‘HALL’ HELPS OUT AFTER ‘CRAB’ IS WITHDRAWN

‘ M odified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall is making a second consecutive visit to the East Lancashire Railway, whose ‘Crab’ No. 13065 has been withdrawn with a cracked tubeplate. The Hughes-Fowler 2-6-0, which is four years into its ‘ten-year’ boiler certificate, was stopped after the cracks were discovered around the flue tubes during a routine washout, the engine having last steamed on April 29. Its boiler has been lifted from the frames and sent to Riley & Son (E) Ltd of nearby Heywood, to be overhauled for a new ‘ten-year’ ticket, with a view to returning it to service in October or November in time for the ‘Santa Specials’. Its bottom half will also receive attention at Bury. Delivered to the ELR on April 22 from the Great Central Railway, Witherslack Hall is staying at least until August, although the hire period may be extended. The ELR can currently only call on the services of one other large engine, ‘West Country’ No. 34092 City of Wells. A second GWR locomotive was hired, with ‘Large Prairie’ No. 5199 arriving on May 10, but it was failed after its first test run six days later, owing to a problem with its pony truck that required attention back at its Llangollen Railway base. Another knock-on effect of the ‘Crab’s’ failure has been to delay the overhaul of ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No. 47324; its boiler was due to be sent to a contractor, but this will now be put back by some months.

EMMA SEDDON The boiler of ‘Crab’ No. 13065 being lifted from the frames at Bury Baron Street works on June 5.

HOWARD JOHNSTON Failed ‘Large Prairie’ No. 5199 sits inside Bury shed on May 30, prior to returning to its Llangollen Railway base.