NRMandGwil icon firm three-yeaor verhaul plan for Ta ff Vale No .28
FORMER TaffVaR le ail way' Ol' O-o-2TNo.28 isexpectedto return to steamin 2024thanksto a new three-yeaor verhaulagreement betweenthe NationalRailway Museumandthe GwiliVintage Carriage Group( Welsh Railways Trust).
Thebasisof the agreemenwt as laidout lastOctobera, llowingthe GwiliRailway-basegdroupto launcha newRugby-themed a pp eal(RM April) to raise the necessar£y 160,000 needed to overhautlhe locomotive.
Disrupted
Howevert,he finalisationof the agreemenwt asdisruptedbythe corona virus p and emicb,ut the recenteasingof restrictionshas enabledthe lastdetailsto be ironedout.
Theagreemenwt ill seethe 1897- built lo co overhauled on site at BronwyddAr ms by theGwi li Railway' esngi ne e ring team. Once the restoration has been completedt,he locowill be based at the heritage line, from where it will operate pass en ge sr er vic es. "I am pleasedto confirmthe overhaual greementhasnow been signed which will enable the overhautlo begin;'saidDavid M ur rayt,heGwi li Railway' s project manager.
Drawings
"SinceOctoberm, uch behind-the-scenewsork has already taken place, with the refurbishmenot f partsand equipmentto be usedin the overhaual nd 3DCADdrawings preparedfor componentsthat will needcasting. "The fundraising team is working awayin the backgroundon a number of innovative fundraising ideaswhichwe lookforwardto announcingin the coming months:'
No.28wasbuilt at theTVR's CardiffWorksin 1897andisthe last surviving Welsh-built standard-gaugelocomotive.
It hasbeenon staticdisplay underthe careof the GwiliVintage CarriageGs roupsince2014, having last steamed more than 30 yearsago.
For more information on the projectthe appealsvisit: www.taffvalerailway28.co.uk/ Fundraising/