NEW-BUILD NEWS
£45k needed for ‘Grange’ 2018 debut
Collett ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange is “on the home straight” with £45,000 needed to finish it next year. An appeal launched at Tyseley Locomotive Works’ open weekend in June gave the figure as £70,000 - only to be swiftly overtaken as the sight of the GWR 4-6-0, looking largely complete with the boiler of ‘Hall’ No. 5952 Cogan Hall and the tender of 2-8-0 No. 2885, inspired visitors to donate generously. A total of £25,000 was raised, including a single £20,000 cheque from a regular supporter. Of the remaining funds, £25,000 is required to complete the bottom half of the locomotive (with parts still available to sponsor) while £20,000 will bring the boiler appeal to its £225,000 target. Donations can be sent to: 6880 Boiler or Parts Appeals, 224 Staining Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY3 0DL or online at www.6880.co.uk Additional work is needed on the boiler from No. 7927 Willington Hall at Tyseley, with the front section of the taper barrel to be renewed; however, the extra cost remains within the £225,000 estimate, and it is hoped that it will still be ready to return to Llangollen next spring. The group is confident that Betton Grange will steam in late 2018, says Publicity Director Paul Appleton, although it is likely to make its public debut the following spring, running with a hired tender. An appeal for its own tender combining parts from two ex-Barry examples, and estimated at £95,000 - will be launched once the boiler fund is fully subscribed. More money will be needed for main line electronic equipment, but, says Mr Appleton: “This is something we will look at once the locomotive has spent a season running in at Llangollen and other preserved lines - there have been many requests already for galas!”