Steam & Heritage Track Record Tender start for Dame Vera Lynn
THE return to steam of a popular member of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) steam loco fleet is stepping up a notch – with the tender overhaul about to commence.
An appeal to raise the estimated £600,000 plus needed to fully restore WD 2-10-0 No. 3672 Dame Vera
Lynn currently stands at over £175,000. It is estimated another £450,000 is still required to fully fund this significant project. However, with the finance raised so far the NYMR has announced the start of the locomotive’s restoration, proceeding with the tender.
The restoration of the tender will be undertaken by Riley
& Son (E) Ltd and involves the renewal of a whole new tender water tank, new springs, new axle box bearings and an overhaul of the brake gear. As this issue went to press, preparations were at an advanced stage for it to travel from Grosmont to Newbridge yard for onward movement by road.
It is hoped the No. 3672 can return to action by 2024/2025, to tie in with the locomotive’s 80th birthday and the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Built by the North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow, in 1944 for use by the British Army, No. 3672 was named by the Dame herself on August 6, 1985 at the loco’s then home, the Lavender Line.
Clifford Brown, who purchased Dame Vera Lynn and SR ‘Schools’ 4-4-0 No. 926 Repton in the late 1980s, put both locomotives in trust to the NYMR when he began to suffer ill health. While Repton has enjoyed regular overhauls and spells in traffic, ‘Dame Vera’ has sadly remained out of action.
The 2-10-0 last ran in November 1998, when having amassed well over 100,000 miles on the NYMR, it was taken out of traffic for a much-needed overhaul.
Fleet update
Meanwhile, the overhaul of LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 44806 is moving on at a pace. The driving springs have been removed, while primer has been applied in the cab area and the inner frames have been fully cleaned in front of the cab. The bogie is now in a state of rebuild – at the time of writing, it was awaiting its springs.
The new copper tubeplate is nearing completion for BR ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 No. No. 75029 The Green Knight, having been formed and machined in-house. All the crown stays have been drilled for SR Bulleid ‘Pacific’ No. 34101 Hartland. BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76079 has now been recertified for Whitby to Battersby running.
No. 926 Repton has also been receiving attention at Grosmont. New elements are being fitted to the boiler and all the small motion is being removed for assessment, a clean, exam and any new bushes and pins that may be needed after the wear assessment is complete. The lubricator has been taken off to enable a full kit of spare fittings to be made. A full set of piston packings is also being produced in-house.
Ian Riley’s LMS ‘Black Five’
No. 44871, which as reported last month had been on hire to the NYMR, left Grosmont on June 11 for use on West Coast Railways’ Fort William-Mallaig ‘The Jacobite’ service.
■ Visit www.nymr.co.uk/DVL to find out how you can help support the restoration of Dame Vera Lyn.