Erlestoke Manor to go Cornish after overhaul
WR 4-6-0 Manor class No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor will be returning with a Cornish flavour from its current overhaul, being turned out in BR lined green with a Truro shedcode to represent its September 1959/1960 allocation to the West Country.
Recent work at Tyseley Locomotive Works has seen the boiler lagged and cladding fitted to both this and the firebox area, with painting progressing at a rapid pace. Cab pipework and a new steel floor has been fitted, with lining applied to the number and nameplates as well as the cab side.
The 3500 gallon tender No. T2334, which had been stored at the works since 2019, was also undergoing recommissioning, with a full examination carried out, light repairs undertaken, and a partial repaint where required. Fresh bitumen was applied to protect the surfaces of the coal space.
The Erlestoke Manor Fund also owns and is overhauling fellow class member No. 7802 Bradley Manor at Tyseley. The original cylinder block suffered damage after a piston rod failure in 2019, and this has now been removed from the frames. The boiler was being prepared for examination and non-destructive testing to ascertain any work required while it is out of the frames.
The leading bogie will undergo some refurbishment too.
Large prairie No. 5164, another member of the fleet, is taking steps towards its own overhaul starting. Although it won’t begin until after completion of No. 7802, the fund has been prudent in allocating budget to acquire some of the necessary components before material costs rise too steeply. Some of these orders have already materialised and been placed in storage, such as a pair of new springs for the radial truck.
An appeal is set to be launched for No. 5164 in the coming months; it is currently on display at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.