Bure Valley boiler order expanded to three
AN order last year for North
Bay Railway Engineering
Services (NBRES) to construct a new ‘spare’ boiler for the Bure ValleyRailway’s(BVR)‘ZB’type locomotives has become an order for three new boilers to keep BVR’s Winson-built ‘ZB’ 2-6-2s No. 6 Blickling Hall ,No.7 Spitfire and Winson/Keef 2-6-4T No. 10 Mark Timothy (which has the same type of boiler as the ‘ZB’ pair) operational.
Following extensive boiler work on No. 7 Spitfire last year, testing of weld repairs around stays cleared the work undertaken but revealed hairline cracks radiating from the bottom two rows of stays.
During a hydraulic test, a stay broke and the insurance assessor deemed that all stays and the inner firebox had to be replaced.
Despite the money and work already expended on the boiler, BVR decided the further work required meant the boiler was beyond economic repair.
Meanwhile, in mid-December, cracks were found in the firebox of No.6 Blickling Hall .The problem was similar to that encountered with No. 7 and, with the need to replace the inner firebox wrapper and stays, this boiler was also condemned.
No.6 Blickling Hall was taken to NBRES’s works in Darlington at the beginning of this year for the first new boiler ordered to be fitted.
The completed loco was dispatched back to BVR on
March 30, the truck returning to Darlington with No. 7 Spitfire for the second boiler constructed by NBRES to be fitted.
It was hoped both Nos. 6 and 7 would be ready for the recommencement of this year’s BVR services.
The third boiler, now under construction at NBRES, will be used in No. 10 Mark Timothy, withdrawn in February for 10year overhaul.
Faced with additional expenditure on two new boilers, BVR launched a £25,000 Go Fund Me appeal. In mid-April this had raised more than £14,400.