NORTH BAY WINS CONTRACT TO BUILD BOILER FOR BURE VALLEY RAILWAY
North Bay Railway Engineering Services in Darlington has been awarded a contract by the Bure Valley Railway to build a new ‘ZB’ class boiler.
The 15in gauge Norfolk line has been considering building new boilers for its fleet – all of which carry nominally the same design of boiler – to eliminate known design flaws and reduce time an engine is out of traffic for overhaul (SR503). Seven firms were approached by the BVR for the new boiler; now the contract has been awarded to NBRES, design work is already under way, and “is scheduled for delivery in late July, but we have a flexibility into August,” said BVR managing director Andrew Barnes.
Although just one boiler has been ordered so far, Mr Barnes added: “I would certainly not rule out us ordering another in quite short order after the first is delivered and we have had a chance to confirm we are happy with it.” Mr Barnes also added that the new boiler could be fitted to Leek & Manifold Light Railway-outline 2-6-4T No. 9 Mark Timothy when it is withdrawn for overhaul in January 2021, giving the BVR time to rectify wear on the locomotive’s current boiler.
NBRES has built boilers for the Southwold Railway Trust’s replica 2-4-0T Blyth and the replica Ffestiniog Railway ‘Small England’ 0-4-0TT Mountaineer in recent years.
●● The BVR is planning to build a new diesel locomotive “capable of recovering a full 12-coach train and a failed steam locomotive,” Mr Barnes told Steam Railway.
He added: “We are currently working with the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch and Ravenglass & Eskdale railways to explore a mutually acceptable design for either an electric or diesel hybrid locomotive that would meet our requirements.”
The new locomotive is expected to be completed “within the next five years.”