Workshop Update 14th August 2017

Monday, 14th August, 2017

BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-4 T  No 80097

Most assembly work on the boiler has now been completed at Northern Steam Engineering, it has been filled with water and a fire has been lit in it. This is the first time in 52 years when the loco was retired.

All remaining plates will now be fitted and it is planned for a hydraulic test to take place on the 23rd August. It is hoped that a steam test will be done a week later and that we will receive the boiler back at Bury in mid September.

This is great news and we are now aiming for 80097 to be running on the East Lancs Railway by the middle of 2018.

Ivatt ‘Mogul’ Class 2 MT 2-6-0  No 46428

Work on the new pony truck stretcher bar has been continuing and this is almost completed.

Arrangements are being made to shot blast and then prime the Ivatt frame. A large plastic covered frame is being built for this and a compressor has been mounted on a rail truck for easy access.

Photos are :

The boiler with a fire at Northern Steam Engineering (Photo by Duncan Dimott)

The new Ivatt pony truck stretcher bar.

The shot blasting ‘greenhouse’.