February 2019 Update

This month’s update focuses on maintenance and restoration aspects of the Fund’s two locomotives.

7802 Bradley Manor:

Following its successful visit to the Great Central Railway which received a positive write up in this month’s Railway Magazine, 7802 Bradley Manor returned to Bridgnorth in February where some minor attention and preparation for the annual insurance exam is underway. Items being attended to include replacing a broken intermediate buffer spring, fitting a new fall plate between engine and tender and other minor jobs in readiness for the 2019 season such as rectifying loose boiler cladding in the cab.

7802 at rest back at Bridgnorth shed on 11th February [Photo: John Oates]

7812 Erlestoke Manor:

This month has seen the regular mid-week and weekend working parties of Fund volunteers at Tyseley Locomotive Works concentrating on stripping back, rubbing down and painting the chassis and coupled wheelsets of 7812 Erlestoke Manor to get the engine into a position where re-wheeling can occur.

With one of the coupled wheelsets now in its first coat of primer behind, Fund volunteers strip back old paintwork on the driving wheelset:
Meanwhile Dougie Hutton works his way down the other side of the chassis [Photo: Adrian Hassell]:
On the same day, Chris Field and Paul Spence are needle gunning and scraping one of the coupled wheelsets in readiness for painting [Photo: Adrian Hassell]:
Later on Adrian Hassell, Paul Spence and Chris Field apply the first coat of paint while Jimmy Norris ensures quality control [Photo: Dougie Hutton]
Meanwhile the other couple wheelset is in Tyseley Locomotive Works’ wheel lathe, with one side turned and the other awaiting re-profiling [Photo: Adrian Hassell]:
Re-metalled axleboxes reading for refitting [Photo: Adrian Hassell]:
Two weeks later on 23rd February, the first coat of paint is on along the running plate [All photos: Chris Field]:
Dave Giddins rubs down the driver’s side cab side plate:
With one of the coupled wheelsets now in its first coat of primer behind, Fund volunteers strip back old paintwork on the driving wheelset:

New brake rigging bolts hot off the CNC lathe for the repair of 7812’s brake rigging in mid-February. With thanks to Nick Gilbert of Sawford Engineering: http://www.sawfordengineering.co.uk

Also in stock awaiting refitting once 7812 is re-assembled is a new blastpipe casting for the smokebox [Photo: Adrian Hassell]:

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