Previous News!

Please Note: The images on this webpage have been archived and are no longer available via the galleries shown.

23-12-06 BR standard 80105 :- In service and performing very well. Delivery of all the new ash pan components is awaited. CR No. 419 :- The regulator valve seats have been reworked and lapped and it is hoped that the leak has now been resolved. The blower ring nozzles are being replaced/renewed as the present arrangement is not very effective. No.7 & 19 :- more than half the new spring hanger pins have now be made for No.19 and apart from being drilled for cotter pins are all complete for No.7. Machining of new crosshead gudgeon pins are in progress for No.7 as the originals are under size and badly pitted. New shims are being made for the slide bars. Lubrication pipe work is making good progress on both engines. Patterns for the new pistons have been dispatched to us and new pistons will be cast as soon as they arrive. Running shed:- Progress is being made on erecting shuttering in preparation for laying concrete along the south wall. Romney shed:- Our large lathe electric motor has failed and a replacement is being sought (25 Kw 4 pole 3ph any frame size) and consideration is being given to relocating some of the machinery to make better use of our meagre space. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

5-12-06 80105 has worked very well over the weekend on the Santa specials. I had a most enjoyable day on the engine as trainee under the watchful eye of Martin Shaw and Driver Jim Verth. The day was not with out incident as a trainees grease top went over board during a violent squall near the high bridge ( recovered on the return to much enjoyment to all passengers, elves, santa and guard!) A big thanks to Jim and Martin for a most enjoyable, if very wet, day! No.7 All 4 slide bar slippers have been cleaned and moulds made ready to re-metal. New slipper pins will have to be made as the originals have been running slack in the piston rods and are also badly pitted. New pins are being machined for No.19 spring hangers. Work is progressing well on making up the new lubrication pipe work for both No.7 & 19. No.419:- The regulator and its operating mechanism are being fully investigated to resolve the issue of the regulator leak. No.24 the cab fittings and makers plates etc are being refitted as it nears the end of its cosmetic restoration. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

23-11-06 Our BR standard 4 No. 80105 has been successfully trial steamed last Tuesday. The engine ran very well with no issues and only covers and parts of the running plate to be refitted. An order has been placed for all the plate component parts of the new ashpan. These will be supplied formed and ready to weld. After the festive season the replacement of the ashpan will be high priority and is planned to be manufactured and fitted before the start of the main running season. CR No.419:- Work continues on refitting the regulator control mechanism and refurbishment of various valves and controls. No. 7 :- Forming up new pipes continues with 2 full new sets almost complete. Setting up of the slide bars is now about to be started with a wire set up taught on the centre line of the RH cylinder. The RH slippers have been cleaned in preparation for white metaling. Further preparation for concreting of the south side of the running shed has been carried out. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

15-11-06 Good progress is being made on many fronts. 80105:- The serviced and cleaned lubricator has been refitted with all the pipe work re-connected. The connecting rods have been refitted and the only significant items to be fitted are the valves which are ready. All going well it is hoped that the engine may be steam tested after this weekend. 419:- Jim has been renewing all the bushes, bearings and seals in the regulator and its operating gear. The preparation of the running shed for laying concrete is progressing well with the ground all cleared and ready for shuttering. The old LMS sleeper has been fully dismantled with only the main frame and its floor left ready for the specialist contractors to remove the under floor asbestos. One of the Sentinal boilers is being sent off site to be repaired. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

4-11-06 The staff Christmas party this year will be held at Bo'ness on the 16th of Dec at 6:30pm in the buffet, the night includes :- 3 course Christmas meal, trip on the Christmas cracker train, raffle and a disco when we get back. Tickets are on sale until lunch time on the 10th of Dec. Tickets are £20, anyone wishing to purchase tickets see Chris Lothian at Bo'ness. George Lumsden wins the caption contest with "Is that where the big end really goes !" Clearing of the running shed prior to laying concrete is progressing well. The society has received a donation of many useful metal working machines including shapers, grinding machines and sheet metal bending and shaping machines from Forth valley college.
80105:- Work continues with refitting the pistons and valves and the new gudgeon pin is now finished. No. 1:- The ashpan and brick arch have been removed to gain access to a portion of the foundation ring which needs to be caulked to resolve a weep. No.419:- The dome has been removed and further investigations carried out to find out why the regulator is passing. The position of the cam on the regulator drive shaft would seem to be critical although it is possible to be assembled in several different positions and still operate the valve. No.7 &19. All the pins for the axle boxes and spring hangers are ready to be case hardened and repairs to worn threads on the cylinder block have been repaired. No.246 'Morayshire' is in service. Repairs to the cab doors have been made after being damaged due to jamming while negotiating some of our tight curves. Fair Maid:- No progress at this time as the proposed funding from Ireland has failed to materialize. It is hoped that alternative arrangements will be found. No. 24:-Painting and lining is nearing completion. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

17-10-06 Morayshire ran up to Manuel with 4 coaches and the class 20 last Tuesday as a trial run for the Chairman's train last Thursday. It all went very well with all the invited guests enjoying the experience. 80105:- refitting of the new piston rings is underway and the new cross head gudgeon pin has been made and only requires the keyway to be milled and clevis pin hole drilled. No.1 had a very successful visit to the Wensledale Railway and ran very well. 419 is receiving routine maintenance including attention to the air brake control valves. No.7:- Reassembly of the slidebars is making good progress. The adjustable wheel weighing jig is all but complete. This was originally made for weighing small diameter crane wheels (dock side cranes and the like but has been cut into 2 parts and made to expand to suit any wheel and when completed will make measurement of axle load / spring tension easy to measure. There was a lot of activity in the running shed clearing the South road and wall in preparation for laying concrete. The Iron fairy which had a puncture is now operational again. A heavy duty tarpaulin has been located to make our spares store water tight while the concreting is completed and other storage containers are emptied. See photos or recent activity by Alex Livingstone, No.1 at Wensleydale by Sam Sparkes and 'Morayshire' at Manuel by W Stuart Seller.

7-10-06 80105:- New piston rings have been made for the valves and pistons and reassembly is underway. A new cross head gudgeon pin is in the process of being machined. 246 'Morayshire' ;- The boiler was prepared for its annual inspection with all found to be in order and is due to be steam tested on Monday Evening. 419 is in service. No. 1 is being prepared for its visit next weekend to Wensledale. No.7 & 19 :- The spring hangers for No 19 have been removed and are about to receive attention. New pins will have to be made. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone. Check out the Gallery page for more photos of the Deltic

27-09-06 80105 was failed during the 'Thomas' weekend after sounding off beat. The Left hand piston had one piston ring missing and the other in pieces. The right hand piston rings were found to be intact but worn very thin. New valve and piston rings are being made. A new cross head pin is to be made for the right hand side. The lubrication pipes have been cleaned out as some were found to be blocked which may have contributed to the excessive wear found to the rings. Some component parts have been made for the new ash pan. Work continues on refitting parts to No.7 and patterns have been located for casting new pistons. The bunker for No.7 has been repaired and primed and is ready to fit. Removal of damaged front cylinder cover studs on No.7 is underway. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

15-09-06 The rear cylinder covers have been refitted to No.7 and the slide bars have been cleaned up ready for refitting although new fitted bolts will have to be made. Manufacture of new pipe work continues for both No.7 and  No.19. Patterns are being sought for new pistons for No.7. During this weekends 'Thomas' event Morayshire, 80105 and No.1 will be in service. The boiler was removed from one of the Sentinals with the newness very much worn off! We have several boilers for these locomotives and repair work on the best 2 is about to get underway. With the Iron fairy now operational again the roof was removed from the old LMS sleeper. Driver Tom Willison reported that No.1 while at recent 'Thomas' event at the Caledonian Railway hauled 8 full Mk2s and an all but dead Harlexton from Bridge of Dun to Brechin! "No. 1 dug in and I must say, I was most impressed about her pulling power" See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

7-09-06 Not a lot of news to report! Attention is now being focused again on the overhaul of the Austerities. Making up of the new steam and injector pipe work, the new lubrication pipe work, and painting of the cab sheets continues. Reassembly of the rear cylinder covers and slide bars on No. 7 is underway. 80105 has been fitted with a new set of brake blocks and general maintenance and adjustments to the brake gear has been carried out. The repaired Iron fairy slew gearbox has been refitted and the crane is once again fully operational.

23-08-06 There is to be a special 'Morayshire' weekend on 23/24th September. No.246 is planned to haul the normal service (11.00, 12.15, 13.45 and 15.00) on both days with the last train (16:15) possibly diesel hauled. All going well it is planned to have a buffet coach ready to be used over the weekend. Record visitor Numbers attended the 'Friends of Thomas' event. The whole event went off very well with almost all trains running at capacity. A really good squad has been out over the last few weeks and progress is being made on all fronts. No.1 has had its boiler inspected and tested and has been loaded today to go to Brechin. There was a flurry of activity on this engine on Monday night preparing for the boiler test and ensuring all was ready for going off on hire. 80105:- Was in service all last week and performed very well. Material for the new ashpan has been ordered. 419:- Due to the regulator having a tendency to pass the dome was removed and the valve and all its operating linkage inspected and tested. No obvious fault was found and it has all been reassembled and the engine is back in service. Fair Maid:- New axles are being turned down from old Mk 1 Coach bogie axles. A source for new tyres is being sought. No. 7 & No.19:- Work continues on painting the cab sheets and bunkers. The South side of the running shed is being cleared and prepared for the new concrete floor. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

13-08-06 'Morayshire' operated the service trains over the last week and has performed very well. There is a list of small things that need attention, weeping glands, leaking lubrication pipes and the like. 80105 is back in service after its boiler wash out and performing very well. The ash pan is very much at the end of its life and a new one is to be made. Normally the ash pan is secured to the boiler and would be fitted or removed with the boiler or rear drivers out of the frames. The design is being modified so that it can be partially fabricated into sections which will then be welded together while the boiler is in place. 419 :- In service and operational now that the broken spring has been replaced. No. 1 In service and operational. Austerities No 7 & 19. Painting of  cab sheets, bunkers and tanks continues. Work continues on making a full set of new pipe work for both engines. A few bushes still have to be made for No.7 spring hangers. All of the Austerity springs we have on site will be cleaned, inspected and tested prior to sending defective springs for refurbishment. We are lucky in that some of the springs are like new but there are quite a few with the newness worn off! Fair Maid:- The leading wheel set was put up in the lathe with the intention of seeing if it was possible to re-profile the tyres but the axle was found to be bent at both journals. Due to excessive flange wear the tyres will also need to be replaced. The crank pins are also well below scrapping size and are to be replaced. The driving axle was also inspected and has been condemned due to the journal wear. New crank pins and tyres are also required. Running shed refurbishment:- It is planned to lay a concrete floor on the south side of shed to provide a better working environment and to provide secure storage for spares, both pallet racking and steel stillage space. This will permit the existing leaking shipping containers to be disposed of and create space for the erection of our new stores/workshop beside the Romney shed. As soon as dates are finalised I'll post a notice on this page as we will need a large squad to prepare the area, shutter and pour concrete. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

4-08-06  80105 is now back from the GCR. A detailed update will be provided earlier next week as I have just returned from holiday and not yet aware of the latest developments! See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

17-07-06  80105:-In service and running very well at the Great Central Railway. 419:- In service at this time but has received attention to the regulator and injectors. No. 1 :- In service and running well but needs to come out of service to fix some steam leaks and routine maintenance issues etc. No.246 'Morayshire' in service. No.7 and No.19 Work continues with the installation of new lubrication pipe work, refurbishment of  suspension parts and painting of No.19 tank..  Springs for both 7 & 19 together with a spare set are being sent for refurbishment. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

4-07-06  419:-Yet another tube failed and was again replaced by Jal & team on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The engine was returned to service on Saturday. 80105:- In service and running very well at the Great Central Railway. 246 'Morayshire' :- In service over the weekend and running well although the debate over the use of sanders rumbles on. No.1 :- Is operational and is at the Caledonian Railway as 'Thomas' and should return after next weekend. Fair Maid :- Cleaning of the dismantled parts continue. No 7:- New bushes for the spring hanger pin holes in the frames have been made and fitted but still have to be finish reamed in place. New bushes have been made for most of the spring hangers and still have to have the holes drilled for the grease nipples. All the grease nipples are being replaced on all the break gear and suspension. No. 19:- New copper pipe work is being made up for all the cab fittings and injectors etc. General :- The electric pump that is used as our boiler test pump has had the motor repaired and assembly of an electrically driven vacuum pump is progressing. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

27-06-06  Congratulations to Linda Cruikshank who passed out as fireman on Saturday. Well done! Another tube was replaced in 419's boiler on Friday by Jal. 4 of the top row have now been replaced and the decision to replace all the tubes has been made but when this will be carried out has yet to be defined. A full set of new tubes have been delivered to site ready for this task. Monday evening was very well attended with a squad  preparing No. 1 for its visit to Brechin and another working on the Austerities. Wasted areas on some of the spring hangers was built up with weld and dressed up like new and bush making got underway in earnest! Dave Duncan made considerable progress starting to systematically sort out and sharpening our large collection of drills & reamers. The Standard tank 80105 is likely to remain in service at the GCR until the end of July.

25-06-06  Brief update:- 80105 is in service at the Great Central Railway. Brian Thomson took down a set of bricks for the fire box arch and a couple of replacement super heater elements to replace those found leaking. The engine is reported to be running and steaming very well and will remain at the GCR for some time. As to how long the engine will stay has yet to be defined.

20-06-06  80105:- Replacements for the leaking super heater elements and a pallet of new brick arch bricks are being transported to the GCR this week. All going well the engine may be running next week. No. 246 'Morayshire' the valve setting has been adjusted and the engine ran very well with an even beat both in forward and reverse gear. The engine was the star attraction at our weekend 'Transport through the ages' event. Due to the engine being light footed and the gradients on our line the use of the sanders is going to be a topic for discussion! No.419 is running well but is due to have a boiler washout this coming weekend. No. 1 is scheduled to have some attention next Monday to a weep on the foundation ring which should be readily accessible once the ash pan is lowered. Otherwise the engine is running very well. No.7:- The task of re-boring and reaming out all the spring hanger pin holes has now been completed. All the old bushes from the spring hangers have also been removed. Work will now concentrate on making and fitting 48 bushes. No.19 no progress. Fair Maid:- The boiler has successfully hydraulic tested. The Monday evening squad is in danger of becoming the Dave shift with Dave Thornton, Dave Crombie and Dave Duncan or DT, DC & DD! See photos by Alex Livingston of recent activity around Bo'ness

11-06-06  80105:- The boiler was successfully steamed today. There are a few things still to sort out but the engine will be running shortly. Morayshire:- The rollers for the drive axle have been fitted and by jacking the rear drivers just clear of the rail, measurements of all vale operations have been taken. Resetting of the valves is now underway.

8-06-06  80105:- The boiler passed its Hydraulic test on Wednesday and a small team led by Tom Willison is refitting all the fittings and getting the engine ready for a steam test to be carried out ASAP. No.1 was loaded today ready to go to Wensleydale for their 'Thomas' weekend. No. 419 is in service this weekend. No.246 A great deal of effort has gone into making a set of rollers so that the timing can be set on the 'Shire'. The target is still to have the engine back in operation for the following weekend. Fair Maid:- The boiler is being prepared for a hydraulic test with a few leaks around blanking plates etc to be resolved but the tubes  look good so far. No. 7 & 19:- work has been delayed due to maintenance activity elsewhere but progress is again being made on boring out the spring hanger holes and repairing damaged threads for the cylinder block covers. We are very short of volunteers especially on a Sunday. If you can help please come along over the weekend , Monday evening or a Tuesday. Contact George or Brian. Contact details here You will be made most welcome! See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

27-05-06  This site has been transferred to new servers at WiserHosting.co.uk If you have had difficulty in accessing the site I do apologise but the new service has many more features that will allow the web site to develop in the future. The frequency of updates has recently not been to the standard I would wish due to unforeseen work and personal commitments but things should hopefully get back to normal now!

 80105:- A few minor issues still to be resolved and it is planned for a team to have the boiler tested this coming week. Both 419 and No1 performed well over our very busy 'Thomas' weekend. No.246 'Morayshire':- Ron Hill has committed to resolving the valve timing issues and that it should be available in time for the 'Transport through the ages' event. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

16-05-06  Its all been a bit hectic over the last couple of weeks! 80105 failed the hydraulic test due to the regulator passing but this has been sorted and I understand that it is ready for a retest on Thursday. All going well it should be steam tested this coming weekend. A mention must be made to Gary Foster who was still trying to seal the manifold and regulator on Saturday evening when he should have been in the pub. Any assistance would be most welcome this coming weekend at the Great Central Railway. Contact Tom Willison if you can help. 419 has had a boiler tube fail and 2 tubes in the top row have been replaced. The present tubes have been in the engine now for 7 years and are due to be replaced as soon as possible. A full set of new tubes is being ordered. No.1 is performing well and is operational. 'Morayshire' is still awaiting completion of a set of rollers to be made to enable the timing issues to be resolved. No.7 has now had the spring hanger pin holes on the right hand side bored out ready for bushes to be made although the job was delayed due to the failure of the mag mount drill motor. An alternative heavy duty drill has been located and the job is now progressing well. New pins for all the spring hangers have been made but still have to be case hardened. No.19 Work on fettling the new cylinder block cover plates is progressing well. No. 24 lining out is all but complete with the only the lettering to be completed on the right hand side tank. 'City of Aberdeen' has gone off to  the Tanfield Railway in Newcastle but will be returned to Bo'ness once restored and with 3 years boiler ticket left! See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

29-04-06  80105:- This weekend the boiler is being hydraulic tested and all going well will be steam tested next weekend. I do apologise for the lack of updates recently (due to exploded transmission on my car!)but I should now be able to provide the normal weekly update.  No. 1 is off to Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway as 'Thomas'. A spark arrester was made just before the engine left last weekend. No.419 is in service and performing well. Morayshire is still having the valve timing adjusted. No. 7 :- Boring out of the badly worn spring hanger pin holes is in progress. New spring hanger pins are also being made. No. 19 :- No progress. No. 24 :- Lining out all but complete and looking superb! See photos of recent activity by Alex Naismith

12-04-06  80105:- Some more photos by Tom Willison of progress at Loughbourgh

And more photos by Linda Crukshank 

9-04-06  80105:- All the tubes have now been expanded and beaded over. Refitting of the super heater elements etc is now in progress. A team is heading down this coming week to try and have the work completed. 419 :- After some initial teething problems with the Westinghouse pump, all is now working very well and the engine is available for service. No.1 :- The engine is performing well although the firebars had to be taken out to remove some very heavy clinkering. Morayshire :- Ron is working on a set of rollers to facilitate setting the valve timing. No.24 :- The paint job is coming along very well with lining out now almost complete. No.7 A boring bar and guide has been made to enable the badly worn spring hanger pin holes to be bored out true and be bushed. Fitting of new lubrication pipes is in progress. See photos of activity from last weekend by Alex Livingstone

Photos by Alex Naismith of first weekend working.

Photos of activity on Saturday 8th by Billy Willison.

26-03-06  80105:- All the tubes are cut to length and in place in the boiler. Jal is heading up a team to expand and bead the tube ends this weekend. Another team lead by the Willison brothers will be working on the engine during the coming week. No.419 : - The boiler has been inspected and refitting of the dome and cab fittings has been carried out. A steam test has been carried out but the Westinghouse pump has still to be reassembled. The smoke box paint which was very tired has been sanded off and renewed. No.7 : - The cylinders have been re-bored. The next tasks will be to have new pistons made and boring and bushing the spring hanger pin holes. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

14-03-06 80105:- The re-tube is going well with 6 rows in place by today. Tom & John Willison are working there Thursday /Friday and John Leggate, Lee Sutherland, Lee Marsh & Andy McLean are going down over the weekend. Progress has been made on preparing the Fair Maids boiler with new studs made and fitted for some of the boiler fittings. No.7 To enable the boring bar jig to fit the majority of the cylinder cover studs have had to be removed. The re-bore is scheduled to start next Monday. Good progress was made on 419 on Saturday with the big end bearing adjusted. The Westinghouse pump's new piston is now complete with only the special locking bolts to be made. The steam side stuffing box has been refitted and locked in place. Chris Lothian is making progress with the coal loader and now has electrics working. See photos of recent activity around the site by Alex Livingstone.

8-03-06 80105:- The tubes have been delivered to Loughbourgh and the boiler was inspected on Monday. Tom and Billy Willison are spending a couple of days this week working on re-tubing the boiler. Jal is heading up a team effort planned for next weekend with the goal of having the engine ready for the following Gala weekend. Significant progress is being made on 419 with a new steam piston and rings made for the Westinghouse pump, dismantling and cleaning of the compressor shaft stuffing boxes, painting of the inside of the bunker, smoke box and chimney de-scaled and prepared for paint, vacuum drain remade in heavy wall pipe, removal of the brick arch and preparation of the boiler for its inspection. No.7 To allow the boring machine to be assembled many of the cylinder cover studs have been removed. Chris Lothian has serviced the brakes on the coal loader and has made a new exhaust system. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

28-02-06 80105:- The tubes are being swaged and should shortly be being delivered to Loughbourgh. Boiler inspection has been arranged and it is hoped that re-tubing can get underway in the next week or so. No.419:- The new firebox door surround has been fitted and general preparation for the start of the season is being carried out. Austerities:- Tom and Billy Willison have been busy making the new copper pipe work for both No.7 and 19 and Dick has finished machining all the new pipe union ends and nuts. BRIN Engineering have delivered the cylinder boring equipment today and it is planned that the cylinders on No.7 will be re-bored in a couple of weeks time. A lot of time and effort has recently been given to assisting the Carriage & Wagon Dept with re-bushing all the bogie brake linkages for a rail tour coach. Our 2 Essab Mig welding machines have just been sent to be serviced/overhauled. Ron Hill was in good form on Monday and we wish him well with is impending operation. Brian is scheduled to have a replacement  knee joint fitted this coming Saturday ( hope they have plenty of white metal for its well worn out!) Please note that Billy and not Tom Willison worked on tube removal. (see below)

19-02-06 80105:- Brian Thomson, Billy Willison & Tom Henderson spent a couple of heavy shifts completing the task of small tube removal. Locating tube of the correct specification and size has not been as straight forward as we hoped but the boiler is now ready. See Photos of activity at the GCR by Brian Thomson

11-02-06 80105:- New tubes have been ordered and the visit to complete the work of removal of the old tubes will take place this coming week. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

7-02-06 80105:- A tremendous effort by Jal and his team of Chris, Lee and Linda together with local assistance have made very good progress on removal of the super heater tubes and cutting out the small boiler tubes at the firebox end. Another visit is planned for later this week to remove the blastpipe and cut out the tubes from the smoke box end. New tubes will be ordered later this week. A set of rollers is being made to facilitate getting the timing sorted out on No. 246 'Morayshire' No real progress has been made on CR No.419 as Jim has had "a wee bit of a cold"! (looked like 'westinghouseitus' to me!) A spark arrester is being made for No.1 before it's visit south of the border.

31-01-06 80105 failed at the Great Central Railway with leaking small tubes so was unable to participate in the Gala. The engine will remain at the GCR where the boiler will be re-tubed in the next few weeks and then spend some time in service on the line. Jal is heading up a team who will prepare the boiler by removal of the super heater tubes and brick arch etc. this weekend. The renewing of the track into the running shed is progressing well . See photos by Alex Livingstone

22-01-06 First Photos of standard tank No.80105 in steam south of the border since 1963! See photos of 80105 at the Great Central Railway  on first train of the day on Saturday 21st January.  This was the 11.15 departure from Loughborough Central , which resulted in the 12.00pm departure from Leicester North.  All pictures were taken by Ian Allison

19-01-06 Ron Hill is in Hospital at the moment but getting better and hoping to be able to get home shortly. We wish him a speedy recovery and trust that it won't be too long before he's around the shed again. James Robertson and his team have started the task of replacing the access track to the running shed. The original track is very much wasted and of Russian gauge in places! See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

17-1-06 A very busy weekend preparing 80105 for it visit to the Great Central Railway. The Ejectors have been cleaned and various steam and vacuum leaks fixed. The brick arch was replaced this morning prior to the locomotive being loaded onto transport for the journey south. Routine maintenance continues on No.419 with the air brake cylinder leather seal receiving attention and the brake control valves cleaned and inspected. Work continues with making new Lubricator driving rods and linkage for No.7. Although both engines had been fitted with Wakefield lubricators by the NCB the linkage on No19 is very well made compared to that on No.7.

15-1-06 Standard tank 80105 is to feature as the guest engine at the Great Central Railway Winter Steam Gala on the 28th and 29th January 2006. The engine will be at the GCR for 3 weeks and will also feature in a photographic charter following the Gala.

10-1-06  Ken and Alex have been busy making a new heavy duty work bench which is all but complete with only the legs to be welded. No. 419: New brake blocks have been fitted and new castings are being made for the fire door surround. 80105 has had some routine maintenance to resolve a few steam leaks. No real progress on the Austerities apart from Jerry painting all the frames with umpteen coats! The new Austerity Locomotive Owners Association (ALOA) has been set up. An electrically driven vacuum pump has been acquired to provide a means of testing locomotive and carriage systems with out having a locomotive operational. The pump has been inspected and cleaned up and only requires new bearings and motor mountings made. The Railway has just received two wagons for the collection. A CR army tank trans-porter wagon, originally from the Museum of Army transport but recently donated to the railway, and a timber wagon selected by the railway Heritage Committee for preservation. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

3-1-06 A transformation has taken place in the Romney Shed with all the tool racks and large surface table removed, the main bench relocated and new tool storage provided! The yard area at the rear of the shed has also been tidied and cleared in preparation for the arrival of the new storage container. A new heavy duty bench is in the process of being fabricated. Sentinels: - Manufacture of new high pressure steam pipes and supports continue. Austerities: - The outside of the frames on No.7 now have their first coat of black gloss. New linkages to suit the new mechanical lubricators has been made for both No.7 and No.19. Manufacture of new pipe work continues. 80105 The engine performed very well on the Santa & Black bun Specials and routine maintenance will be carried out before the start of the next operating season. No.246 'Morayshire' Work continues with the task of adjusting/optimizing the valve timing. BA No.3 has been loosely reassembled with the now asbestos free boiler back in the frames. No.419: - Work continues on fitting the new lubrication system and general maintenance tasks. No.1 No issues. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

23-12-05 Well this is the last update of the year. There has been plenty of activity in the shed with more new pipes made for the Austerities. Manufacture of new brass flanges for these new pipes is in progress. New cylinder lubrication pipes have been formed and the cylinder cover plates are ready to be refitted on No.19. Work has now started on No. 7 to fit the new covers and lubrication system. The cosmetic restoration of No.24 is progressing very well with the lining out now in progress. 80105 is performing well and general maintenance continues with No.419 and No.1 Due to the coming festive season the progress on site has slowed a little!

The track in and through the south side of the running shed is to be replaced. Between the rails will be mono blocked and between the track and the wall will be concreted to support pallet racking. The existing track is very badly wasted in the yard and the blocking and resurfacing in the shed will provide a much safer working environment as well as creating valuable storage space. A replacement stores container has been located on the site and it is to be relocated to a new position at the rear of the Romney shed. Racking for the new store has been acquired. As soon as ground conditions permit the new site area will be cleared and the container relocated. Once the contents of the existing rotten containers have been relocated they will be cut up for scrap. Replacement of the track and relocation of all the stores will be a very labour intensive exercise so we will need 'all hands on deck' for these tasks. Details of when this work will be undertaken will be published on this site.

I wish all visitors to this site a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kindest regards  

Mark

17-12-05 Austerities No.19 & No.7 :- New pipe work is going well with many parts made. All the damaged or wasted cylinder block cover bolt holes have been repaired and the new cylinder lubrication ports have been drilled and tapped on No. 19. The same task will now be carried out on No.7. Machining of the new components of the graduated brake valves are almost complete.  Fair Maid :- The boiler has passed its visual inspection and  is now being prepared for a hydraulic test. A new safety valve spring is being made as the original was very badly corroded and broken. Sentinals : - The newly made high pressure steam pipes have been trial fitted. No.419 :- General maintenance and fitting of the lubrication system is in progress. The right hand big end bearing is to be adjusted as it has a little excessive clearance. The inner fire box door frame casting has life expired and has been removed. A new part is being cast at the local Foundry. 80105 :- In service and working well with no issues. No.1 is operational with no issues. No.246 :- Ron has been unable to make much progress as has had a severe bout of food poisoning which has kept him at home for the last week or so. The good news is that he was back out today and is on the mend! See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

6-12-05 Austerities No. 19 & No. 7 :- Manufacture of new copper pipe work has started. Brian provided a training session on Monday Evening with one of the injector delivery pipes formed. The new cylinder block covers have been drilled and the repair to some of the threaded bolt location holes under way. Some of the bolt holes are wasted and will need to be drilled out and tapped to 3/4 whit. Sentinals :- Alex & Kenny have been busy replacing the high pressure steam feed pipe to the motor unit on both engines. Fair Maid :- The boiler has been prepared for its inspection. No.419 :-The engine will not be going to Aviemore for the festive season and Jim is fitting new piston rod and valve seals, the new lubrication system and carrying out general winter maintenance items. 80105 :- In service and working well with no issues. No.1 Is operational with no issues.No.246 :- Ron is still trying to get the timing right! See photos of recent activity from around the shed by Alex Livingstone and some photos of the Santa Specials

1-12-05 A good crowd out over the weekend and on Monday evening. Good progress is being made on the Austerities with the brake hanger pivots all refitted, the cylinder block cover plates removed from No.7 and new plates cut for both No.7 & 19. The steam heating van is now fully operational and ready for the Santa specials.

Coming Soon!

A new section of the web site will be created to cater for needs of Austerity 0-6-0 owners. The Austerity Locomotive Owners Association A.L.O.A. is a proposed group whose function will be to assist owners of these locomotives share information, locate spares, benefit from bulk orders of cast, fabricated, machined parts and create a list of available patterns etc. There has been broad support for the creation of this association from all the owners based in Scotland and many south of the border. Please contact myself or Brian Thomson if you would like to join this group.

See photos of recent activity in the shed by Alex Livingstone and of recent track work by David Bryce.

23-11-05 No.419 :- New mechanical seals for the piston valves have been made. The new mechanical lubricators have arrived and are ready to be fitted. Minor modifications to the brake linkage is being made to gain more adjustment/life from the brake blocks. New fire bars are being cast at the local foundry. No.246 'Morayshire':- Machining valve faces and adjustment by shims is being carried out. A new piston ring has been made for one accidentally broken during removal. 80105 :- Is all back together and ready for the Santa specials. No.7 all the new pipe has arrived and manufacture of the new pipe work will now get underway. One of the brake hanger pivots that was found to be worn, was removed, built up with weld, and machined to size and refitted. The remaining brake hanger pivots are in good condition and apart from checking that the grease nipples in the hangers work are ready for reassembly. Boring of the cylinders has been organised with the possibility of new pistons being cast locally also being investigated. No.19 :- The built up brake hanger pivots have been machined and refitted. New plate has been delivered for the smoke box base/cylinder block cover. Cleaning and painting is underway on the frames and running plates. Brian has been busy machining new components for the new graduated brake valves for both engines. No.1 is operational. 'Fair Maid':- Work continues cleaning up various motion components with the reversing lever mechanism now freed off and operational. The boiler in the steam heating van has been reassembled after its inspection with only minor work now required to have the burner unit operational. See photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity from the shed and of a visit by members of the Transport department of the Scottish Executive.

15-11-05 No.419 :- The regulator valve has all been reassembled and refitted and only requires a new gasket to be made for the dome. No.246 'Morayshire' has had all the valves removed so measurements can be made to enable the valves to be set correctly. No.80105 has had the vacuum ejector removed for cleaning and inspection. No. 7 :- The cab front and roof has been fitted temporarily to enable the new brake valves and vacuum ejector to be best positioned and the new copper pipe work be made. New plate has been ordered for the cylinder block cover. No.19 :- The worn brake hanger pivots on the LH side of the engine have been removed and built up with weld and are ready to be machined. Machining of components for the new graduated steam/vacuum brake valves for both austerities is in progress. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

8-11-05 A very busy Weekend and Monday evening. No. 419:-  The regulator valve faces have been skimmed and are ready for lapping in and new pots of white metal have been cast to machine new piston valve seals. The right hand big end has a little excessive clearance and is to be taken up. This engine may visit the Strathspey Railway over the Festive season. No.7 :- Both injectors have been temporarily fitted, the vacuum ejector to be used looked out, cleaned and inspected, ready for making the new copper pipe work. The engine is to have its cab front and roof temporarily fitted to best work out position of new ejectors and brake controls. Refurbishment of the mechanical lubricator drive linkage is also being carried out. No.19:- The new mechanical lubricator and the new oil boxes have been fitted. 80105:-Routine maintenance and cleaning carried out. No.3BA:- The new pressure relief valve castings are being machined. The steam heating van has been serviced and made ready for the Santa specials. See photos by Alex Livingstone

4-11-05 See Lee Sutherlands note in the guest book. There will be a Christmas party for SRPS staff and members on December 10th with all proceeds going to the fund for replacement side tanks for No.1 (Thomas). I will prepare detailed CAD drawings for the replacement tanks. Please come along and make the evening a real success (Lee will be singing!) if you are not able to attend but would like to assist in contributing to the replacement tanks please send a check to the office made out to the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (No.1 tank fund)

3-11-05  A busy Monday evening with progress made on fitting the lubrication system to No.19. Cleaning of the motion for the Fair Maid was also carried out. One of the axle bearings for WPR No.17 from the Strathspey Railway was re-metalled and was being machined on Tuesday. No.1 performed well and had a successful weekend at the Wensleydale Railway. 80105 is performing well at Aviemore. Regular maintenance tasks and preparation for wintering 419 are being carried out. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

25-10-05 The weekend gala was a success and from a steam engine point of view went very well. See more photos of the event. Morayshire performed very well but the valve timing still needs some adjustment. Details of the valve settings have now been provided by the NRM which together with Ron's calculations should enable this to be resolved over the winter months. 419 also ran very well with no issues. No.1 has been cleaned up and prepared for its trip down to the Wenslaydale Railway for their Thomas event this weekend. The fire box crown fuseable plug was replaced as it was weeping at the threads and a steam leak on one of the injector feed pipe joints was also repaired. Progress was also made on the Austerities with the new mechanical lubricators installed on No.7 and the new pipe work for the horn guide lubrication partially installed. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

21-10-05 419 is now all back together and has been trial steamed. A particularly difficult and dirty task was to replace a corroded and leaking fitting on the LH cylinder oil feed inside the smoke box. Morayshire is steaming very well and a lot of the little snagging items have been resolved. A new firebox deflector plate has been made and fitted. On Thursday Morayshire with the 2 Thompson coaches were filmed extensively by the BBC and by photographers from the national and local press. The first run up the line was particularly difficult through Kinneil woods with wet & leaf covered rails almost bringing the train to a stand, however with skilful driving by John Leggate Birkhill was eventually reached. Work is under way on the Austerities with the new lubricator boxes for the horn guides fitted. No.1 has had the repaired steam valve refitted. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

6-10-05 Good progress has been made on No.419 over the weekend with the pistons and the cylinder and valve end covers refitted. There is still a load of small tasks to be completed before the Gala weekend but it is hoped to have the engine in steam over the coming weekend. One of the clack valve spindles had broken (sheared off at the square neck) on No.1 and has been repaired by forming a new square on the remaining shaft and re-facing the valve face. This is a temporary repair and new valve spindles will need to be manufactured. Standard tank 80105 is performing well at Aviemore. We are really looking for a good turnout over the weekend to have engines looking their best for the Gala. See photographs of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

6-10-05 The piston rods and small end bearings have been re-fitted to 419. This work was carried out on Monday evening and by our new Tuesday Squad. This small group meet mid morning Tuesdays at the Romney shed and would welcome any assistance! Work continues on preparing axle bearings for the Austerities. Cleaning all the components of the Fair Maid's motion is well underway. The Coles yard crane is now fully operational again after having a new traction motor and gearbox fitted. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

30-9-05 The rear axle bearings from the Strathspey Railways Barclay WPR No.17 have been re-metalled and machined. 80105 returned on Wednesday to Aviemore and will remain there until the end of the season. Reassembly of 419 is in progress with Jim Verth making new white metal piston rod seals. The frames of The Fair Maid are in the process of being de-scaled and painted. These are in very good condition with no wastage. Work on the axle bearings for the Austerities continues with conversion to forced oil lubrication. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone and Brian Thomson

21-9-05 Progress has been made with snagging list for 'Morayshire' with various leaks resolved and adjustments made to the regulator valve etc. The valve timing is still in need of some fine tuning which John Leggat will turn his attention to next. The engine was successfully test steamed on Monday evening. 80105 has been reassembled and is ready for this weekends 'Friends of Thomas' event. It will go to the Strathspey Railway next Tuesday and will remain at Aviemore until the end of the operating season. The motion of 419 is in the process of being reassembled and the engine should be back in traffic soon. No.1 is in service with no issues. Work continues on the austerities with white metaling of the axle bearings and fitting of the vacuum tanks. Further dismantling of the 'Fair maid' is in progress with the axle bearings and under keeps removed and cleaned. The axle journals are all pitted and will need to be machined. This engine once restored will be going to the Fintown Railway in Ireland. Work is also underway to repair the rear axle bearings of Barclay No.17 from the Strathspey Railway. The bearings are being white metalled and machined. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

16-9-05 Good progress was made last weekend on 80105 with the crosshead separated from the piston rod, but not with out some difficulty. Brian re-metalled the lower slide face on Monday afternoon and it was machined by the end the evening. Work on 419 continues with one piston ready to be fitted. The other piston requires some more machining of the tapered bore to fit. Work at long last is again underway on both the austerities with white metaling of the axle bearings now in progress. No. 1 is in operation with no issues. Adjustments to 'Morayshire's centre cylinder valve timing is being carried out. See photos of recent activity by Brian Thomson.

7-9-05 419's new pistons are all but complete with only the piston rod taper bores to be finished. The Fair maid has been almost fully dismantled with only the pistons to be removed from the cylinders. The tyres need to be refaced, which we will be able to do in-house, and all the bearings and journals will need attention. It is a joy to work on an engine when all the parts are so small and light! The frames are ready to be needle gunned and primed. We were not able to separate the cross head from the piston rod on 80105 but we have now found the components of a special splitting tool which should make this task easier. Work is being undertaken on behalf of the Strathspey Railway to repair or supply new rear axle bearings for their Barclay. Brian and Ron were last seen heading North with a van laden with all Ron's measuring equipment and Brian's tools etc.

31-8-05 Work continues on machining the new pistons and improving the piston rod seal lubrication for 419. Machining of the right hand piston is now underway. No. 1 came back from The Caledonian Railway today. Excessive play has been found on the LH crosshead of 80105. The white metal bearing needs to be replaced on the lower slide face. The connecting rod was removed on Monday evening in readiness for separation of the cross head from the piston rod (which will be quite a task)! The 'Fair Maid' has been moved to the hard standing at the back of the Romney shed prior to all the mechanical parts being inspected and overhauled. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

25-8-05 Steam Gala featuring LNER D49 No.246  'Morayshire' with the Thomson Teak coaches  and CR 439 No.419 with the Caley Coaches has been confirmed for the weekend of 22nd & 23rd October! Our major focus is now to ensure that all the small tasks are completed and the valve timing is adjusted on the 'shire' and that 419 goes back together ASAP. This is required to permit 80105 to return to the Strathspey Railway for the remainder of the season. No.1 is fully operational and is off to Brechin to the Caledonian railway as 'Thomas' today. The new pistons for 419 are being machined now with one all but finished. Jim Verth has completed the lubrication modifications to the piston rod seals. The smoke box and external areas of the boiler for the 'Fair maid' has been de-scaled. Morayshire has again been test run up the line and assistance from the NRM is being sought to get the correct valve setting diagram. Please see photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

17-8-05 A very busy weekend, Monday evening and Tuesday! A small team are now meeting on a Tuesday during 'normal' hours as well. 80105: Running as service engine with no issues. No.1 is operational with no issues. No. 419 A new piston ring has been made and the new pistons are on site and ready for machining. The remaining original piston rings have been found to be in very good condition and will be used with the new pistons. No.7 The axle bearings have been cleaned up, refaced and are ready to be white metalled. Work is under way to fit a new vacuum tank under the cab floor between the frames. No.19 the spring hanger pin holes have been cleaned out ready for inspection and measurement. 'Fair maid' The boiler has new been moved onto the concrete pad at the back of the shed in preparation for tube removal and inspection. From what can be seen at this time it looks to be in very good condition. No.246 Morayshire: It is planned to have a steam gala featuring this engine with the LNER coaches as well as 419 with the Caly coaches on October 22nd - 23rd. Dates still to be confirmed. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone and Sam Sparkes.

9-8-05 After a very hectic 'friends of Thomas' weekend we got back to locomotive restoration with trial fitting of bearings and frame stretchers on No.19. Dismantling of the motion on 419 is now complete and we are now ready to machine the new pistons and rings. Routine maintenance has been carried out on No.1 with the right hand injector and clacks inspected and cleaned. 80105 worked very well over the weekend with no issues. A replacement traction motor and gearbox (slightly larger than the original) for our yard crane have been acquired and the motor mountings have been modified to suit. This was fitted today! I was rostered on Saturday as trainee fireman under the watchful guidance of Bill Warren and Tom Willison. A most informative and enjoyable day. Please see photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

2-8-05 Reinstatement of the siding next to the Romney shed has been carried out after the original rail was required to replace rotten/wasted rail on the south road of the running shed. This entailed replacement of sleepers as well as chairs and rail. By the end of the Evening it was all complete with only some levels to be seen to. This work will allow the yard to get back into some sort of order! No.1 has had its tanks cleaned out and debris removed from the RH injector. No.419: Two new pistons are being cast this week and we have the material to make new piston rings in stock. The cylinder valves have also been removed and inspected and found to be in good condition. No.80105 is due back this week from Aviemore in time for our 'Thomas' Weekend. No.246: Progress is being made on the snagging list but adjustment of the valve timing is still to be carried out. See Photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

28-7-05 Some more photos by Tom Willison of the first run up the line by 'Morayshire'

26-7-05 The line is now passed for 25 ton axle loading for its entire length! Official notice was received last week. A huge effort has been made to have Morayshire fit to run with the valve timing adjusted, the issues with the injector resolved and all the other snagging items progressed. On Monday evening the engine was declared fit to run and coupled to a brake van and diesel was test run up to Birkhill and back twice. The engine ran very well with no warm bearings or mechanical noise. Really sweet! The valve timing still needs some fine tuning to get an even beat. There are still a few items on the snagging list to be completed but we are very nearly there! No.419 has a cracked piston. Fortunately there was no damage done to either the liners or the end covers. New pistons are being cast using an original (built up) as a pattern. The damage seems to have been caused by one of the piston rings breaking. When the engine had new liners fitted the original pistons were turned down to suit leaving very little material between the front ring groove root and the front skirt of the piston. It will be a few weeks before it will be back together again. No. 1 is in operation and running very well. No.7 & 19:- The wheel sets with new and re-profiled tyres have been delivered to site. The next task is to bore and bush all the spring hangers and make new pins for No.7 but this is unlikely to be started within the next few weeks.  'Fair Maid' the brass boiler tubes are to be removed to allow the boiler barrel to be inspected. The boiler seems to be in very good condition but some of the running boards and cab sheets will need to be replaced. Progress is being made on the sentinel boilers and renewing various covers and guards. I had a most enjoyable and informative day as trainee fireman on No.1 with Gavin Johnson, Bill White and Tom Brophy from the Bluebell Railway on Sunday. See photos by Alex Livingstone

19-7-05 Just back from my holidays but saw no French standard gauge steam in operation! I'll provide an update of activity at Bo'ness ASAP! Please see photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

02-7-05 Check out event and shapers update for updates. Due to holidays the site will not be updated for a couple of weeks. I hope to sample some steam in France (and wine!)

28-6-05 Good news! The track upgrade is now all but complete and the line is to be approved for 25 ton axle loading over its entire length within the next few weeks! Monday evening was quite busy with No.1 being prepared for its trip to The Caledonian Railway at Brechin and The RH side and connecting rods were fitted to No.24. See photos by Linda Cruikshank of the Fathers day Gala. See photos of recent activity including the station loop relay by Alex Livingstone.

23-6-05 Due to a very busy and successful weekend with the fathers day event not much progress was made in the shed. Monday evening saw No. 24 jacked up and had its side and connecting rods refitted. Some really good news is that the track has been inspected and there is now only a small number of tasks to be carried out before application can be made to have the axle loading raised. James is looking for volunteers to assist. See note below photos. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

15-6-05 No.1 is repaired and back in operation. Monday evening was spent mainly on routine maintenance work preparing 419 and No.1 for the coming Fathers day event. The track at the east end of the running shed is in very poor condition with a rail on the south road breaking. It is to be replaced as a matter of urgency. Painting of No.24 is progressing well and the motion has all been cleaned up ready for fitting. The Monday squad had a very good day replacing the rails and chairs in the station passing loop and head shunt. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

9-6-05 A really good turnout on Monday evening. Preparation of 419 for the schools service was carried out. No.1 also returned from Wensleydale on Monday evening. The hand brake bevel gearbox casting has been broken during the road transport operation. The screw rod has been bent but should be able to be straightened out. Once the casting has been removed a decision will be made on its replacement or repair. The engine performed very well with no other issues. A major clean up is in progress in the running shed in preparation for concreting the area between the south side line and the shed wall and between the rails. This will allow for efficient storage of spares etc on pallet racking which in turn will empty several of the old and very tired shipping containers at the side of the Romney hut. No 24 is now in gloss black and is to have its motion refitted this coming weekend. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

3-6-05 See photos by Alex Livingstone of No.1 heading off to Wensleydale

31-5-05 A busy weekend and Monday evening with 80105 being prepared for its summer operations at the Strathspey Railway. The engine was loaded today onto transport for its journey by road to Aviemore. No.1 (Thomas) has also been prepared for its trip to the Wensleydale Railway and will be back next week. No.419 is now fully operational and running very well. Work is underway to resolve some persistent steam leaks on the regulator and cab fittings on 'Morayshire'. There are quite a few little jobs to finish off before the engine can go into service. A good crowd turned out to assist in the chair and sleeper replacement programme. Some 14 sleepers and 130 chairs replaced! Very warm work on a beautiful sunny day and in a strange way, enjoyable!

25-5-05 No.419 has now passed its steam test, the new bogie casting is fitted, new oil trimmings made for the main axle bearings and now only requires refitting of the front steps and various split cotter pins etc before completion. No.1 is now fully operational after joints around the right hand injector had been replaced. No.80105 is running very well with no major issues. The right hand gudgeon pin was found to be fretting as the nut was pin bound. The pin has been machined, lapped-in and re-fitted. No.246 'Morayshire' cylinder lubrication has all been tested and now only requires the inspection of the right hand (live steam) injector. This operated properly when first fitted but will not lift now. The good news is that due to the sterling efforts of James Robertson and his squad, the line will soon be brought up to the standard required to raise the axle loading to permit 'Morayshire to operate on the line. No real progress has been made on No.7  or No.19 over the last week or so due to activity elsewhere. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

17-5-05 No.1 has passed its steam test on Monday and is now fully operational. No.419 The boiler has been prepared for its steam test scheduled for Friday 20th May and is also ready to have the new bogie casting fitted. See photos of Diesel Gala at NYMR in Events Page  See photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity.

9-5-05 A lot of activity over the last couple of weeks. No.419 is now back on its wheels with the side rods and springs refitted. The new bogie pivot casting is almost ready to be fitted with all the major machining completed and only needs oil holes drilled and some fettling to finish. Morayshire: The RH cylinder lubricator pipe was found to be damaged and has been repaired. Austerities: The horn guide lubrication boxes are now complete with lids and ready to fit. The top of the cylinder chest on No.19 has been needle gunned and cleaned up ready for the new cover plates. No.1 has been prepared for its boiler inspection due at the end of this week. A lot of time and effort has been taken up with retrieving tools and equipment donated by Alcan at Falkirk. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone and 80105 up the line by Sam Sparkes

28-4-05 Steady progress is being made on 419 with the new casting for the bogie pivot being machined and the valve rod packing being remade. The steam control valve for the westinghouse pump has had a new spindle made. Work continues on trial fitting of the axle bearings on No.19. See photos by Alex Livingstone.

24-4-05 See photos of 80105 50 years Old Celebration Event  If you have not visited the guest book recently it might be worth a visit for the poetry alone!

22-4-05 Not too much to report this week but progress is being made on all fronts! See photos of recent activity from around the site by Alex Livingstone

Standard Tank 80105 is 50 years Old this Month! To celebrate the engine will head the 11:00, 12:15, 13:45 & 15:00 Scheduled trains on Saturday 23rd April. Locomotive Owners Group (Scotland) Limited ( S.L.O.G. ) are providing the engine free to the SRPS on that day.

I've just been given a load of photos of 80105 at Barry and its journey North over Shap and Beatock to Larbert by Hamish Stevenson. I will update the engine's page with these as soon as I have them scanned.(done)

14-4-05 A really good turn out over the Weekend and on Monday evening. Morayshire was test steamed again on Sunday but there are still problems with the right hand injector. No.419 has had its re-metalled bearings bedded in and all is now ready for the lift to have the axle back in place. A pattern has been made for the new bogie pivot casting and a new casting is to be poured in the next week or so (until the foundry are running the particular grade we require). The broken casting is in the process of being welded and should be ready to refit soon. No.19 Most of the very badly wasted studs and fixing bolts have been removed from the cylinder block with a further half dozen that still require to be drilled out. Some of the axle boxes and bearings have been trial fitted to the frames. The new oil boxes are progressing well with the bases now complete. (my error in last weeks update!) No. 1 Is running very well with no issues except that the newly refurbished blow down valve was leaking badly and has been replaced with a blanking plate in the mean time.

7-4-05 Last Monday saw a reasonable turnout and the major task accomplished was the installation of a horizontal mill into the workshop. Progress was also made on No.19 with the wasted plates on the cylinder block removed. The same plate on No.7 is in very good condition and will not need to be changed. The new lubricator boxes for the horn guides are also now complete for both No.7 and No.19. No. 419 The broken pivot casting is being repaired and will be refitted as soon as it is ready. The re-machined axle bearings are ready to be bedded in and new alternative coil springs have been sourced as the ones fitted left insufficient clearance to the wheel spokes. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

31-3-05 No.1 is now ready for operational use with the engine test ran up to Birkhill at the weekend. A few small leaks were found and these were resolved on Monday evening. No. 19: The cylinder block cover plate/smoke box base plate is to be replaced as are all the studs in the Cylinder block. The plate locating set screws are very badly corroded as is the plate. Removal of all rust and scale has been carried out prior to stud and screw removal. The boiler has been de-scaled and painted. No.419 : Both axle bearings have now been machined and only require to be bedded in. The broken bogie pivot casting is being welded up so it can be refitted and the locomotive returned to service ASAP. A pattern is being made and a new casting will be produced so that it can be machined and be ready for fitting at the end of this season. See photos of Easter weekend working.

16-3-05 Another very good turn out on Monday with plenty of activity on No. 1, No.419 and No.19. Work on No.1 was mainly around resolving steam and water leaks and generally preparing the engine for service. Re-metaling and machining the axle bearings for 419 is progressing well with one all but complete. The bearings are really coming the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced at its next general overhaul. The engine has been lifted and the broken casting removed from the bogie pivot. We are hoping to have a new one cast locally. New pins were made for the reversing lever linkage and a new fitted bolt made for the layshaft bearing on No.19 and Dick was busy mass producing components for the new mechanical lubricator systems. Reassembly of the steam motor in Ranald is continuing as is manufacture of new boiler components for both Sentinels.

Does any body know of a pattern maker who would like to volunteer and help the cause?

See photos of recent activity around the shed by Alex Livingstone

16-3-05 Lots of activity in the shed over the weekend but the planned lift of 419 to remove the bogie could not happen due to the access road being blocked with scrap metal loading operations. Brian has spent a lot of time re-metaling and machining the axle bearings of 419. One of the under keeps was found to be cracked and is being welded. Good progress is being made on both the Austerities with the reverser fully assembled with all locking and taper pins fitted to No.7 and No.19 has been reassembled but there are still some grease nipples to fit and a new fitted bolt to be made for the lay shaft bearing housing. The hand brake buttress thread nut has been refurbished by welding up the worn bosses and re-machining. Reassembly of the engine in Ranald is making good progress with the cylinders now refitted. No. 1 is now ready to operate the normal service trains. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

9-3-05 Morayshire in steam with the beautifully restored LNER Teak coaches (Visit to the site by Royal Scottish Museum ). Photos by Alex Livingstone

8-3-05 Yet another very busy period with activity on all projects.

80105 has had its safety valves reset and has been steam tested.

419 Main bearings are in the process of being re-metalled and machined. The bigend bearings have been adjusted. The engine is being jacked up in the shed to remove the bogie to gain access to the damaged pivot casting.

No.1 The brick arch has been rebuilt and the engine made ready for the start of the season.

No. 246 'Morayshire' The valves have been refitted and adjusted and the engine trial steamed. The regulator has become stiff to operate and the cause needs to be investigated. There are still a few tasks to be finished off before the Engine is ready to enter service (track permitting)

See photos of activity by Alex Livingstone.

1-3-05 A very busy evening with the main bearings from No.419 being tinned prior to white metaling. Damage to the bogie pivot casting has been found and may be repaired or replaced with a new casting. New piston rings have been made for Morayshire valves and the live steam injector has been refitted. The axle bearings for No.19 have been trial assembled and the front buffers for both No.7 & 19 have been dismantled for inspection. A warm welcome was extended to 2 new volunteers who tuned up on the night. See photos of recent activity from within the shed by Alex Livingstone.

See photos of recent activity around the site by Alex Livingstone

22-2-05 Yet another quiet weekend and Monday evening but progress is being made! Brian was busy making new piston rings for 'Morayshire's valves. New pins have been made and the reversing lever fitted to No19. The bearings have also been trial fitted into the axle boxes of No.19. The axle bearings from No. 419 have been degreased in preparation for white metaling. Steady progress is being made on both Sentinels with boiler cladding parts being fabricated.

See photos of recent activity from with in the shed and around the site by Alex Livingstone

16-2-05 Again fairly quiet evening on Monday but progress was made in completing all the drilling and tapping of the new oil ways in the axle boxes for No.19. The lift of No.419 to remove the driving wheel sets has now been carried out. See Photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

See photos by Brian Tompson of activities of the 57 group working on the line and the shunt to get 419 out of the shed.

3-2-05 A fairly quiet weekend as most of the team were off to the Great Central. See photos by William Willison. All the axle boxes were modified for No.7 with most of the bearings also drilled and tapped as well. Progress on reassembly of the Sentinel engines continue with new cladding being made for the boilers. See photos of recent activity in and around the shed as well as recent track work by Brian Tompson.

28-1-05 All the running plate repairs and replacement together with refitting of steps and sand boxes etc have now been completed for both No.7 & 19. Work is now underway in modifying the axle bearing lubrication method. The original method used a large reservoir on the top of the axle box with wicks in tubes that protrude down into the bearing. Both of the engines are to be fitted with mechanical lubricators with feeds directly to each bearing providing a much more reliable and positive lubrication method. The original tubes are being removed, the axle box oil holes counter bored to accept cap screws, new oil ways drilled and the bearings drilled and tapped to suit. Routine maintenance continues on 419 with inspection and cleaning of brake valves and controls. It is hoped to have the engine lifted in the next week or so. Restoration of both Sentinels continues with manufacture of new boiler cladding and reassembly of the engine in Denis. Work is under way in cleaning and inspecting the main piston valves on Morayshire prior to setting the valves. 80105 and No1 need to be prepared for annual boiler inspections and routine maintenance. We need more volunteers out to assist! Details Here! The 57 gang had a very productive day replacing sleepers and chairs. I hope to publish an update from James soon! If you would like to help with this work then please come and join the team at 9.30 ish at Bo'ness Station this Monday.

See Photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity.

19-1-05 A lot of activity in the shed over the weekend with a good crowd out on Monday evening. Re assembly of Sentinel 'Ranald's engine continues together with refitting of the chain driven controls. New parts for the outer boiler cladding have also been made. The LH steps of No.19 have be straightened out and fitted. The RH steps and the reversing lever have also been fitted to No. 19. One of the connecting rod pins has also been built up with weld prior to being turned to size. The rear buffer beam gusset plates have also been straightened out.( The damage was caused by the engine being jacked up on these gussets during NCB days). The reversing lever on No.7 together with the operating linkage has been refitted. The lever pivot points have been modified with the fitting of grease nipples as have all the expansion link pivots. There is now a real effort being made to have both No.7 & 19 ready for the wheel sets on their return from Bury. A start has been made on dismantling all the buffers prior to cleaning and inspection for damage or excessive wear. The cosmetic restoration of No.24 is progressing well with a very high level of finish being achieved in primer prior to gloss paint being applied. Missing and damaged cladding is being repaired and replaced. No. 419 is now ready for the boiler inspector with some small parts being made for the sight glasses and the regulator valve for the Westinghouse pump. The engine is now ready for its lift to remove the driving wheel sets. The cab and tool boxes on 80105 have been cleaned out.  See photos of work being carried out in the running shed and elsewhere over the weekend by Alex Livingstone with the last 5 by Brian Thomson

13-1-05 Additional steel window shutters have been made for Birkhill station. The regulator on 419 has been lapped in and adjusted. The repairs have been very effective in reducing all the free play, as well as giving the regulator a nice smooth operation. Both sections of new running plate have been welded into place on No. 19. This was the original method used on this locomotive when new unlike No. 7 which are riveted in place. The LH sand boxes have also been refitted. Reassembly of the controls and painting of 'Ranald's water tank and engine cover are progressing well. Lining out of the crane tank is underway in the Museum and the preparation work on No. 24 for painting continues. The 57 group had a difficult day replacing sleepers and chairs as they had to clear the line of a fallen tree first! The condition of some sleepers are not as good as hoped and more may need to be changed than had been initially thought. The group urgently need more volunteers to come and help out on a Monday. James Robertson intends to have a team out every Monday and  meet at Bo'ness around 10am. Please try to find the time to assist! You will be made most welcome! See photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity in and around the sheds.

4-1-05 Another very productive Monday with the fully refurbished regulator operating mechanism for 419 now refitted to the engine. Preparations for its lift to enable refurbishment of the axle bearings is well under way. The expansion links and radius blocks from No. 19 have been examined and have been found to be in excellent condition. New expansion link collars have been made and only require to have taper holes drilled and pins fitted. The LH section of the running plate has been refitted to the engine. The water tank/engine cover has been removed from 'Ranald' in order to gain access to paint the tank and fit new studs for the engine control shaft mountings. The engine rebuild continues.

Thanks to Tom Willison and John Leggat for a most enjoyable and informative day on the footplate of 80105 last Thursday. The day was not with out its problems (apart from the miserable weather) as when making breakfast in the bothy I received a call from my better half informing me that I had her house/car keys in my car! Needless to say Peter took over the cooking duties and I returned to Glasgow! I returned to Bo'ness in time for the light engine line proving run. The recent improvements to the track are very noticeable with the ride now smooth and lurch free! The planned Black bun service schedule and the related shunting movements went without hitch with many young (and old) visitors to the footplate throughout the day.

29-12-04 A large squad out on Monday evening with good progress made on No.7 expansion link collars. This entailed drilling out the collars to marry up with the original tapered pin hole and then reaming out the hole to suit new tapered pins. The new running plates for No.19 have been drilled and only require the step mounting holes to be countersunk before being fitted. The boiler washout valve for No 1 has now been packed and reassembled ready for refitting. Work is well underway preparing No.419 for its lift in a few weeks time. The regulator operating arm eccentric cam and bush have also been refurbished. The Sentinel with the seized engine which I now understand is 'Ranald' not 'Denis'  has had the engine dismantled, freed off and reassembly is well underway. The engine appears to be in good condition with no damage to the bores etc. Please see photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity in the shed. See also below a report and photos by Lee Sutherland of the return to operational status of Clyde Iron Works No.1

Report by Lee Sutherland or Clyde Iron Works Shunter  No.1

British steel corporation, Clyde Iron Works No.1 Works No 3150. Built by Ruston Hornsby 1958. Ruston Hornsby engine No. 421439. Ruston Hornsby 165hp 0-4-0 Diesel Electric. Worked at Clyde iron works in Glasgow until 30/03/1978

 The locomotive is one of a pair which can either run singly or as a pair through multiple working equipment fitted to the two locomotives. The other loco, Clyde iron works No3 which is also at Bo'ness is under overhaul with a cracked cylinder block due to frost damage.

 Work done on  No 1 –  Engine freed off and oil changed. Fuel system checked out, filters cleaned and fuel injectors overhauled. Dynamo overhauled and voltage regulator repaired. Air throttle pipes fixed. Air bags changed. Brake system overhauled.

 The original intention was for it only to be started to use it to generate compressed air in order to start one of the other industrial shunters, D88 Kilbagie. The shed compressor we were using wasn’t generating enough pressure (as 300 psi is needed to start one of these locos) so our workshop manager, Brian Thomson, came up with an idea to get the loco started and use it as a compressor. He set me (Lee Sutherland) and my mate (Chris Lothian) the task of getting the engine freed off enough to get it started. After a few hours getting the engine freed off and a few days trying to get the engine started we were told to forget about it and continue getting the 88 started. We eventually did get the 88 started with the use of another shunter 165DE P6687 which was already in service. So, after the 88 was out of the way Brian decided that after going to all the trouble of getting the engine freed off it would be a good project for Chris and myself to get it operational, and learn a bit about diesel engines and general fitting work. So Chris and myself started work on the engine under instruction of Kevin McCallum our industrial shunter expert. We got the fuel injectors out and after Kevin had a look at them it was decided to have them sent away and overhauled. While they were away we got on with giving the engine an oil change, and a change of water and anti-freeze. Every weekend we would give the engine a bar over to make sure it didn’t seize up again. Once the fuel injectors returned we got them fitted back onto the loco. We got the fuel system checked out and the filters cleaned. Put some diesel in the tank and primed the engine. We gave the engine a bar over a couple of revolutions to get the fuel to the injectors. Once we were happy that it was ready to be started we got old faithful P6687 round. Connected the starting air tank on No1 to the compressor output valve on P6687 and left it to charge up the starting air on No1. Once the pressure built up to about 280psi, Brian’s words were ‘if its gonna go, its gonna go now’ so he opened the valve and the engine turned about 270 degrees where it hit a tight spot. I jumped round the side and used the bar to bar it over the tight spot. Then Brian opened the valve again as we watched the flywheel whiz over the tight spot and the loco burst into life chucking out loads of black and white clag. Chris, Brian and myself were well chuffed with our progress. Over the next weeks our work involved Brian checking out the wiring and overhauling the dynamo. Chris and myself did another oil change, various cleaning jobs while Kevin overhauled the brake cylinder as they did not work. On inspection  Kevin discovered a burst rubber gasket  was allowing air to escape  preventing the brake from operating. A new rubber gasket was fitted, the brake system removed, overhauled and put back together and tested. Our attempts to get the locomotive to move under its own power failed. The controls would switch in the contactors but it would not allow the engine to make power. A couple of duff battery’s we thought. So we changed the batteries and it would still not make power. So Brian decided to take the dynamo off and give it an overhaul, while doing this he discovered that the dynamo had suffered a flash over and a couple of the springs were burst. He changed the springs, fixed the coils and put it back on the engine. So we made another attempt of getting the loco moving, but no. still not taking power. On an examination of the voltage regulator by Brian, he discovered that it wasn’t allowing power through. So the voltage regulator was cleaned and freed off which then switched in the contactors and the loco started moving. Success! This cured its problem and it began functioning as it should. So after seven months work we now have another operational 165DE shunter.

 Most work carried out by Brian Thomson, Kevin McCallum, Chris Lothian and Lee Sutherland.  See photos by Lee Sutherland

(Lee has provided many more photos and a video clip which I will publish at a later date on a separate loco page)

22-12-04 Good progress is being made on both Sentinels especially on the reconstruction of the boiler/firebox/smokebox/chimney for both engines. The steam engine in 'Denis' is being dismantled and is so far resisting all attempts to free off. The new sections of running plate for No.19 have been cut. The radius blocks for No.7 have been built up and fettled to fit and new bushes and pins have been made as required. No. 419 is being prepared for a lift to remove the leading axle. This is planned to be carried out in mid January. The regulator operating mechanism has also been removed and is being refurbished. 80105 is running very well and will be operating the 'Black Bun Specials'

The 57 gang had a very good day on Monday with joints replaced on the remaining 20 panels. Attention will now turn to sleeper/chair replacement. See note from last update.

See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

16-12-04 All hands to reconditioning fishplate bolts on Monday evening! I'll detail progress on the steam locomotive restoration next week as I was unable to make Monday evening myself. Please see update from James Robertson on recent track maintenance.

Four more photographs attached, two for 29th November and two for 13th December, the latter not so clear.

On Monday 29th November we interrupted our fishplate programme to do some urgent baseplate and sleeper replacement just north of the Birkhill North turnout.  On this occasion we had a team of 10 and all but myself feature in the first two photographs.  The point locking bar complicated the job but we seemed to complete the work and re-instatement to Donald's satisfaction.

On Mondays 6th and 11th December returned to our fishplate programme and had two very successful days replacing fishbolts, cleaning and greasing.  On each day we achieved more than 1/4 mile and have now reached the 29 mile post near Old Crawyetts Bridge.   This was done in around 4 - 5 hours each day with teams of 7 and 8 members respectively representing several departments. The Romney Hut again did its bit by refurbishing the salvageable recovered bolts.  One more similar day will see this task complete.

While we now have a small core of regular volunteers more help would be welcome in January when we plan to tackle a significant amount of sleeper and baseplate changing through the woodland section.

Regards,

James

8-12-04 A very busy weekend and Monday evening saw progress made on both No.7 and No.19. The valve motion, expansion links, radius blocks and pins are being refurbished. The condition of the expansion links is quite good with a little building up of the radius blocks required. The frames have been cleaned up on No.19 ready for the new running plates. A new fire box deflector plate was made for 'Harlaxton' for our friends at the Caledonian Railway at Brechin. Work continues on the Sentinels with the attempts to release the seized steam engine of  'Denis' failing so far. Release oil has been applied to the cylinders and it may be necessary to dismantle the engine if it cannot be freed off. The "57" group had a very good day on Monday with the fishplates replaced/serviced on another 18 panels. See Photos by Alex Livingstone of recent activity around the shed.

2-12-04 Not too much progress to report from the Romney shed with a lot of activity on preparation for the Santa operation and routine maintenance on 80105. Cleaning of the boiler tubes of soot and ash, which entailed removal of the spark arrester, was one very dirty task underway on Monday evening. The new blow-down valve for No.1 has been lapped and now only requires to be reassembled. A water pump spindle together with its mechanical seal was refurbished and a new bearing made for the Mann engine in the NBL diesel.

Dry stane dyke repairs Good progress has been made in repairing the damaged sections of wall. Today I joined the trainers and students from Oatridge Agricultural College and volunteers from  BTCV ( formerly British Trust for Conservation Volunteers ) and Donald from the SRPS. The work entails dismantling to below ground level damaged sections of the wall and rebuilding utilizing additional stone to replace weathered or missing sections. The local stones are rounded boulders and not ideal for wall building but after mastering the 3 dimensional heavy duty frozen jigsaw the result is very worth while! A very interesting day and I now understand that there is a lot more to building a dry stane dyke than just piling up stones! See photos of today's team by M Ashmole

24-11-04 The lay shaft for No.7 is now fitted. Work has started on cleaning up the cab sides and bunker. No.19 has had the RH side sand boxes refitted and the wasted section of the LH running plate removed. New components for the Sentinel boilers including a new chimney have been made. A lot of effort was put into cleaning and overhauling fish plate bolts for track maintenance group. Interest continues into the possibility of returning the 3' Barclay to fully operational condition. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

Update from the 57 gang! by James Robertson : - Last week the team was myself, Alex Forrest, David Heath, Lawrence Kemp, Roy McCullough and Lindsay Paterson and we refurbished 30 pairs of fishplates, 15 panels.

Today we had myself, Alex Forrest, David Heath, Lawrence Kemp, Roy McCullough, Tam Henderson and Lindsay Paterson.  Despite complications due to another faulty impact wrench and a tamper coming in before lunch and leaving again mid-afternoon, the team worked hard and refurbished 32 pairs of fishplates, 17 panels, in under 4 hours.

Each day the old bolts have been passed to the Romney Hut for refurbishment and last week these were turned around the same day.

We plan to continue the job next Monday and would welcome any fresh assistance! See photo of work on the line

17-11-04 Steady progress continues on No.7 with cleaning and painting and refitting various fittings and valve gear. Progress is also being made on both of the Sentinel boiler components.  Monday Evening was busy with a team cleaning and refurbishing a very large No. of fish plate bolts. These had been replaced with new bolts earlier in the day by the '57 group' who had refurbished some 60 + Rail joints. Work has now started on removing the coupling rods etc on 419 in preparation to access the front axle bearings. Watch this space for an update by Chris Lothian of activity in restoring one of the small diesel shunters in the running shed to operational condition. See Photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

Track Maintenance!  : A dedicated group of volunteers:- James Robertson, Dave Maclaren, Alex Forrest, Roy McCullough, Iain Gent, David Heath, George Lumsden, Lawrence Kemp, Bob Maine, Stuart Sellar and Lindsay Paterson ( known as the '57 group') have made really good progress on the track spot re-sleepering of the remaining 12 bullhead panels between Kinneil and the New Crawyetts Bridge. A team of 10 out on the 1st replaced 23 sleepers in 5 hours.  On the 8th we replaced the remaining 16 in under 4 hours and also removed the 58 old sleepers to leave the stretch tidy.  Maybe we'll get Morayshire running yet!
James Robertson intends to have a team out every Monday and  meet at Bo'ness around 10am. Please try to find the time to assist! You will be made most welcome! Next Monday it is planned to replace worn fishplates and bolts etc. Photos of recent activity by James Robertson

Dry Stane dyke repairs!  The line from Birkhill to Manual is protected/secured by means of dry stane dykes which are in need of restoration and rebuilding in places. The  BTCV ( formerly British Trust for Conservation Volunteers ) have received funding from Falkirk Environmental Trust to undertake this work. They have a resource of volunteers and students from HND and HNC courses at Oatridge and are hiring in a Trainer for a number of days and our volunteers / members will be made more than welcome. The days they are coming in at the moment are :-  Wed-17 Nov,    Thu-18 Nov,    Fri-19 Nov,    Thu-25 Nov,    Wed-1 Dec,    Thu-2 Dec.

Please come along to assist!
 

Steam Shed 9-11-2004 Another very busy weekend with a major tidy up of the yard at the West end of the Romney hut being carried out. 80105 arrived back from Aviemore on Thursday evening. The wheel sets for both Austerities have now been sent to Bury for profiling and fitting of new tyres. Monday evening was very busy with significant progress made on No.7 with all the running plates and steps refitted. All the brackets that are fitted to the running plates have also been cleaned and primed ready for fitting. The distorted RH front buffer beam gusset plate was also straightened out. The major components of the reversing gear have been cleaned up and prepared for painting and refitting. No.19 - One of the Cylinder cover studs had sheared flush with the cylinder block and has been drilled out and removed. The frames on No.19 have been primed. No.1 - The new blow down valve spindle is all but finished and only requires to be lapped in to the valve body. The engine has been prepared for the winter with all the tanks and boiler etc fully drained. No.419 is in steam on Wednesday for the re-opening of the harbour ceremony. Progress continues with refurbishment and fabrication of new boiler components for the Sentinels. Next week it is planned to remove the wasted LH section of the running plate on No.19 and make a start on bushing the worn spring hanger pin holes on No.7 . See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

2-11-2004 A busy  weekend with both No. 1 & 419 in service with the Wizard and Witches weekend. Monday was fairly quiet but Dick has made good progress with the new blowdown valve spindle manufacture with it roughed out and the drive square milled. Good progress is being made on fabrication of new boiler components for the sentinals. No.7-  The RH running plate has now been refitted. The rear section of the LH running plate is also ready for refitting. 80105 is planned to be back at Bo'ness this Friday. See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone.

27-10-2004 A busy  weekend and Monday evening. Good progress has been made on the restoration of the boiler components on the Sentinals with fittings, pipework and new ash-pan-firebox parts being fabricated. The RH running plate for No.7 is in the process of being refitted with the new rear section now in place. The sand boxes have been cleaned up and painted as well as the hidden part of the frames and refitted. A pattern has been found for the new big end bearings, although it is not fully complete, and should allow new castings to be made soon. The new section of the RH running plate is also ready to refit. The sand boxes have been removed from No. 19 and the frames are now ready for primer. Both sets of wheel sets are due to be sent to Riley & Sons at Bury for profiling and fitting of new tyres. Its really good to see the engines going back together! Machining of the new valve stem for the blow down valve for No. 1 is now in progress. Next week it is planned to progress refitting of No. 7 running plates and refit the hand brake mechanism and remove the wasted section of No.19 LH running plate. In the Photo gallery see interesting photo of well travelled Swiss locomotive. This coming weekend No.1 & 419 will work double headed for the Wizard and Witches service as 80105 will not be back from the Strathspey Railway until later next week.

See photos of recent activity by Alex Livingstone

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