Furness Railway Trust blog

We are sorry to have to start this edition of the blog with the sad news that life member Alan Johnstone, who joined the Trust as a member in 1993, passed away on the 5th May. Alan was a staunch supporter of the FRT and was particularly heavily involved in the restoration of the Trust’s North London Railway Coach in 2002-2023. Alan was a keen and very good photographer and we are fortunate that he has been able to record many railway scenes in the south of Cumbria, both on national and heritage lines. Alan was also a member of the Furness Line Action Group (FLAG) and the Cumbrian Railways Association where his skills in producing maps and diagrams played a big part in the success of its publications. Alan’s funeral will be held at St James The Great Church, Blake Street, Barrow-in-Furness at 12 noon on Friday, 5th June. There will be refreshments afterwards at Barrow Golf club, Rakesmoor Lane, Barrow.

There has been plenty for members to do at the Furness Railway Trust’s shed at Preston. Many hours have been spent in cleaning and repairing the components of the Trust’s ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria which is undergoing a 10 year overhaul. Dave Thomas is seen here annealing one of the pipes.

A start has been made on sanding the paintwork on Cumbria’s saddle tank.

There has been disappointing news with the discovery of some unexpected cracks around washout plugs on the boiler of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643, which is currently under repair at the premises of Riley & Son at Bury. Some grooving on the backplate above the foundation ring has also been found and discussions have been held with the Trust’s boiler surveyor, Adam Wright, to agree a way forward. It is hoped that progress in this respect will commence shortly.

Meanwhile, work is currently taking place at Preston to re-assemble 5643’s chassis. This entails setting up the pistons, crossheads and slide bars accurately. After initial work it has been decided that some machining of at least one of the crossheads will be necessary. Ron and Keith are seen here busy in the frames.

Lettering, lining and varnishing of the bunker is now complete.

Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 was the rostered locomotive on the Ribble Steam Railway over the Bank Holiday weekend where there was a Wild West event. The open top nature of the cab was greatly appreciated by the crews during the record-breaking heat. FR 20 is next expected to be in service on the
20th June.

It has been a busy time for the Trust and its members over the past few weeks.

As mentioned in the last blog, FR 20 departed to the Mid Hants Railway on Sunday, 19th April in order to take part in the MHR’s Spring Steam Gala over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 24th-26th April. Ade also took the opportunity that day to do some shunting which saw Cumbria’s chassis moved around to the Ribble Steam Railway’s running shed. It was replaced in the FRT shed by the locomotive’s saddle tank so that a start could be made on repainting it.

The chassis subsequently departed to Statfold barn on Wednesday, 22nd April for repairs. The motion has since been dismantled for detailed examination and measurement, and a programme of repairs has been agreed.

Ben and Tim set off to the MHR on Tuesday, 21st April, having a good journey there, arriving in time to light a warming fire and also replace the sand pipes and guard irons which had been removed for the locomotive’s journey to the south.

FR 20 was steam tested on Wednesday the 22nd, with Ben and Tim spending the Wednesday and Thursday cleaning the paint and brass work ready for the Gala. Anne and Phil joined them on Thursday evening at the Alton and Four Marks Travelodge in readiness for staffing the sales stand during the Gala.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw Ben and Tim answering 4.30am alarm calls in order to have some breakfast and attend the shed at Ropley in time to greet the rostered driver and fireman at the signing on time of 5.45am.
The timetable required FR 20 to operate four return trips between Ropley and Alresford at the southern end of the MHR, the journeys being three miles in length and involving a 1 in 80 uphill gradient between Alresford and Ropley. It is pleasing to be able to record that the old engine had no problem in operating the service over the three days and made many friends in the process. This is it about to set off on the first trip.

Anne and Phil did a great job with the sales stand, seen here with Tim. As you can see, the sales tent was alongside the railway which enabled waves to be exchanged as and when FR 20 arrived and departed.

The loco was also popular with the loco crews. Ben, left, is seen enjoying an ice cream with Sunday’s fireman and driver.

There is plenty of good YouTube footage of FR 20 at the Gala, it featuring here starting at 1 minute 15 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aWnkrDx4Xs&t=9s

You may recall that Cumbria’s boiler was despatched to the MHR for repair on the 2nd April. The opportunity was taken during the visit to discuss the repairs with MHR’s locomotive foreman, Mark Drinkwater. The tubes are expected to have been removed this week and the boiler then being ready for a first visit by the Trust’s boiler surveyor.

The boiler of the Trust’s ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria was eventually despatched to the workshops of the Mid Hants Railway on Thursday, 2nd April where it will be overhauled, including replacement of the crown and sling stays. It is due back at Preston in the autumn. It headed south with a new smokebox for Bulleid ‘West Country’ Pacific Wadebridge which had been collected from Riley & Son at Bury.

With the boiler away, it has been time to concentrate on cleaning and repairing of some of Cumbria’s other components. Ed is seen attending to some of the pipework.

John Dixon has continued his work on repairing the ashpan, including giving it a coat of protective paint.

Meanwhile, Sim is seen using a belt sander to clean up the running boards. These now look much better, having received a coat of primer. The chassis is due to depart from Preston for repair this Wednesday.

Work has been progressing at Riley & Son at Bury on the repairs to the boiler of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T locomotive No. 5643 where some cracks were found in the flange of one of the internal boiler pipes.
The cracks have been ground out and welded up as can be seen below.

Finally, Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 left Preston yesterday to take part in the Mid Hants Railway’s Spring Steam Gala this next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tim and Ben will set off tomorrow in order to prepare the loco and Phil and Anne will be following them down on Thursday to staff the sales stand at Ropley. The good news is that the weather forecast is fairing up.

Time for another catch up with work on Furness Railway Trust projects.
The decision has been taken by the Trustees to offer the work to overhaul its ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria’s boiler to the Mid-Hants Railway. All being well, the boiler should depart Preston tomorrow, Wednesday 1st April. In readiness for this, the boiler has received a coat of protective paint.

It is expected that Cumbria’s chassis will also depart shortly for repairs by a contractor. In anticipation of this, the eccentrics have been re-fitted after cleaning and examination. Ed is seen here in the frames during re-assembly.

Further repair work to the ashpan will be needed as can be seen from this photo:

Meanwhile, John Dixon has fabricated a new door for Cumbria’s ashpan.

Work is proceeding on the repairs required to complete the overhaul of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s boiler at the premises of Riley & Son at Bury. The return of the piston heads and rings has heralded the start of the re-assembly of the chassis.

Sam is seen here cleaning the face of one of the cylinder covers.

Meanwhile Tim as completed the lining out of the right-hand side of 5643’s bunker.

Last Saturday saw Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 take part in the Ribble Steam Railway’s Spring Steam Gala. This attracted an unusually high number of visitors and the loco is seen here topping and tailing with ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Walkden hauling the Ribble Steam Railway’s ‘Queen Mary’ brake van which was offering rides to visitors.

Later in the gala, FR 20 passes the chassis and tank of former Furness Railway No.25.

Thanks go to Anne and Phil who staffed the Trust’s sales stand. Visitors were also given the opportunity to visit the FRT shed where a second-hand book stall raised some welcome funds for the Trust.

The Furness Railway Trust is pleased to be able to confirm that Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 has been invited to take part in the Watercress Line’s Spring Steam Gala in Hampshire on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 24^th-26^th April. The loco is expected to begin its long journey south on Thursday, 16^th April and to return to Preston on Friday, 1^st May. FR 20 is also planned to operate at the Ribble Steam Railway at its Spring Steam Gala on Saturday, 28^th March and, over the Easter period, the 3^rd, 4^th and 6^th April. The loco passed its 14 month steam test on the 23^rd February and, in anticipation of its forthcoming duties, the running boards have been treated to a fresh coat of black paint.

Work has commenced on Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s boiler at the premises of Riley & Son, Bury, with the replacement of 72 new patch screws now having been completed. In addition to previously authorised work, it has now been decided to replace 60 crown stays at the front and rear of the firebox. A lorry is due to collect the set of previously purchased small tubes and superheater elements, plus other items for the boiler, this Wednesday, 11th March. It is planned that the same lorry will return to Preston with 5643’s pistons and new rings. This will enable the chassis of the locomotive to be re-assembled. In the meantime, John has been giving the new ashpan a fresh coat of paint to protect it from the weather.

The boiler of the Trust’s ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria has been inspected as part of its 10 year overhaul. Unfortunately, deterioration has been found in the firebox crown stays which will require the replacement of 110 crown stays and 20 sling stays at the front of the firebox. The latter work will, disappointingly, require the removal of the boiler tubes which were only replaced in 2022.

Much time has been expended by the Trust’s volunteers at Preston in cleaning the chassis of Cumbria, with the eccentric straps being removed for inspection. The cleaning has been a long job and thanks go to those who have stuck to the task. Options for work to be undertaken on the chassis are currently being considered.

Finally, we are very sorry to have to record the passing of member Jim Morris on the 17^th February at the age of 93. Jim set up Helical Technology at Dock Road in Lytham around 60 years ago and purchased a number of steam locomotives which became the heart of the Lytham Motive Power Museum; this was eventually disbanded to allow the expansion of his engineering company. Jim also purchased Fairburn 2-6-4T No. 42085 and was a long standing director of the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. Jim’s funeral will take place this Wednesday, 11^th March, at 12.15 at St. Cuthbert’s Church, Lytham. Our sincere condolences go to the Morris family.

There is still a chill in the Furness Railway Trust shed at Preston but we are hoping that another visit from the heating engineer will sort out the air source heat pump tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, there has been plenty to keep the Trust’s volunteers busy over the last week or so.

Ron decided to clean up Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria’s blast pipe and then give the finished product a coat of heat resistant paint – we hope that he isn’t too disappointed when the paint gets burnt off!

 

Alan spent some time assessing Cumbria’s eccentrics and Dave, Anthony and Alan then set about removing the eccentric straps which have now been cleaned and await further attention.

 

The Trust’s boiler surveyor, Adam Wright, visited yesterday and is seen here busy with his trusty hammer testing Cumbria’s firebox rivets as part of the locomotive’s 10 year out of frames examination. Adam concluded that the firebox crown stays will need replacing although the rest of the boiler was deemed to be satisfactory.

Alan and John were busy dismantling the safety valves ready for inspection.

Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 underwent its 14 month examination during Adam’s visit and it now due to undergo a steam test next Monday. One of tomorrow’s jobs will be to put back the fire-grate and fit the ashpan, wash out plugs and mudhole doors.

Finally, we wish Alan a very happy birthday today and look forward to the cakes!

It has been a bit chilly in the FRT shed of late as it is taking some time to get the air source heat pump back in action. However, there is plenty of work to keep us warm!

Some of the jobs that we have to do aren’t all that exciting, but the team has been valiantly getting on with the cleaning of ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria’s chassis and motion in preparation for attending to a list of mechanical jobs. Anthony Fisher, a new volunteer worker to us, is seen here attending to the frames.

Jon and Sim have also been part of the team cleaning up Cumbria.

Furness Railway locomotive No. 20’s annual boiler inspection is due before the start of the new operating season so it was decided to remove the ashpan on Saturday to enable the boiler surveyor full access to the firebox. This work includes disconnecting the linkage to the ashpan door and the removal of the ejector and two sand pipes, so not a two-minute job. Once the necessary blocks of wood have been assembled to assist with lowering the very heavy ashpan onto the ballast, it is necessary to move the locomotive forward over the ashpan to enable it to be taken away and cleaned. Unfortunately, the yard shunter had been commandeered for track work, so it was necessary to use a pinch bar to move FR 20 forward and then return it back to its original position once the ashpan had been lifted clear of the track. Ron is seen here taking his turn with the pinch bar whilst John looks on, waiting for his turn. The lowered ashpan can be seen sitting on the sleepers under the firebox of the loco.

Talking of track work, Ade and Ed have been taking the lead in preparing the south catch point on the main line along with Mick and Richard Parker. Ed captured Ade, Mick and Richard having a short rest from their exertions.

The next two photos show the old point being lifted clear and the new point in situ.

Finally, Mike Rigg informs us that there has been disruption to his local postal service with second class items taking as long as nine days to reach him. There may, therefore, be some unavoidable delays in dealing with membership correspondence at the moment. Please bear with us.

A belated Happy New Year to all our members and supporters! It has been a varied start to the year for some of our volunteers.
Our folk group, Live Steam, played their annual New Year’s Eve gig at the Engine Inn, Cark-in-Cartmel to a very appreciative audience. Representation from station volunteers at Cark and Kents Bank stations was a good excuse to include some railway songs in the set list.

The afternoon of the 5th January saw the arrival at the Ribble Steam Railway of the Railway 200 Inspiration Train which has been touring the country.

The opening ceremony of the visit was featured on the Tuesday evening edition of BBC’s Northwest Tonight programme and you may recognise some of those included on the clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCxC8sjfEhU

A number of FRT members provided voluntary assistance during the four days that the train was open to both schools and the general public. Alan is seen here giving a presentation on Furness Railway No. 20 in the Partnership coach.

The train hauled, by 66 719 Michael Portillo, must have enjoyed its stay as it didn’t want to leave; it took six attempts to start the locomotive when it came time to depart on Friday evening! Overall, the visit was deemed to be a great success and it was good to see new members joining both the Ribble Steam Railway and the Furness Railway Trust as a result of the exposure to the public of the work of both organisations.

Elsewhere, members have been busy in the FRT shed preparing ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria’s boiler for its forthcoming Non-Destructive Test examination on the 19th January. We are pleased to welcome Dave Thomas who joined the gang last Wednesday and immediately joined the work on Cumbria.

Unfortunately, the shed’s air source heat pump heating system failed in December after a dozen years of reliable service, providing a challenge to everyone to keep warm. The good news is that the heating engineers have now been in attendance and the system is on the mend.

We are in December and heading fast towards Christmas, but still plenty of work to do before then!

Most efforts have recently been concentrated on stripping down the Trust’s ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria in preparation for the 10 year overhaul of its boiler. Ron Crowe, Ed Tatham and John Dixon have been working hard on this culminating in the chimney, cab roof and saddle-tank being lifted off the
locomotive last Wednesday, 26th November. As ever, Ade was in charge of the logistics of moving Cumbria round to the Ribble Steam Railway’s workshop, with assistance from Dave Billington, so that the overhead crane could be used.

The cab roof is lifted:

The saddle-tanks touches down on Stewart Waugh’s wagon:

Once these components had been removed it was then possible to start removing Cumbria’s clothing (as it is known), with John Dixon seen here cleaning down the running board after the cladding plates had been removed.

Meanwhile, Jon Dixon has also been working to spruce up 5643’s cab and Tim Owen has applied the first coat of British Railways gloss green paint to the outside of the bunker.

Following its boiler washout, Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 has been moved into the RSR’s museum for the Christmas period and the duration of the visit to the RSR of the Railway 200 Inspiration Train during the first full week in January.

Jo Booth and Dave Hughes have found a slot in their work schedule to take the front of Furness Railway No. 25’s cab into the paint shop to give it a couple of coats of red oxide primer.

Finally, don’t forget the FRT’s Christmas Dinner at 7pm on Friday evening at the Pig & Whistle on Blackpool Road, Preston..

The Furness Railway Trust’s rolling stock fleet has been arriving back off hire over the past few weeks. First to arrive back was Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 from the East Lancashire Railway on Tuesday, 21st October. This was followed by Great Eastern Railway royal saloon No.5 which returned from the
ELR on Wednesday, 29th October.

Saturday, 1st November saw Sam giving FR 20 a boiler washout, courtesy of the FRT’s fire pump team. Sam then went home feeling under the weather and since seems to have been suffering from ‘flu, along with Keith. We hope to see them both back soon.

Finally, ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria arrived back from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway late afternoon on Tuesday, 4th November, being offloaded first thing the following morning. It was immediately shunted into the FRT’s shed where Ed and Ron began the process of dismantling items in
the smokebox last Saturday. Needless to say, some gas heating was required to remove stubborn nuts, but the blower ring and vacuum ejector exhaust pipes were successfully removed – next task, the blastpipe!

Alan had a long day out to Williton on Tuesday, 4th November to view progress on Peckett 0-4-0ST Caliban’s boiler and to discuss options for the way forward with the major overhaul that it is receiving. He made it back just in time to attend and report back to the Trustees’ meeting that evening. Well done, Alan!

Alison is still collecting names for the FRT’s Christmas dinner which is taking place at 7 pm on Friday, 5th December at the Pig & Whistle on Blackpool Road, Preston. The menu is shown below to whet your appetite: