6023 King Edward II Project

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There are hundreds of oiling points on a King, and many need a constant small feed of lubrication. This is achieved on oscillating parts by small lubrication boxes with worsted trimmings. Fixed bearing surfaces are generally fed through a web of narrow copper tubes from a central lubricator. The Kings were all fitted with sight feed lubricator in the cab, which needed adjustment whilst running to ensure the correct rate of feed. From late 1949 all the class received mechanical lubricators on the right hand running plate, just rear of the steam pipe. This was found to hinder access to the inside cylinder motion, so all the lubricators were repositioned later ahead of the steam pipe. 6023 will have the lubricator in this original position.

A mechanical lubricator takes a small cranked drive off the motion gear, and feeds oil through dozens of pipes to where it is needed (and can be delivered to by pipe). Appropriately, the higher the engine speed, the higher the rate of pumping. The system is one of 'total loss' - the oil cannot be recovered in a sump as it is on a car - the oil eventually escapes from the engine and falls to blacken the track bed.

General view of lubricator location.	Lubricator without any piping.	View from between the frames with the boiler off.	Part of the new feed system.	One of the feed manifolds on the running plate.
View of oil pipe feeds to front right valve cylinder.	Wider view of the same.	Lubricator connected up.	Pipes go through the running plate from the left manifold	Note the numbering to ensure the right pipes are connected.
View from above.