Supporters greeted by ‘face’ of ‘4MT’
SHAREHOLDERS and supporters of Toddington Standard Locomotive Ltd (TSLL) who attended the October 2 open day at Locomotive Maintenance Services (LMS) in Loughborough, were welcomed by the ‘face’ of the group’s BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76077.
It came after the brandnew smokebox assembly was temporarily added which meant, viewed from the front, No. 76077 looked very much like a locomotive rather than a kit of parts.
Chris Irving, TSLL chairman, said: “The reaction ‘wow!’ was heard from almost everyone as they came in. It was a great opportunity for us to meet some of the generous people who have bought the shares that have enabled us to progress so quickly.”
As previously reported,
No. 76077 is being restored with a combination of both professional input at LMS and volunteer working parties at both Loughborough and Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), where the locomotive will eventually be based.
Mr Irving added: “There is still much to do of course, but at our present rate of progress, we are on target to see the Horwich 1956-built loco steam in time for its 70th anniversary in 2026 – but that is clearly subject to continuing investment.”
Tender
A new tender will also need to be built – No. 76077’s original tender is now attached to sister loco No. 76017 on the Mid-Hants Railway. However, TSLL expects to be able to hire a suitable one if its new-build is not completed in time.
A common question during the open day concerned the type of tender to be built. The tender originally attached was a BR2A with the cut-down tank which provided maximum visibility when travelling in reverse.
However, many members of the class working on the SR were attached to highsided BR1B tenders which afforded greater water capacity, increasing their range given the SR had no water troughs.
“We have not decided which tender to go for yet,” said Mr Irving. “There is no BR1B tender in preservation, so we could fill that gap – but the BR2A is more practical. We will seek opinion from our shareholders.”
Visit www.standard76077.com for details of how you can help.