November debut for ‘complete’ Hawksworth ‘County’
NEW-BUILD HAWKSWORTH ‘County’ No. 1014 County of Glamorgan will be displayed as a ‘complete’ locomotive for the first time in November.
It comes as the largely complete boiler – made using the modified firebox from now-scrapped Doncaster-built ‘8F’
No. 48518, mated to a new boiler barrel – was despatched from Heritage Boiler Steam Services of Huyton near Liverpool on July 6, ahead of its planned trial fitting to the locomotive’s frames at Didcot Railway Centre.
“We hope to be able to display the locomotive with the boiler to members and a wider audience in November. This will be locomotive with boiler, safety valves, chimney, cab, number and nameplates and the new tender attached,” said ‘County’ project spokesman David Bradshaw.
Mr Bradshaw added: “The safety valve base has been permanently riveted in and the safety valve is at Didcot and will be installed there. The smokebox ring has been bolted on and the smokebox, which is at Didcot, will be fixed to the barrel next. Once the boiler is installed, the guys from HBSS will come down and line everything up.
“We still have to order backhead fittings, steampipes and superheater header. Outside motion may be assembled with the inside to follow.”
After trial fitting at Didcot, the boiler will return to HBSS to have its grate, tubeplate, tubes and superheater header fitted, followed by a hydraulic test.
County of Glamorgan still needs an estimated £100,000 before it is fully complete, though Mr Bradshaw warned this may rise owing to “inflationary pressures”. To donate, visit www.county1014.org/ways-to-help