"Part of the ongoing 6213 restoration work involved the repair
of some corroded channels used to retain the 6213 light panels on the front of
the locomotive.
The channel damage was evident from ground level, but upon
removal and inspection the entire unit turned out to be severely corroded, with
almost all of the lower half requiring replacement.
Work began by stripping the interior and exterior paint off
to reveal as much damage as possible without compromising the structure. Next,
1/16th inch panels were welded to the base to stabilise it and seal around
the lower bolt mount. Because the old steel was so corroded, it wasn’t always
possible to butt new steel up to the old, and plates had to be made to sit over
the corroded area.
In an ideal world, new sheet metal would be fabricated to
replace wholesale the base and sides, however we do not have the required
guillotine and folding tools to do a suitable job, so patching is the next best
option. The goal here is to retain the shape and dimensions as accurately as
possible, so future restorers have a solid example to build a new one from.
This unit had been repaired many times with bondo and
brazing evident, however new steel had not been used and no real rust
prevention was employed. It’s fortunate this work has been completed now as the
corrosion would only have continued unchecked." - Dan Cheer
For more detailed pictures of the restoration effort, click here.
Click on each image for a closer look!
