Lost engine loses boiler – for now
HUNSLET 16in 0-6-0ST No. 1589 of 1928 Newstead took a significant step forward in its first major heritage era overhaul when the boiler was despatched for contract overhaul at Road Steam UK in Wiltshire on September 27.
Withdrawn at Woolley Colliery in 1970, Newstead was first preserved by an enthusiast in 1972, who had it returned to working order in 1980 at Suffolk Steam.
However, steamed only a handful of times after then on a short stretch of line at a previously unknown site, the locomotive vanished from the world assumed to have been scrapped, only to reappear during 2015 hidden in a shed on grounds adjacent to a Hertfordshire convent.
New owner
It was sold to enthusiast Alex Alder, who first took it to the Nene Valley Railway in April 2016 when an assessment for overhaul was undertaken, but the railway declined to host the work.
No. 1589 sought a new home and is now currently undergoing a thorough overhaul on the Spa Valley Railway in Kent, where it arrived on October 29, 2018.
Work commenced immediately, with the locomotive methodically stripped. On site at Tunbridge Wells West, work undertaken includes the fitting of vacuum brake and steam heat equipment, the detubed boiler needle-gunned and inspected, slide bars aligned, and all the motion cleaned and machined, while work offsite has seen the wheels turned at the South Devon Railway, and the axleboxes remetalled and machined at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
The boiler has previously been inspected and found to be in a sound condition, with required work set to be undertaken under contract, primarily the replacement of all the crown stays, along with some of the side stays and rivets. It is expected that the longitudinal stays will also require replacement. After this it will retubed and tested, with the intention that once returned to Tunbridge Wells it will be ready to return straight into the frames.
Also departing on the same lorry was the saddle tank, which went to Beever Ltd in Tunbridge Wells for internal gritblasting and painting to better preserve and prolong its life.
Team efforts
Alex said:“It is exciting to see the boiler off at last as we enter the next phase of the overhaul. The bottom end is almost ready for reassembly, which will be easier with clearer access to it now.
“Sending the boiler away will also mean we will enjoy seeing Newstead
pulling trains again much sooner, whether that’s here at home on the Spa Valley or on hire elsewhere.
“We have a small team of dedicated volunteers and a great team spirit, and are always looking to welcome new people who want to learn more about locomotive overhauls with hands-on experience.”
As Heritage Railway went to press, axlebox work was being completed with the intention of rewheeling the frames before set-up for the Spa Valley’s Polar Express season.
➜ Anyone interested in joining the Newstead overhaul team should contact Alex by telephoning 07710 750366 or emailing contact@ thelostengine.co.uk