Welcome to our summer report covering 7812 Erlestoke Manor’s early season SVR running, prior to heading off on tour again, news of 7802 Bradley Manor’s ongoing heavy repair and an update on progress with our new build tender project: T2329
7812 Erlestoke Manor ascending Eardington Bank during the SVR Spring Steam Gala in April [Photo: Kenny Felstead]
7812 Erlestoke Manor on Tour:
Following appearing at the Severn Valley Spring Gala, 7812 embarked on her travels again, paying the first known visit of a Manor to the Bluebell Railway, making a guest appearance at their Branch Line Gala in mid-May. Along with visiting SVR based Pannier Tank 7714, Erlestoke proved a popular guest with both passengers and footplate crews alike, rekindling memories of Manors working into Southern region territory in the early 1960s on Reading to Redhill workings.
Reminiscent of 1960s cross country Manor workings, 7812 passes through Kingscote station on the Bluebell Railway during a photographic charter on 13th May [Photo: Jon Bowers]:7812 departed the Bluebell in late May bound for the West Somerset Railway where she will be resident until the end of October and has been racking up some regular running days through June and July.
7812 rests at Minehead on Saturday 22nd June [Photo: Adrian Hassell]
7802 Bradley Manor Repair Update:
7802 Bradley Manor’s repair at Tyseley has marched on in recent weeks and, for the first time in some years, 7802 is a 4-6-0 again with all coupled wheels now back under the locomotive, following wheelset and axlebox refurbishment. Following this coupling rods have been refitted and focus is now on refitting brake, steam heating and injector pipework, along with preparation to fit the piston valves and remaining motion.
On 14th June, Jane Preece finish paints the trailing coupled wheelset prior to axlebox refitting under the watchful eye of Andrew Boucher [Photo: Adrian Hassell]Also on 14th June, Paul Spence and Adrian Hassell undercoat 7802’s frames behind where the trailing coupled wheels will sit [Photo: Jane Preece]Two weeks later, 7802 was a 4-6-0 again….:
On 20th July, with vacuum brake pipework refitting well underway, Nigel Hanson is seen fitting the drain cock operating linkage [Photo: Chris Field]Meanwhile, the boiler awaits moving into the works for lagging, cladding and painting and we can look forward to 7802 resembling a complete locomotive again before too long. There is a real push on at present to see this major (and unplanned!) repair over the finish line….
Paul Spence, Chris Field and Nigel Hanson seen fitting firebox backhead lagging and cladding on 25th May [Photo: Nick Willcox]Dave Giddins paints firebox cladding in readiness for fitting on 8th June. This is green undercoat, rather than any attempt to repaint 7802 into SR Malachite Green….! [Photo: Martin Creese]At Bridgnorth a newly cast and machined ejector/blower ring has been completed by SVR Engineering Services for fitting into 7802’s smokebox [Photo: Adrian Hassell]
Tender 2329 Construction Update:
The well section of the tank for our new build Churchward 3,500 gallon tender project has taken shape having been welded together at Minehead over recent months. The fabricated item is seen prior to load for transport by rail to Williton for blast cleaning and painting with primer on 19th July.
The plan following this will be to transport it back to the Midlands for unifying with the frames and already drilled upper outside sections, after which it will start to look much closer to the finished article to run with 7802.
