Standard 76077: a 2-6-0 once more
VISITORS to the Toddington Standard Locomotive Ltd shareholders’open day on September 3 were delighted to find that not only that the cab of ex-Barry scrapyard BR Standard 4MT No. 76077 was in place, but also that it had become a 2-6-0 once more.
The one-time resident of Sutton Oak at St Helens (8G), and which in May 1987 became the 186th locomotive to be bought from
Dai Woodham’s scrapyard for preservation purposes, has regained its correct wheel arrangement following fitting of the freshlyoverhauled coupling rods, complete with their new bearings.
The cab was temporarily fitted, but the legend ‘76077’ on the cabside made the engine look all the more complete.
Work in bringing the locomotive back to life has been progressing rapidly at the Locomotive Maintenance Services (LMS) works in Loughborough. A combination of professional engineering skills and regular volunteer input is working well. Volunteer working parties are regularly organised at both Loughborough and Toddington, the locomotive’s eventual base on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
TSLL’s marketing director, Ian Crowder, said: “Our second open day was a huge success, attracting both existing and potential shareholders.
“I think everyone was extremely excited by the way the locomotive is coming together so quickly.
“Despite delays thanks to Covid-19, we are still on track to see the locomotive in steam for its 70th birthday in 2026, provided, of course, that the funding is available. I believe that this rapid timescale, compared with other restorations, is a key reason why investment has proved to be so popular.”
Ian said that while celebrating the joint milestones of fitting the coupling rods from scrapped sister No. 76080 and the trial-fitting of the cab, there clearly remains a huge amount to achieve.
“The next step at LMS is to machine the bores of the valves and cylinders, then fit the slide bars and install the pistons, piston valves and assemble the valve gear,” he said.
Fundraising push
“Meanwhile, we are planning to bring the boiler, which is at Toddington, into the David Page Shed there and trial-fit the crinolines and cladding, which is being manufactured off-site.”
The company is planning a major push in 2023 to raise the necessary £150,000 for the boiler overhaul.
“Following inspection last year, we know what needs to be done,” said Ian.
“Fortunately, and despite it being one of the first boilers manufactured for the class back in 1951, it is in very good condition. No. 76077 received this boiler during its one and only general overhaul at Eastleigh in 1964, and the locomotive did less than four years’ work before it was withdrawn in 1967.”
TSLL has recently issued its third parts list in its highly successful component sponsorship scheme. This document describes and illustrates further components that need to be made or refurbished.
It includes items such as cylinder relief valves (£250 each), brake hangers (£425 each), radius rod die blocks (£250 each), valve spindle crosshead guide blocks (£450 a pair), components for the cab such as the floor, tool boxes, seats, preppipe, and coal sprinkler valve, and numerous other items.
“Many of these components have already been sponsored and several more commitments were made during the open day,” said Ian. “For example, one of the more expensive items was the reverser gearbox, costing £10,500. For such items we divide the cost into more manageable ‘lots’. The reverser gearbox was divided into 75 units of £140 and is now fully funded.”
In the longer term, a tender will be built, which could be either a BR2A as originally fitted or the larger BR1B that many of the SR-allocated members of the class featured. If the latter was built, then No. 76077 would be the only surviving member of the class to be so equipped.
However, in the shorter term, it is planned to hire a suitable tender when the locomotive itself is completed. The opinion of shareholders is being sought as, ultimately, it is their engine.
Rapid progress
No. 76077 is one of 115 Standard Class 4 2-6-0s built between 1952 and 1957. It was completed at Horwich in December 1956 and allocated from new to Sutton Oak, where it remained until the shed closed in June 1967. The locomotive – along with sisters Nos. 76079/80/84 – was transferred to Wigan Springs Branch and withdrawn that December.
In 1968 the four were purchased by Dai Woodham and, in the company of other locomotives, made their last journey to Barry. While there, No. 76080 was broken up and
No. 76077 suffered the loss of many components, including the tender, running boards, smokebox door, and chimney, as well as most of its valve gear and coupling rods.
It was the last of the class to leave for preservation in 1987, having been purchased by Chris Hinton for restoration at Toddington on the formative G/WR.
The locomotive was quickly dismantled and some useful restoration work undertaken, but work ceased due to other priorities and the components were loaded
onto wagons and stored at the end of Toddington’s North headshunt, where they remained for 30 years. A large collection of smaller components was stored off-site.
Following a visit to the G/WR of sister No. 76017 (which has
No. 76077’s original tender) in 2017, the G/WR’s locomotive department recognised how useful such a locomotive would be on the 14-mile heritage line.
Led by Chris Irving, who would become chairman, and Andrew Meredith, who was to become engineering director (and an employee of LMS), four members of the department approached Chris Hinton to discuss formation of a company to take on the restoration.
The result was the creation of TSLL, and transfer of ownership of the locomotive took place in October 2018, with Chris Hinton becoming a founding director of the company.
Following retrieval of components, shot-blasting them, and applying protective paint, the frames were moved to LMS in 2019 and work started in earnest the following year, as highlighted in Heritage Railway issue 275.
‘Delivering our promise’
“How much has been achieved in such a short space of time is astonishing,”said Ian.“We are delivering on our promise to those early shareholders who have put their faith in us to get on with the job of bringing No. 76077 out of its long-term slumber and on the road to steaming once again. The progress has also attracted others to invest their money in the project, in the certainty that they will see the fruits of their investment before too long.”
Returning a locomotive that is essentially in scrapyard condition to steam in just six years is a tall order; many voluntary restorations have taken up to 30 years or more.
“I wasn’t the only person excited by the visible achievements on show,” said Ian. “There was a palpable air of anticipation as shareholders and friends gathered to talk about the progress over a cup of coffee. This project is really making itself felt in the preservation scene.”
➜ To find out more about how get involved, either practically or as a shareholder or to sponsor a component, visit www. standard76077.com