Month: March 2025

Another short update this week.
Work has continued on the major re-staying of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s firebox with Chris tackling the caulking of new stays inside the firebox. He reckons that after doing so much caulking in a day that he will be going round in circles in his sleep!

Ed and Ron have undertaken more reaming and tapping of stay holes with the result that Keith has been able to fit many more new stays.

Ade moved Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20 from the FRT shed to the running shed after piecing up the tender and engine back together. Tim proved that he could still get through the firehole door into the firebox to re-fit the grate, although there was a minor wardrobe malfunction as he tried to squeeze out!
Fortunately, John Dixon was on hand to assist! (No photos, thankfully.) We are pleased to be able to report that the locomotive passed its statutory steam test on Friday. Sam is seen on the footplate with Adam Wright, the Trust’s boiler surveyor. FR 20 and the FRT’s Great Eastern Railway royal saloon No. 5 are scheduled to run at next week’s Spring Steam Gala.

We leave you this week with a photo of Grant Richie 0-4-0ST No. 272 preparing to haul the Ribble Steam Railway’s five coach service on Saturday on the popular occasion of a visit by Paddington Bear.

A short update this week.
Furness Railway No. 20’s ashpan has been re-fitted, washout plugs and mudhole doors tightened and water fed into the boiler in readiness for its steam test this next Friday. More work has also taken place on Peckett 0-4-0ST Caliban’s cab. With 550 stays to replace on Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s firebox, it’s not surprising that we have another photo of the ongoing work, this time with Ron and Ed tapping out some more stay holes.

Meanwhile, John Dixon has been seen crawling into one of the side tanks. The aim being to clean out any debris from the refurbishment work that has been taking place.

Saturday morning saw the arrival of a new ash pan for 5643 delivered by Bradshaw Sheet Metal Ltd.

The new ashpan soon had a coat of paint applied to protect it from the weather.

Tuesday, 4th March saw Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20 receive its annual cold boiler inspection, which we are pleased to report it passed. Thanks go to Andy Booth for tapping out the fusible plug holes and supplying new plugs. The ‘in steam’ test is scheduled for Friday, 21st March. With this in mind, John Dixon and Sam, set about re-fitting the left-hand connecting rod and crosshead in readiness for the locomotive to be moved, receiving guidance from Alan.

It is planned to re-fit the ashpan this coming Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there has been good progress with the re-staying of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s firebox. Keith is seen here burning out some of the front stays from inside the firebox.

Chris has once again been caulking up new stays where they have been fitted.

The ream team of Ed, Ron, Keith and Tim had a very productive shift this last Saturday, Ed and Ron reaming out over 100 stay holes with the air drill whilst Keith caught the reamer from inside the firebox and Tim applied cutting compound. This methodology saw a hole being reamed out every 55 seconds, give or take the occasional lunch and tea break!

We are still awaiting the fitting of the new cylinder liners to 5643, however, it appears that the new liners have been machined to size at Bury, including the port and oil holes.

Finally, there was some sadness as the final eighteen empty bitumen tankers were hauled away from the Ribble Steam Railway on Tuesday, 4th March by Colas Class 56 no. 56113.