Helping to preserve the Bluebell Railway's smaller engines
With the start of the new year and the frames sheeted over, to protect them from the elements, the team has started to move forwards on two fronts…
Following on from the start of the year and with the side valances previously set in place after the temporary fitment of the front end for alignment the four valence end plate wings where finally welded into place. With this work completed a start could be made at finishing off the final riveting to the rear end of the frames as well as the front end, once the counterweights had been removed and in doing…
With the repair section to the bottom of the boiler welded in and the tube plate set into its final position the front tube plate is finally ready to be riveted into place using the modified and upgraded hydraulic rivet squeezer especially adapted for this task…
May has seen good progress again on the overhaul work being carried out on Fenchurch for her 150th anniversary later in the year. Statfold Barn has pulled out all the stops getting Fenchurch’s bottom end overhaul completed & ready for delivery back to Sussex…
With all the major parts of the firebox & boiler having been repaired or replaced the inner firebox was lowered into position and the firehole door ring & foundations ring have been finally aligned and fitted into position. This has enabled work to now concentrate on riveting in & staying the new firebox…
2022 a new year and a fresh start on project 27 following almost 2 years of lockdowns, restrictions & towards the tail end of 2021 the team getting back upto speed with where we left off. Work has mainly concentrated on progressing on with the overhaul of some of the various components currently taking up space in the villas so that we can either hang them back on the frames or put them into storage…
With the work now completed for the fitment of the new throatplate, firebox outer wrapper & repair section to the backhead pressing the boiler work continues on a pace towards the fitment of the new inner firebox. New pads & washout plug bosses have been welded onto the new outer wrapper…
As a small group, we rely on fundraising to keep achieving our goal of seeing the Bluebell Railways smaller fleet of engines operational. So get on board with us today no matter how large or small the contribution.