THE ROSTER
LOCOMOTIVES IN FOCUS
Corris Railway No. 3: Undergoing a contract overhaul by the Vale of Rheidol Railway at Aberystwyth, the Talyllyn Railway’s Hughes 0‑4‑2ST (‘Sir Haydn’) is having part of its outer firebox wrapper replaced. 3850: The driving and pony wheelsets for Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd’s ‘2884’ 2‑8‑0 were sent to the South Devon Railway on April 20 for tyre turning. 4936: Kinlet Hall will return to the West Somerset Railway on long‑term hire when its current overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works is complete, confirms owner Jonathan Jones‑Pratt. 6024: King Edward I’s driving wheels have had their tyres turned at Tyseley Locomotive Works. 6686: The Barry Tourist Railway has purchased the original connecting rods for the ‘56XX’ 0‑6‑2T from Didcot Railway Centre’s stock of GWR spares. The coupling rods and some motion parts have also been collected for the ‘Barry Ten’ locomotive, which also retains its pistons, slidebars and, remarkably, the crosshead‑ driven vacuum pump, between the frames. 6695: Agreement has been reached with the owners of this ‘56XX’ 0‑6‑2T, the 6695 Locomotive Group, for the engine to stay on the West Somerset Railway for a 25‑year period upon completion of its current overhaul at Williton. As detailed in SR464’s ‘Roster’, its bottom end is nearing completion and it is expected to steam in 2018/19. 7027: Thornbury Castle’s bogie has been sent to Williton works on the West Somerset Railway, where it will be restored under the supervision of Ryan Pope, owner of Andrew Barclay 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 1219 and Hudswell Clarke 0‑6‑0T Works No. 1857. 7715 (L99): A start has been made on the overhaul of the ex‑London Transport ‘57XX’ 0‑6‑0PT at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Last steamed at the North Norfolk Railway in 2011, it has been dismantled for the frames and boiler to be inspected ‑ but the latter is expected to need major work, estimated at £100,000. Some funds are in the kitty, but the project will take at least two years. 7822: Foxcote Manor arrived at the Kent & East Sussex Railway on April 29 for a month‑long visit. The largest steam locomotive (and the first 4‑6‑0) ever seen on the former Colonel Stephens light railway, it is due to be in steam for the 1940s Weekend on May 20/21, and on May 27‑29. On May 29, ‘16XX’ 0‑6‑ 0PT No. 1638 and a Class 14 diesel will be rostered alongside the ‘Manor’ for a ‘Made in Swindon’‑ themed day. No. 7822 is the first visiting locomotive to be sponsored by the KESR’s ‘Guest Engine Club’ (SR449). 35005: Lubrication and sanding pipework is being reassembled on the frames of Canadian Pacific at Eastleigh, and the electric lighting system overhauled, while the valve liners have been rebored by Bryn Engineering. The slidebars have also been re‑ground by an external contractor, and new pins and bushes made for the brake rigging and hangers. However, before the rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ can be re‑wheeled, machining of the axlebox crowns is being delayed by a lack of experienced volunteers at the Mid‑Hants Railway’s Ropley works; offers of assistance can be made to Trevor Page via canpac@ watercressline.co.uk Reassembly of No. 35005’s firebox should commence at Ropley soon, with the replacement side plates delivered and the new backhead made by the South Devon Railway. Donations can be made via http://canpac. watercressline.co.uk/donate 35011: The flawed plain driving axle from No. 34046 Braunton was dispatched to the South Devon Railway for conversion to a crank axle on April 28. Read more about General Steam Navigation in the next edition of Steam Railway (SR468, on sale June 16). 41241: With the tanks refitted to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2‑6‑2T, injector pipework is now being reassembled. 42968: Lubrication pipework is being refitted to the Stanier ‘Mogul’, and a new drawbar pin has been made as part of the rebuilding of the rear dragbox. 44806: The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has asked its insurance inspector if the boiler certificate of its ‘Black Five’ can be extended to October 31 ‑ although Head of Traction & Rolling Stock Eddie Knorn cautions: “Please note that if any defects occur during this period of grace, it could be ‘game over’
there and then.” However, the 1968 Lostock Hall survivor is expected to receive a swift overhaul. 45231: The ‘Black Five’ is to have patch repairs to the firebox wrapper in the area of the throatplate. Now at Crewe in the stable of Jeremy Hosking, the Stanier 4‑6‑0 was formerly owned by Bert Hitchen (SR466). 46512 : The wheelsets of the Strathspey Railway’s Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2‑6‑0 have been removed and sent for tyre turning. 47493: New axlebox crowns have been made for the Spa Valley Railway‑based LMS ‘Jinty’ 0‑6‑0T. 70 0 0 0 : Britannia is to have its tender axlebox bearings replaced. The Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust’s BR ‘7MT’ has already been sidelined for replacement of axles after problems in 2015 (SR463). 75029: Some initial stripping work has been undertaken on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s ‘4MT’ 4‑6‑0, to facilitate the removal of the boiler when the time comes. It will be a high priority once the current crop of overhauls is completed. 78 019 : A new three‑quarter firebox doorplate has been welded into place on the BR ‘2MT’ 2‑6‑0’s boiler at Tyseley, with a new smokebox tubeplate and replacement bottom sections for the outer firebox wrapper to follow. At its Great Central Railway base, the cylinder and valve liners have been rebored by Bryn Engineering. The locomotive’s tender is running behind the Darlington Railway Preservation Society’s No. 78018, while the latter’s tender has been brought into Loughborough works for completion. 80105: The piston valves have been refitted to the Bo’ness‑based ‘4MT’ 2‑6‑4T, and the boiler is ready for non‑destructive testing. However, inspection of the wheelsets at Riley & Son (E) Ltd has revealed that one will need a new tyre. 80135: New parts are being gathered for the firebox of the NYMR’s ‘4MT’ 2‑6‑4T, although ‘West Country’ Hartland is being given priority in the overhaul queue.
ON THE WAY BACK…
1340: Tipped for a return to steam at Didcot towards the end of May, the Great Western Society’s Alexandra Docks & Railway Company 0‑4‑0ST was found to require relatively little extra attention, having received a “virtually new” boiler when first restored in 2002. Only welding repairs and re‑riveting of the firehole aperture, and some replacement copper firebox stays, were needed in addition to the work originally anticipated. 4953: With the bottom end of Pitchford Hall reassembled and moved to Locomotive Maintenance Services’ new Loughborough workshop, work on the boiler is currently focused on the firebox backhead, to be followed by the front tubeplate. At the locomotive’s Epping Ongar Railway base, the tender vacuum brake cylinder has been refurbished and refitted.
6989: Wightwick Hall emerged from its restoration shed for display at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre’s steam gala on April 29-May 1. As the picture above illustrates, the front firebox corners are the only remaining sections of boiler cladding left to fit, and an in-frames steam test is anticipated within weeks. The ‘Modified Hall’ is expected to return to steam later this year for the first time since 1964, initially paired with the tender from No. 6984 Owsden Hall, and carrying BR green livery - although which crest is still to be decided. 30926 (926): Most of the boiler tubes have been fitted to Repton at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, with delivery of the firebox stays awaited from an external contractor. Also outstanding is approval of its newly installed GSM-R radio. 31065 (65): With the bottom end of the SECR ‘O1’ complete at the Bluebell Railway, the boiler was to be returned to the frames during the second week of May, following the refitting of the regulator rod. The boiler can then be clad and final painting completed. 30825: Work on the boiler of the ‘S15’ 4-6-0 is nearing completion at the Essex Locomotive Society’s Scarborough site, and is expected back at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway by the end of the summer. By this time, it is planned that the frames will be ready to receive it, having been overhauled jointly by the ELS and NYMR. 34072: With final detail work and painting in progress, Southern Locomotives Ltd’s air-smoothed ‘Battle of Britain’ 257 Squadron is on course to steam at the Swanage Railway at the end of May. 34101: The final new parts for Hartland’s boiler are being pressed at the South Devon Railway. 35018: No date has yet been announced for the first public run of the Carnforth ‘Merchant Navy’, which has yet to be formally registered. 35028: See Down Main, page 76. 41313: An official launch date of June 24 has been confirmed for the ex-Barry Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T at the East Somerset Railway, its first steaming since withdrawal in 1965. Since the boiler was returned to the frames in April (SR466) cab fittings have been installed and the superheater header, ejector and main steam pipes fitted. The air pump, necessary for working at its future Isle of Wight Steam Railway home, is also in place along with its pipework. 45428: Work continues to realign the frames and overhaul the axleboxes of the NYMR’s ‘Black Five’. Boiler work has currently paused to concentrate on ‘Schools’ Repton, although some copper welding work has been carried out recently. 48305: Bottle ends for the ‘8F’ 2-8-0’s superheater flues are being machined at the Great Central Railway, while the small tubes are
being fitted to the boiler. The horn guides are being measured in preparation for re-wheeling. 80097: It is hoped that the boiler of the Bury Standard 4 Group’s 2-6-4T will receive a hydraulic test at Adam Dalgleish Engineering during May, with the flue tubes and washout plugs being fitted. On the locomotive, the injectors have been machined and are ready for fitting. 80151: New pads for the washout plugs and blowdown valve have been riveted onto the new firebox throatplate of the Bluebell-based ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T, and preparations are being made to weld in the replacement inner and outer firebox plates. Machining of the axleboxes is under way, with re-wheeling of the frames anticipated in the near future. 90775: The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society’s WD 2-10-0 was steamed at its full working boiler pressure of 225lbs/sq in on May 5, and moved under its own steam on May 8. Following an official boiler insurance inspection, it was due to begin running-in trials on May 16; if all goes well, it could make its debut at the North Norfolk Railway’s ‘Dad’s Army Live!’ weekend on May 29. The former Greek State Railways engine last ran in 2009.