Butch owner. it has a lot of use and well built.

i think your friend despite sentimental reasons might have to depart from the drawings. i studied the drawings many years ago. i dont recall the problem you mention. Charlie Kennion was eminently practical. Butch followed suit. i cant imagine Charlie approving of anything fiddly and awkward.

cheers,

julian

Hello, with a colleague from my local society I am putting together a part-completed Butch and would be grateful if someone could update this thread regarding the grate. The loco is being completed in line with Kennion's plans so has a fixed ashpan. As Ade has commented, there is only a narrow slot through which to pass the grate in and out from the rear. Due to size of the firebox door, it's virtually impossible to see whether the grate is in place. As a novice, I don't know much about these things, presumably the grate isn't intended to be fixed? (Again, due to awkward firebox door access it would be hard to clean.)

Is there is a tool or a permanent attachment to the grate that would make this easier? If someone has a drawing of this, it would be really appreciated!

Many thanks

David