Furness No. 20 returns to steam after overhaul
FURNESS Railway 0-4-0 No. 20 has returned to steam following its 10-yearly overhaul, becoming Britain's oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive once again.
The 1863-built Sharp Stewart engine, owned by the Furness Railway Trust, passed its formal steam test at the Ribble Steam Railway on October 7. Its first fire had been lit for an initial test on September 25, the first day of the line's steam gala, during which its boiler was gradually warmed through, its injectors tested, and its safety valves adjusted.
The locomotive last steamed when its previous 10-year boiler certificate expired in 2018, since when the FRT has been carrying out its overhaul at the RSR's Preston Docks headquarters. The trust would have completed the work last year had it not been for the coronavirus lockdowns; the boiler had been ready to undergo its hydraulic test in March 2020 when the pandemic first hit.
Most of the overhaul has focused on the boiler, thanks to regular maintenance and light duties for the engine, which ensured that it remained in good mechanical order. However, one task on the bottom end was the fitting of a new set of springs, with the intention of softening its ride. The previous springs dated from its conversion to an 0-4-0ST at Barrow steelworks in 1870 and were thus designed for a heavier weight.
Neil Smith, the trust's secretary and publicity officer, said: “So far, other than being dragged round to be filled with water and coal, it has only run the few yards from inside our shed to be steamed up twice and back inside again, so we haven't yet done some mileage to know for sure what improvement that will bring.”
The FRT converted No. 20 back to its original tender engine condition in a project that was completed in 1999, since when the locomotive has run for two 10-year tickets. More recently, the trust has acquired its surviving sister engine, No. 25, which is to be restored in its saddle tank form. Conservation work on this engine and an assessment of its condition is currently ongoing.
The acquisition of No. 25 means that the group owns all three surviving locomotives from Barrow steelworks, the third being 1937-built Fowler 0-4-0 diesel shunter Fluff. The latter is under restoration, with its cab substantially complete and work advancing on new metalwork for the bonnet.
Neil said of Fluff: “We are still having discussions about the best way forward for replacing the engine as the original is beyond economic repair. There are various options for finding a similar sized and powered unit, but these then come with other considerations about whether to incorporate a new transmission system or not – we are speaking to some owners of similar locos who have already wrestled with these issues.”
Other current FRT projects include the overhaul of GER royal saloon No. 5; the overhaul of Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 1925 of 1937 Caliban, whose frames have just been rewheeled; and the restoration of ex-Barry GWR 4-6-0 No. 4979 Wootton Hall, whose tender vacuum brake cylinder has been restored.