Overhauls, restorations and running notes

GWR & CONSTITUENTS

2857

The Severn Valley Railway‑based ‘28XX’ will bow out of traffic in style on January 2, ahead of the expiry of its boiler ticket. The Churchward 2‑8‑0 will haul two departures from Kidderminster on its final day in operation, with the trains exclusively comprised of GWR carriages. The latter service will include three Severn Valley Limited Dining Train coaches, tickets for which cost £60; £10 from each booking will go to the 2857 Society, towards No. 2857’s overhaul.

4110

The boiler of this ex‑Barry ‘Large Prairie’ has had a fire in its firebox for the first time since June 1965, lit at the East Somerset Railway in August. Undergoing contract overhaul at Cranmore, the restoration of the Collett 2‑6‑2T’s boiler is all but complete, having been hydraulically tested before a warming fire was ignited in its firebox. The boiler was brought up to full working pressure on August 21.

7802

The Erlestoke Manor Fund’s Bradley Manor is expected to return to steam on the Severn Valley Railway next year, to help mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the EMF. Its repairs have involved a complete cylinder block replacement following an incident in August 2019 when the ‘Manor’ suffered a broken piston rod while on the West Somerset Railway. Once No. 7802 is finished, the EMF plans to start on its recently acquired ‘Large Prairie’ No. 5164.

7812

Erlestoke Manor (below) is expected to be back in service on the Severn Valley Railway in time for the 2022 festive season, following its major ten‑year overhaul.

SR & CONSTITUENTS 563

The Swanage Railway Trust 563 Locomotive Group has decided on the variation of London and South Western Railway ‘Drummond Passenger Green’ livery its ‘T3’ will sport when its rebuild is complete. With nine possible variations to choose from – including three different splasher layouts, four different lettering designs and three styles of numbering – the group has called the choice “a bit of a minefield”. However, it has chosen to go with the locomotive in its 1960 Eastleigh restoration form, with brass beading for the splashers plus the addition of a crest. The SWT563LG has also suggested that there could well be the potential for other liveries during the engine’s first ten‑year ticket and has asked for the thoughts of members.

926

Maunsell ‘Schools’ 4‑4‑0 Repton returned to steam for the first time in nearly two years at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on August 25. The olive green locomotive last steamed in December 2020, when it was withdrawn for a replacement superheater and elements and major ‘bottom end’ work.

34053

Ahead of its overhaul commencing at Herston Works on the Swanage Railway, Southern Locomotives Ltd s ‘Battle of Britain’ Sir Keith Park spent some time amid good company at the Great Dorset Steam Fair at the end of August. The locomotive was en route to Herston from its base at the Spa Valley Railway after its boiler ticket expired during spring, and so diverted to attend the world‑renowned Tarrant Hinton five‑day event. There, it acted as a dead weight for hauling around ‘The Play Pen’ heavy haulage arena. This was the first staging of the fair for three years owing to the pandemic.

34081

Work is continuing at Wansford on making a new middle ashpan hopper, after corrosion holes were discovered in the existing one on the Nene Valley Railway’s ‘Battle of Britain’.

35028

‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 Clan Line is currently sidelined after cracks to its thermic syphons were discovered during routine inspections following July 9’s ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ railtour.

“It’s general wear and tear – the thermic syphons have been on the locomotive for 30 years,” MNLPS press officer James Cummins told Steam Railway, though he added lower quality coal “was a factor, but it wasn’t the primary factor in what caused the issues” with ash also starting to build up and block tubes.

As Steam Railway closed for press, the MNLPS could not provide an estimate for when Clan Line will return to the main line.

LMS & CONSTITUENTS 5551

All six replacement driving wheels have now been cast for new‑build Fowler ‘Patriot’ No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior.

The 6ft 9in wheels originally cast for The LMS‑Patriot Project’s new‑build 4‑6‑0 had to be scrapped after the discovery of widespread cracking last year. Although it had been hoped that the wheels could be repaired, it was later decided to scrap the wheels and cast fresh replacements (SR528).

Cast by William Cook Cast Products, three of the wheels are currently at the firm’s proof machining shop in Manchester; wheels four and five are undergoing dimensional inspection prior to proof machining while wheel number six is in the finishing shop for fettling.

Meanwhile, work continues at the ‘Patriot’s’ West Shed engineering base at the Midland Railway – Butterley. The new bufferbeam is being drilled,

ready for fitting when the middle cylinder returns from material testing and can be refitted between the frames.

44932

End‑of‑BR‑steam veteran ‘Black Five’ No. 44932 (above) made a surprise return to the main line on August 10, following overhaul.

The West Coast Railways Stanier 4‑6‑0 underwent an engine‑and‑coach test run between Carnforth‑Hellifield and return almost exactly 54 years to the day since it was withdrawn from Rose Grove shed in 1968, where it was one of the last standard gauge steam locomotives to remain in BR service. Last steamed in 2014, the 1945 Horwich‑built ‘5MT’ made its surprise comeback in somewhat grubby condition, wearing BR lined black but devoid of tender crest and minus paint on its smokebox barrel. The locomotive is to be trial‑fitted with European Train Control System equipment, to see whether the fitment can be rolled out across other main line steam locomotives.

LNER & CONSTITUENTS 1264

Thompson ‘B1’ No. 1264 arrived at the Nottingham Heritage Railway on August 30. Previously based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the 1947‑built 4‑6‑0 has moved to Ruddington for overhaul (see SR535), which will be carried out by its owner, the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust.

60103 Flying Scotsman will visit the Swanage Railway this autumn. The Gresley ‘A3’ will haul public services on the ‘Purbeck Line’ on October 22‑26, and will be on static display at Swanage station on October 20/21 and October 27‑November 6. The ex‑LNER 4‑6‑2 had been due to visit the Bluebell Railway in August but this was postponed to 2023 after the discovery of a broken piston ring delayed the completion of its overhaul (SR535). Flying Scotsman last visited Swanage in March 2019, when it was reunited with the former ‘Devon Belle’ Pullman observation car which travelled with it during the locomotive’s ill‑fated visit to the United States in 1969‑72. It’s also been announced that the centenary celebrations for the locomotive next year will feature Hornby Hobbies as lead sponsor. Hornby’s first scale model representation of Flying Scotsman was as long ago as 1927.

BR STANDARD 76077

The main body of the BR Standard ‘4MT’ 2‑6‑0’s cab was delivered to the Riddles ‘Mogul’s’ Locomotive Maintenance Services engineering base in Loughborough, where it was fitted to the frames ahead of the Toddington Standard Locomotive Ltd’s open day on September 3. Other recent work on the Standard 4 includes the refurbished cab pressure gauges and backing boards, cleaning parts of the motion and valve gear, while a new right‑hand trailing crank pin nut has been manufactured and fitted ready for the coupling rod bearings to be machined to size. Also, a sheet metalworker has been secured to form the complex parts of No. 76077’s boiler and firebox cladding, having previously done similar work on BR ‘2MT’ No. 78018.

80135

The overhaul of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Standard 4 tank (above) is due to resume, thanks to a generous legacy donation from a supporter. Clifford Luff specifically directed funds in his will for the overhaul of a steam locomotive, which will be combined with the remaining money the NYMR has from its Bridge and Wheels Appeal to bring No. 80135 back to the rails. It’s believed the 1956‑built locomotive last ran in 2009. Tenders have gone out to external contractors to manufacture the replacement inner firebox using materials already in NYMR stock, as well as a complete boiler overhaul. The locomotive’s frames and running gear will also be restored and finished off. “We are extremely grateful to Mr Clifford Luff for remembering the NYMR in his will,” said Chris Price, CEO of the NYMR. “While it is hard to predict exact timescales of the locomotive’s completion, this generous legacy has enabled us to bring 80135’s overhaul up the priority list.” No. 80135 will be completed ready to operate trains right through from NYMR to Whitby as a Network Rail‑ registered locomotive, and will operate alongside its immediate sister, No. 80136.

WAR DEPARTMENT 75091

The Great Central Railway‑based ex‑War Department ‘Austerity’ 0‑6‑0ST, currently running as scrapped ‘J94’ No. 68067 (below), transferred to the Llangollen Railway at the end of August, allowing it to resume steam services. With repairs to the LR’s resident locomotives encountering problems and taking longer than expected, the line was without a steam engine during the height of its summer season. “Although our diesel locomotives have done a superb job, steam traction is very much at the heart of what we do and is very popular with our visitors,” commented LR press officer Terry Pickthall. “We are grateful to the loco’s owners and wider team at the Great Central Railway who have made 68067’s visit possible.” The saddle tank will stay in north Wales until repairs are complete on the LR’s resident GWR ‘28XX’ locomotive No. 3802.