‘Wrong size’ tyres push Caley No. 828’s return back to 2017
The Strathspey Railway’s hopes of getting ‘Caley 828’ back into traffic for its Christmas and Hogmanay trains have been scuppered by the delivery of replacement tender tyres of the wrong size. The steel tyres, manufactured in Germany and initially promised for delivery in 20 weeks, took nine months to arrive at the Speyside line’s Aviemore workshops - and then SR engineering staff discovered that they were too big for the McIntosh ‘812’ class 0-6-0. No. 828, the railway’s much-loved mascot, has been out of traffic since July 2013, following the discovery of a fractured horn casting on the left side of the centre driving wheels. When the wheels were dropped out of the frames, previously unseen frame cracks were also found. Strathspey chief engineer Colin Vaughan took the opportunity to put No. 828 through a full ‘intermediate’ repair, and had hoped to see the locomotive up and running this summer, but he now concedes: “We’re not going to see ‘828’ running this year. It’s a big disappointment - but we’ve got through the season OK with the Ivatt ‘Mogul’ (No. 46512), so that’s a positive.” No. 46512 will now handle the SR’s Yuletide season services to Broomhill, but will be lifted in early January to allow its driving and pony wheels to be sent to Northern Ireland, where they will be reprofiled on the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland wheel lathe at Whitehead. The locomotive has to be back in one piece to meet private charter obligations in early March. There was more disappointing news for the Strathspey Railway in October, when it was confirmed that regular standby Brush Type 2 diesel No. D5862 has been sold by its private owner, and will be moving south to a new home during November. During the 2005 season, when the railway had no steam locomotive, it saved the day by hauling all the line’s passenger services. The departure of the erstwhile No. 31327 leaves the railway without any backup for Ivatt No. 46512. Says Colin Vaughan: “We urgently need to find another diesel of similar capacity, or we’ll be leaving ourselves very exposed.”