# Removal of Lady Anne Smoke-Box



## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

I need to remove the smoke-box from my Lady Anne. Most of them have the three screw system: one in front and one on each side. Mine has the one in front but the second screw is located under the smoke-box. I don't see anyway to get to that screw. I checked the Roundhouse web site. In the section of "HBK5 Lady Anne Boiler Kit", it says the boiler is held at the front by plugging into the rear of the smoke-box, which is first screwed firmly to the chassis. I have a feeling that the two system screw required a re-design to the three screw system so the smoke-box could be taken off without removing the boiler. I goofed. I emailed Roundhouse and mentioned the Summerlands Chuffer. RH told me to contact Summerlands. I havedn't received an answer from them yet; hopefully they or MLS members will know how to remove the smoke-box without removing the boiler (which I am not going to do at this time).


----------



## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill,
There is a notice on the Summerlands website asking their customers not to contact Roundhouse. Summerlands has smokebox removal instructions on their site at:
http://www.summerlands-chuffer.co.uk/#/roundhouse-smoke-box-notes/4535285490
Their site says the Lady Anne, all versions is a simple removal process.


----------



## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

Carl, 

They (including the Summerlands website) all say "remove the three screws holding the smoke-box to the chassis. I went to the RH website and downloaded the handbook. Nothing there. I then downloaded the "HBK5 LADY ANNE BOILER KIT" instructions. On the bottom of page 4, it says to fit the boiler into the smoke-box which should be screwed firmly to the chassis. 

My problem is that the smoke-box has only two screws. One is under the smoke-box. The only way I can see to get at it is to remove the boiler, which I'm not going to do. I think the early LADY ANNE designers realized the difficulty and re-designed it, removing the "under the boiler" screw and replacing it with the two beside the smoke-box screws.


----------



## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I have no experience with a Lady Ann, only a Billy and a SR24. 

Here are my thoughts. Have you removed the single screw on the top to see if only one screw holds the smoke box in place?
OR
If you have a smoke box door that opens after you unscrew the center latch, try this:


1. Open the smoke-box to see the exhaust pipe which runs from the brass reversing block between the cylinders, up into the chimney. This pipe is screwed into a 3mm threaded hole in the block.


2. Using a pair of needle nosed pliers, unscrew the pipe gently. Do not bend or force it. I should be well oiled and come out easily.


3. Push the freed pipe up and remove it out the chimney. If you look cown the smoke stack, you shouldl see the threaded hole the pipe came from.


4. Put a piece of tubing over the upper end and feed the chuffer down the chimney and screw it into the 3mm threaded hole in the reverser block. It does not have to be super tight.
5. Check that the Chuffer's slot is clear of the chimney wall so that the exit hole is not blocked. You can put a very slight bend in the copper pipe if necessary.

OR
By the way, isn't this one of the three smokebox screws? All three are on top. This is the way it is on my Billy. This is a picture of a Lady Anne.


----------



## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

Carl, 

when the front screw is removed, the smoke-box plate can be ziggled (?) and one observes the plate being moved around the rear screw. 

the smoke-box door does not open 

My Billy has the 3 screws to hold down the smoke-box, which makes it easy to remove the smoke-box; Lady Anne has only the 2 screws holding the smoke-box plate to the chassis. 

So, I'll await an answer from either/or Summerland/Roundhouse. 

Think I'll have another glass of red wine to think about the subject...


----------



## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Ahhh,
Good idea. Pour wine on the smoke box and see if it falls off.
I'm sorry you're having a hard time with this. Are you sure the smoke box does not open like the Billy. That wing nut in the center of the door is actualy a bolt that holds the door to a threaded bar. I thought my Billy door didn't open until I uscrewed the thingy.
Oh well, Summerlands will have the answer.


----------



## TonyW (Jul 5, 2009)

I have two Lady Annes and can confirm that the smokebox door does NOT open. The smokebox is a brass casting, as is the door, and the door is silver-soldered into the smokebox. It can only be removed by use of a BIG gas torch!

All the two screws do is hold down the steel plate on to which the smokebox itself is fixed. The solution is to detach the smokebox from the plate and remove it separately, leaving the plate in place. If you look underneath you may see two pop-rivet heads, and it is these that hold the smokebox on to the plate.

Bill, can I ask why you don't wish to remove the boiler? It really is not a big deal!

Shamless plug: If you are in the UK I could fit the chuff pipe for you, and change the smokebox fixing arrangements so that it can be removed with ease! www.rhoshelyg.me.uk


----------



## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

here's the answer from Roundhouse.... 


"The earlier models only had two screws attaching the smokebox. It passes over the superheater and was one of the first items attached to the chassis during construction. To remove it, you will need to remove all the superstructure and boiler." 


so, it looks like a project for some cold snowy winter day.....


----------



## TonyW (Jul 5, 2009)

At the risk of repeating myself...

The solution is to detach the smokebox from the plate and remove it separately, leaving the plate in place. Probably a 30 minute job...


----------



## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill,
Egadzooks....
Well, I tried to help, but I sure didn't know what I was talking about. Looks like installing the chuffer iwll be a day job. Good luck with it.


----------



## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Tony W,

The Shawe/Roundhouse Jack on your website gallery looks suspiciously like this one...


----------



## Chris B (Oct 18, 2009)

Bill - I am new to this group but have been following a couple of these threads over the past week or so. Why? Well lets just say that the name of my house is "Summerlands"! Your experience has been very helpful as I had no idea that there was a "difficult" batch of of Lady Anne's, and further research suggests these were made between 1988 and 1991. I have amended the website. 
Tony is right - the simplest solution is to drill out those two rivets holding the smoke-box to the footplate. Once the rivet head is drilled out, the smoke-box will come off and you can tap the rivets out with a punch (or a nail). I did this on my Rh L&B last week, not because I needed to get at the smokebox, but because they were loose and the whole loco flexed when picked up by the buffer beams. I just tapped the holes and replaced the rivets with set screws. 
The alternative, of removing the boiler, is also straightforward - and in my experience, everything comes apart nicely. Please remember that you may need to lengthen the connecting pipe (or get us to do it FOC). 
The great thing about your Lady Anne, is that the smoke-box will be very resonant - probably like the Fowler on the site, which is the same vintage. 
Good Luck 
Chris


----------

