East African Railways

24 Class       2409 

Restoration  2004-2006

 

2409 in October 2001 with equally forlorn 5930 to the left and 3020 behind.

 

Painting crew April 2004. 

Reuters office staff  volunteers in blue, paid help in red.

 

Still in the museum after re-painting in early December 2004. 

She was re-painted prior to restoration to working order because at the time (mid 2004) there were no plans for the restoration. There was though a full re-paint program taking place for all statically exhibited loco's in the museum. sponsored by Reuters at the behest of Graham Roberts.

 

Moving day, December 9th 2004 reversing out of the museum yard. Ben directing.

 

Heading back towards the station

 

Out on the "main" 

 

Near the footbridge getting ready to be propelled west to work over to the main works entrance

 

To see a video clip of 2409 rolling west, before backing over to the main works, 

click here

 

Rolling into the main work entrance

 

Waiting to be shunted into 6 shop

 

Inside 6 shop December 10th 2004

 

Graham Roberts June 2005

Geoff Warren image

 

Simon Warare fitting the RH cylinder drain cocks December 2005

 

New front pilot beam being trail fitted and, Abdullah Amira and Joseph Muriuki fitting the Westinghouse brake pump January 2006

 

Robin Thiga showing off the new slide bar guides with the new number plates in the background. January 2006

 

William Buoro (L) and Abdullah  Amira working on the LH radius link.  January 2006

 

Abdullah Amira (L) and Joseph Muriuki working on the LH valve gear.  January 2006

 

Robin Thiga turning the new blast cap on a Dean, Smith and Grace center lathe

January 2006

 

Checking the bore

 

Old and new blast caps

 

Sitting on the main works traverser while moving to 010 shop for a wheel drop Feb 2006

 

In shop 010

 

Front bogie removal

 

Coupling rod removal

 

Removing the horn block stay nuts

 

Center driver dropping out .

 

Moving the wheel set to the side for lifting

 

Worn out and cracked axle boxes

 

Completed shell molds

 

 

Mutahi baking the shells

 

 

Pattern for casting new axel bearings

 

Gulali and Mapesa setting up to machine Bogie side slide bars March 2006

 

Oil tank recovered from Voi during 2005. It was removed during filming in 1992

 

Simon Warare drilling the pre-heater tube plate

 

James Maina welding up the oil pre-heater

 

Oil tank being lower back into the tender after 14 years

 

Upside-down image of one of the newly machined axle boxes

 

Amira cleaning the brake applicator

 

Lab technician and his Forman ultrasonic testing the loco axles

 

 

The bad news is clearly shown in this image

 

Driving wheels waiting for new axle

 

Machining keyway in new axle

 

Loading the second driver to be pressed on the new axle

 

Raising the main driving axel back into position

 

This superb image shows Millwright supervisor Anyasi (red hat) Crane Forman Olinga (yellow hat) and Muriuki guiding axel boxes and spring hangers into place.

 

Geoff Warren polishing window frames

 

Click here to see and hear the 2409 whistle blow 

June 18th 2006

 

Click here to see the first movement under steam in 23 years

June 25th 2006

 

On the main works traverser June 29th 2006

 

Two images from July 2nd 2006 upon the occasion of the visit from the boiler inspector and boiler certification

 

 

 

THE steam preservation image of 2006?

2409 and 3020 both in steam July 20th 2006

First time two locos in steam together in Kenya since?

2409 needing just EAR tender lettering, Vulcan builders plates and the silver paint tidied up to become "ex works"

Click here to a see a video clip of 2409 working through the Nairobi yards

 


 

Click here to see a video clip of 2409 with a 200 ton load on the Thika branch line

August 2nd 2006


 

2409 ready to leave for Thika

 

Note the new, scratch made louvers on the cab window and newly installed EAR lettering on the tender

 

Front truck off the rails

 

And so the story of this page ends with an image of 2409 at Ruiru in August 2006 on a revenue freight to Thika just 18 months after being pulled out of the museum in December 2004.


Restoration team leader and images 

Graham Roberts

with contributions by Geoff Warren and Trevor Heath  2005 / 2006


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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