INDUSTRIAL ROUND-UP

Andrew Barclay ‘Austerity’ 0‑6‑0ST No. 15 ‘Earl David’: Undergoing overhaul at the Vale of Berkeley Railway, this former Wemyss Private Railway locomotive (Works No. 2183) could steam later this year.

Owner Andrew Goodman told Steam Railway: “Mike and Kevin Hoskin [of the Churchill 8F Locomotive Company] are working on the boiler and the South Devon Railway pressed a new firebox throatplate last year. The firebox required other repair work as well, so the opportunity has been taken to undertake this with the intention of securing a new ‘ten-year’ boiler ticket. The locomotive is steam heat-fitted and also has air brakes, so we are hoping to find it some work, possibly later this year. This, however, is very dependent on how the repair work proceeds.”

Bagnall 0‑4‑0ST Hawarden: Materials for additional work on the Foxfield Railway resident have arrived on site at Heritage Boilers. Work to assemble the outer firebox sides, backhead and throatplate is expected to take place in the coming weeks as part of the major work being carried out to the 1940-built locomotive.

Hudswell Clarke 0‑6‑0ST Renishaw Ironworks No. 6: The chassis of the 15in-cylindered locomotive has been moved into the main locomotive shed at the Tanfield Railway in preparation for the return of its boiler. The 1919-built locomotive last worked in 2012.

Hawthorn Leslie 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 3732, North Eastern Electric Supply Co. No. 13: The boiler of this ex-Dunston power station, Gateshead, locomotive left the Tanfield Railway on March 22. It has moved to Northern Steam Engineering in Stockton for work which will include repairs to the inner firebox lap seams. The privately owned locomotive has not steamed since it arrived at Marley Hill.

Hudswell Clarke 0‑6‑0ST Works No. 1208 Illingworth: The ex-Nidd Valley Light Railway locomotive is expected to return to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway after taking part in the Ribble Steam Railway’s Spring Steam Gala on April 27/28.

Hunslet 0‑6‑0ST Works No. 1873 ‘Jessie’: In its new black livery as East Moors Steelworks No. 18, ‘Jessie’ departed from the Barry Tourist Railway on April 2. Volunteers from its new home at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway have been working with the locomotive’s owner to repaint No. 18 into its historically appropriate condition before the move. Until recently, the 1937-built predecessor to the famous ‘Austerity’ design had been running as ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’.

Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0‑6‑0ST Works No. 3794 ‘Cumbria’: The Furness Railway Trust is repairing the regulator valve of the ex-War Department engine at its Ribble Steam Railway base. Once the work is completed it is expected to return to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on hire.

Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0‑6‑0ST No. 22 (Works No. 3844): Two steam locomotives will be available for the Appleby-Frodingham Railway Preservation Society’s railtours around Scunthorpe steelworks this season. The ‘Austerity’s’ boiler has been steam-tested and the engine is being reassembled to join Avonside 0-6-0ST Cranford (Works No. 1919) on the trips around the British Steel site. The boiler of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Works No. 2369 will then be lifted for its ‘ten-yearly’ overhaul.

Peckett 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 1935 Hornet: The saddle tank of this ex-Bersham Colliery locomotive is being repaired at the Ribble Steam Railway, the decision having been taken to retain the existing tank in order to preserve its Peckett character with riveted platework. Repairs to the frames of the 1937-built locomotive have also been completed; platework behind one of the cylinders was down to half the original thickness.

RSH 0‑6‑0T No. 40 (Works No. 7765): Repairs to the boiler of the Weardale Railway’s only resident steam locomotive are nearly complete at McEwen’s near Skipton, where the work has included a replacement firebox, smokebox tubeplate and barrel section. At the WR’s Wolsingham depot, the frames have been re-wheeled and the motion fitted. It is hoped that the locomotive could steam this summer.