New move to boost S15 progress

THE Urie Locomotive Society is on the verge of major progress with the restoration of the sole surviving Urie S15 No. 30499 at the Mid-hants Railway.

The railway and society have negotiated a deal whereby the boiler will be worked on by both paid staff and the Urie engineering team.

With a crane on site at Ropley, the locomotive’s boiler, No. 799, was lifted onto trolleys and moved into the boiler shop at Ropley, with a target date set for 2022 to return the locomotive to steam.

While this work goes on, the society will be progressing work on the locomotive frames, with the motion brackets due to be riveted back on as the next step in their reconstruction.