Workshop Update 28th October 2019

Monday, 28th October, 2019

BR Standard Class 4 mt  2-6-4T  loco   No 80097

80097 is now regularly rostered as a key member of the ELR’s loco fleet. She has completed over 70 steamings since her launch in March and has now covered over 5,000 miles on the East Lancs Railway as a favourite with the ELR crews.

The recent Autumn Steam Gala at the ELR marked one year since 80097 first steamed after her thirty four year restoration by the Group and fifty years since she was retired by British Rail.

The Group are still carrying out most of the maintenance required on 80097.

A new blowdown valve and pipework have been made and are waiting to be installed. New bronze piston gland packings are being made and all these will be fitted during the planned maintenance to take place over the Christmas period.

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

Initial work is now well under way on the Ivatt’s restoration.

The pony truck centre casting has been moved to the ELR workshop at Baron Street for boring, whilst new bolts for the pony truck axle carriers are being machined in our workshop.

A lot of the sub assemblies: brake stretchers, cylinder ends, sand boxes, etc have been cleaned, repaired, painted and are now stored. 

Reinforcing frames have been recovered from the cab.

New window frames have been laser cut for the cab and the drawings for the cab sides, front and roof are being finalised before these parts will also be laser cut.

The front buffer beam has been laser cut and this is now ready for machining.

One next job will be for the axle boxes to be white metalled.

In the workshop itself, a lot of cleaning up, fitting new led lighting and a major reorganisation of the component storage shelves has been undertaken.

It is planned for the Ivatt frame, now it is sandblasted and painted, to be moved into our workshop and mounted on frame stands to make future work easier and out of the weather.

Pictures:

80097  on a weekend scheduled run on the ELR

Machining new bolts for the Ivatt pony truck axle carriers

Cleaning and refurbishing Ivatt components