Restoration
progress.
Our locomotive left Barry in 1987 and was
taken to the base of Humberside Locomotive Preservation Group at Dairycoates,
Hull. There it was stripped down to component parts and repairs to some of
those parts commenced whilst other new parts were started to be fabricated.
Work was then put on hold and the locomotive was put up for sale. This was
where we came in. A number of active volunteers from the Colne Valley Railway
formed a consortium to raise the funds to purchase 45163 for restoration back
to full working order and eventual use at the CVR.
The purchase was completed at the end of
1991 and work parties started to travel regularly to Hull to recommence work
on restoration. In 1993 the locomotive and all component parts were moved to
the Colne Valley Railway at Castle Hedingham in Essex. Restoration work
continued and quite good progress was made however our locomotive was now
outside whereas it had been undercover at Hull. We soon realised that our
project stood a much better chance of successful completion if we could provide
full undercover engineering facilities. Something that the Colne Valley Railway
did not have to offer from its own resources. The search for a suitable
building located a disused steel frame structure in an old coalyard no more
than a mile away from the railway. Following successful negotiations for its
purchase in February 1997 we dismantled it and transported it to the railway.
The original building was only 60 feet long so we have
constructed an additional steel bay to extend it to 75 feet in length x 40 feet
wide. Construction was substantially completed in 2002 with an official opening
by railway artist Malcolm Root on Saturday 27 April 2002.
The Southeast elevation of the shed showing the cladding completed. Malcolm Root cuts the ribbon to
officially open our restoration shed.
Work on the locomotive has not stood still
whilst the shed is being constructed. Most efforts have concentrated on the
acquisition of missing parts. Either by locating original components or by
sourcing castings ready to be machined to make the parts that we need.
A resume of the major work so far
completed includes: -
All locomotive tyres, journals and crankpins
turned.
Cylinders re-lined and valves re-bored.
New smokebox, ashpan and running plates fabricated.
Front dragbox re-built.
Sandboxes and locomotive steam brake cylinder
re-furbished for re-fitting.
Bogie axleboxes re-metalled and machined ready for
assembly.
Some more recent acquisitions include a
pair of new live steam injectors, injector water valves, tender drawbar, 8 feed
Silvertown mechanical lubricator and new damper pads for the driving wheels and
tender.
Many smaller parts, too numerous to
mention, are repaired or manufactured ready to be assembled. Our current
project is to complete repairs to the bogie with a view to being able to
re-wheel it soon. Our main frames have now been moved and mounted on purpose
made frame trolleys to get them into the shed and to give them mobility until
the re-wheeling. By visiting our web page regularly we will keep you up to date
with progress.
The first machinery
installed in the shed was put to use boring out one of the wheels for our
frame trolleys mentioned above.
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