Lyd is back in traffic and all set for Ffestiniog's ‘Back to Blaenau' trains

REPLICA Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 2-6-2T Lyd is back in traffic on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways after a fast-track overhaul.

It was taken out of traffic in May 2020 but the overhaul did not start until late October due to Covid-19. The Boston Lodge staff then divided into two teams, one working on the boiler and the other on the chassis.

While in service, Lyd's superheater performance significantly worsened so that mild steel tubes replaced the stainless steel ones, which, being very hard, were prone to cracking. The remaining boiler work was straightforward; it had only 10 years of service and needed retubing only.

Chassis work included removing the cylinders, whose port faces were reconditioned due to problems caused by lubrication failures.

The rear pony truck was modified to allow the installation of a side discharging ashpan in place of the originally fitted end discharging pan. On the L&B, ash was discharged directly into an ash pit, but the

F&WHR does not have such pits, and the ash is discharged into a wheelbarrow.

The brake gear was accordingly modified to run down the centre of the chassis as far as the rear pony truck in order to give clearance to the new ashpan.

A new locomotive brake control has been fitted to allow the vacuum brake to be operated while the rest of the train has full vacuum. This removes the need to wind on the handbrake at every station stop.

Lyd was tested in May and completed a successful shakedown process. The only outstanding work is paintwork repairs and revarnishing. It will retain Southern Railway livery for the foreseeable future.

F&WHR general manager Paul Lewin said: “I am particularly pleased with the staff completing the overhaul so quickly, considering it involved the removal and reinstallation of the boiler and cylinders.”