How to make Backhead Hand Hole Liners

The Bytown Railway Society had entered into an Agreement with the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa to restore the cab of Royal Hudson 2858 currently on display in the locomotive hall at CSTM.

The first stage involves the restoration/repair/replacement of the sheet metal jacket which originally covered the asbestos insulation on the backhead of the boiler. The asbestos was removed many years ago and all of the backhead fittings were placed in storage.

Much of the original sheets are unusable due to rusted areas, some are entirely missing. Several of the sheets had hand holes for accessing the washout plugs. These holes had tapered liners 1-1/2 inches deep and six inches in diameter, with a 3/8 inch flange.  

This document presents instructions with photographs on how these hand holes were fabricated by Ross Robinson, BRS DHC Volunteer