Auto tank receives overhaul boost

THE South Devon Railway’s (SDR) GWR Collett 0-4-2T No. 1420 could return to steam in 2022 after the loco’s 15-year overhaul received a grant to aid the boiler work.

The overhaul of the auto-tank, known as Oliver in the Thomas the Tank Engine children’s books, should now speed up thanks to a grant of £5000 from the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust towards new boiler stays. Veronica Awdry is the daughter of the late Rev. W Awdry and her charitable trust helpfully distributes some royalty funds regularly for appropriate heritage railway projects.

Owned by the SDR Association, No. 1420 last ran in 2006 when it was stopped for a protracted overhaul, mainly due to a leaking boiler foundation ring and other faults.

Last year, a further £22,180 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) was made towards covering the manufacture of the remaining firebox boiler plates and a new foundation ring, which was critical to enable the SDR to rebuild the new boiler using its own skilled staff and to keep the loco restoration timeline on track to maintain future operations.

While No. 1420 is nearing completion in the SDR’s Buckfastleigh workshops with the wheels and frames having already been restored, plus considerable boiler work, there is still a long list of work to be completed and funds raised to pay for it, so further specific donations towards finishing the tasks would be warmly welcomed by the SDR.

The outstanding works include fitting a new boiler barrel, foundation ring, tube plate and completion of a roughly assembled firebox which is being drilled for assembly with new stays. Although the chassis is now back on its wheels, none of the valves, pistons and motion are fitted and nothing has been done yet to overhaul these parts. Boiler fittings now in use on other SDR locos will need to be found, and there is the small issue of the loco requiring new side tanks which will take some making as they are riveted, but completely different designs left and right due to the reverser.

Visit www.southdevonrailway.co.uk for details of how you can donate.