New supplier found for Patriot axle

A NEW supplier has been found to provide a replacement axle for new-build LMS Patriot No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior.

As reported in issue 280, one of the trailing driving wheel castings for the Fowler 5XP 4-6-0 will have to be scrapped because of cracking, and a new axle is also needed for the trailing driving wheelset, the original axle having been cut through after it proved impossible to press the wheels back off the ends.

An 18-month lead time had been anticipated for a new axle from a South African supplier, but a new supplier has now been found, and will speed up delivery.

The remaining driving wheels are also to be shotblasted and tested for cracks at Riley

& Son (E) Ltd. The locomotive itself is at the West Shed on the Midland Railway – Butterley, the headquarters of the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, the main contractor for its completion. Here, the left-hand expansion link has been refitted and the inside expansion link removed for assessment.

Heritage Boiler Steam Services of Liverpool, which is building the boiler, has finished fitting the lateral stays. The next job will be the completion of the cast slide bars on the sides of the firebox (which allow the boiler to move backwards in the frames as it expands), followed by the transverse stays.

Devon engineering contractor Leaky Finders is constructing the tender frames, and is about to start work on the brake shaft support brackets, handbrake linkage and support brackets.