Overhauls, restorations and running notes
GWR & CONSTITUENTS
After the completion of its three-year overhaul by its Cotswold Steam Preservation Limited owners, the Churchward ‘28XX’ (right) made its first substantial trial light engine trips on October 17, undertaking four runs between Toddington and Winchcombe on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. These being successful, it returned to revenue-earning service at the GWSR’s Autumn Showcase event at the end of October, substituting for Foremarke Hall. The 1905-built 2-8-0 is now the oldest GWR-built locomotive in working order.
Recent work on the ‘Large Prairie’, currently being restored at the Severn Valley Railway, has involved the painstaking task of fitting hundreds of small rivets to the side tanks. Pressure-testing has also been carried out on the superheater header, along with work on the copper steam pipes and the preparation of the regulator box for testing.
Having taken on charity status earlier this year, the 4566 Preservation Group, aiming to overhaul its ‘45XX’, has entered into a collaboration with Kidderminster company AG Recycling whereby proceeds from scrap metal dropped off at the firm’s premises can be directly paid to the group. In addition, bins to collect cans have been set up at Kidderminster Town on the Severn Valley Railway, the line where 4566 is currently based. These will also provide fundraising contributions for the rebuild of the ‘Small Prairie’. The group aims to raise £500,000, with a website through which donations can be made at www.4566.org.uk
This year’s Warley Model Railway Club Show, one of the main events of the UK model railway calendar, will feature the display of a somewhat largerthan-usual model. The Erlestoke
Manor Fund’s ‘5101’ will go on display at the Birmingham NEC during the November 25/26 gathering, departing its present Barrow Hill home on November 20. Following its star appearance, the ‘Large Prairie’ will be transported to Tyseley Locomotive Works for storage, where an assessment will be made of its condition, and items and materials required for its eventual overhaul acquired.
The ‘Large Prairie’ left the West Somerset Railway during mid-October, bound for the Battlefield Line in Leicestershire. There, the 2-6-2T will serve as the main locomotive for the railway’s Santa Specials over the Christmas period, after which its ten-year overhaul will be due.
Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd’s eponymous ‘Manor’ has had its boiler ticket extended until January 2025, following a boiler inspection. Initially withdrawn from traffic in late September in anticipation of a potential overhaul, the Collett 4-6-0 returned to service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway on October 24.
The ‘94XX’ made its final appearance for the year on October 22 at the West
Somerset Railway and has now been withdrawn for winter maintenance as its services won’t be required during the festive season. It will return to traffic for 2024.
SR & CONSTITUENTS
North Yorkshire Moors Railway-based ‘Schools’ Repton has been withdrawn for an intermediate overhaul. This will involve re-boring the Maunsell 4-4-0’s three cylinder valve liners and examination and overhaul of the motion, which will include whitemetalling of the crossheads. The bottom row of small tubes in the boiler will also be removed for examination.
With non-destructive testing of the boiler of the Maunsell ‘Q’ having taken place during October – and nothing of concern found – the Maunsell Locomotive Society is now reviewing the findings before pressing on with the overhaul of the engine’s boiler on the Bluebell Railway. In other recent work, the frames have been lifted to allow the removal of the wheelsets; these will be sent to the South Devon Railway so an examination can be carried out on their condition. Plans are also under way to separate the current tender tank from its chassis with a view to its replacement, which is estimated to cost in the region of £40,000.
LMS & CONSTITUENTS
The sole surviving Stanier ‘Mogul’ (below, left) returned to steam for the first time since 2012 on October 19, at the Severn Valley Railway. Following an initial test run from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade, Stanier Mogul Fund press officer Peter Holder reported: “All bearings ran cool and the engine rode exceptionally smoothly; its ability to make steam was prodigious and the merest hint of regulator saw it storm away.” After further testing, the 1934-built 2-6-0 will assist with the SVR winter services before starring in its Winter Steam Gala on January 6/7. After this, the ‘Mogul’ will return to the paintshop for full lining out and conversion to its original 1934 guise as LMS No. 13268, never before seen in preservation. This will include white cab roof interior and ‘scumbled’ upper interior cab panels.
October 23 saw the Midland Railway – Butterley’s ‘3F’ 0-6-0T make its first trips under its own power for the first time in 15 years, following the finish of its overhaul. Over the next few weeks, the ‘Jinty’ will undergo testing while still in its maroon undercoat livery, after which it is hoped that it will be in public service for Christmas specials. A full repaint in fully lined out LMS maroon is due during the winter months.
Privately owned ‘Black Five’ No. 44806 is set to return to traffic at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway imminently, after a first fire was lit in its firebox on October 27. Last steamed in January 2018, its overhaul got under way in February 2020, shortly following its purchase by Peter Best from the NYMR.
There will be ‘5MT’ power on the Nene Valley Railway over the coming months, with the arrival of ‘Black Five’ No. 45212 courtesy of Riley & Son Ltd and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. At the time of this issue going to press, the locomotive was due to arrive at the beginning of November and will assist with trains over the festive period.
Recent progress on the restoration of the Ivatt ‘Class 2’ by the Bury Standard 4 Group has included the new cab being riveted together and primed, plus newly cast hanger mounting brackets being machined. Work on the boiler has included cleaning and refurbishment of the top feed housing, ahead of a planned inspection. There’s also been progress on the fabrication of a new drag box, with two sides cut out and reinforced with fillets ready for eventual assembly.
Testing and running in for the Ivatt ‘2MT’ are now under way on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway following the completion of its overhaul. It last steamed in 2002 and then spent several years on display at the Ribble Steam Railway Museum before moving to the L&HR in 2018. It is expected to re-enter revenue-earning service in 2024, retaining its pre-overhaul British Railways lined-out maroon livery.
The ‘7F’ has now been withdrawn from service for its ten-year overhaul. The former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway 2-8-0’s last day in service on Mid-Hants Railway was November 4, working the line’s Real Ale Train. There is no confirmation yet as to when the overhaul will commence.
LNER & CONSTITUENTS
1264 The overhaul of the ‘B1’ is due to begin soon at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), part of the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre. The tender is likely to receive attention first as it is known to require a new tank. The locomotive will require new tyres and extensive boiler work, including a new inner firebox. The engine, which is owned by the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust, was last in operation at the end of 2019.
Peppercorn ‘A1’ Tornado’s boiler was reunited with the locomotive’s frames at Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough at the end of September, as its overhaul approaches completion. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said: “A few minor adjustments have been required to best position the boiler and, having been in steam to appreciate expansion, the boiler is now secured onto the frames. Over the last month, the team have been working to re-affix the necessary pipework and fitments that connect to it. As always, when putting the locomotive back together after overhaul, there are snags! The newly fitted take-off for the second turbo generator, which shuts off steam direct from the boiler, fouls the cladding and will need adjustment. The injector clacks also require lapping to improve their seating. These are all the type of small jobs that must be completed before the locomotive is ready for operations, and invariably take longer than we would like.”
The ‘B1’ will once again be working Steam Dreams Rail Company’s Santa Steam Express services around London during mid to late December. Mayflower will head up four train tours per day from London Victoria on December 15, 18 and 21
BR STANDARD
A new temporary resident on the Ecclesbourne
Valley is ‘2MT’ No 78018, which transferred from the Great Central Railway last month (October) in order to work the EVR’s Christmas trains as well as its Winter Steam in the Valley gala over December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2024. Other locomotives taking part in that New Year event will be ‘4MT’ No. 80080, Bagnall No. 68012 The Duke and Andrew Barclay Brian Harrison.
To cover for a temporary shortage of steam locomotives at the Spa Valley Railway, the ‘4MT’ has been loaned to the line by owner Stewart Robinson. It made the trip from the Mid-Norfolk Railway during mid-October and was pressed into service immediately for the SVR’s busy Real Ale & Cider Festival. It is envisaged that the standard tank will remain at Royal Tunbridge Wells until early 2024.
WAR DEPARTMENT
Visiting Northampton & Lamport Railway-based ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 3193 was transformed into scrapped Boston 40F-allocated ex-LNER ‘J94’ No. 68018 for the Boston Bucket Bash, a freight-themed photo charter at the Nene Valley Railway on October 30, organised by the Nene Valley Railway Wagon Group. Also participating, albeit static, was NVR out-of-ticket resident ‘Austerity’ No. 75006, which was repainted as BR ‘J94’ No. 68070 for the occasion. No. 3193, built by Hunslet in 1944 for the War Department, was lightly weathered for the event and also received 40F shed plates.
INDUSTRIAL
The Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST, which spent its working life as a Stewarts & Lloyds ironstone quarry locomotive, has moved from its Royal Deeside Railway base to the Strathspey Railway, so its overhaul can get under way in its Aviemore workshop. The engine was last in service at the end of 2018.