NORTHAMPTON & LAMPORT STARTS BOUGHTON BUILD
Volunteers at the Northampton & Lamport Railway have begun building the first 160ft section of the platform at the line’s new southern terminus at Boughton.
Work on completing the extension is progressing on a number of fronts after the railway was awarded a £60,160 grant from the EU’s LEADER Fund and Daventry Council in October (SR486); the railway has also installed a new ex-LMS bracket home signal – recovered from the West Midlands in the early 1990s – at the northern end of the station, and work to restore the sevenarch Bridge 11 is due to take place during June and July this year.
The NLR says: “In order to complete the project, the railway itself needs to contribute a further £18,000 and is appealing for donations to help achieve this.
“We are also strongly appealing for new volunteers for all departments, but especially anyone with bricklaying experience. If anyone can help, even just for one day, please do get in touch.”
The railway has raised £1,000 towards its £18k target.
Meanwhile, the NLR has secured the services of Peckett 0-4-0ST
Works No. 1159 Annie for the 2019 season, the line’s first working steam locomotive in almost a year. NLR General Manager Adam Giles says: “She will be with us until January next year; after that, we will discuss with the owner whether she will stay for longer.”
The NLR’s resident Peckett – out-of-ticket ‘R4’ 0-4-0ST Works No. 2104 – has moved into the railway’s new engine shed at Pitsford & Brampton as the structure nears completion, with the roof and walls all now clad. Mr Giles says: “Although currently stored out-of-ticket, she is now under cover for the first time in over 35 years.”
●● The third Peckett 0-4-0ST currently at Pitsford,
Works No. 2130 Dunlop No. 7, is still out of action, despite having arrived ahead of the 2018 season (SR477) to be the NLR’s main operational locomotive.
Mr Giles says: “It got as far as the running-in stage, but things never progressed much further. Unfortunately, some issues were identified that the railway wasn’t happy with, so it has been stopped until these are rectified. We’re working with the owners to find a way forward.”