323 Bluebell: Overhaul Announcement 2023
323 Bluebell is planned to go into the workshop at Sheffield Park in early 2024 giving us an exciting prospect of seeing our flagship locomotive once again in steam…
323 Bluebell is planned to go into the workshop at Sheffield Park in early 2024 giving us an exciting prospect of seeing our flagship locomotive once again in steam…
Since the boiler test, and initial testing and fettling was completed, the finishing touches have been put to the locomotive, as seen in Andy Kelly’s photo from the 27th…
Following on from the beginning of the year the team has slowly been working towards finishing off the final construction & riveting up of the main frames…
No. 72 ‘Fenchurch’ successfully passed its steam test on 21 September 2022
Simon Blaker provides the following record of the boiler work undertaken…
Progress in re-assembly can be seen in David Lilley’s photo taken on the 29th August with more painting going on & as of the 31st of August Andy Kelly recorded the final placement of Fenchurch’s boiler in its frames using the overhead gantry crane in the Loco Works, No issues over whether that would fit after the trial run a few weeks back…
Andy Kelly’s photos record the passing of the out-of-frames steam test, and bacon being fried in the tradition manner for celebratory bacon brioches. During the Terrier 150 event, the incomplete ‘Fenchurch’ was displayed as best as was possible in the circumstances alongside ‘Stepney’, as seen in Owen Hayward’s photo from 30 July…
Fenchurch’s boiler has passed its hydraulic test, and boiler fittings are being overhauled and re-attached, as seen in Andy Kelly’s photos below. It is hoped that the loco will be assembled ready for display alongside ‘Stepney’ over the Terrier 150 weekend coming up on 29-31 July…
A second update for June see’s the majority of the boiler work for Fenchurch’s boiler almost complete with only a few additional tasks to be finished off before the boiler is ready for a hydraulic & initial steam test. The opportunity was taken at this stage to make a trial fitment of the boiler…
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…
323 Bluebell is planned to go into the workshop at Sheffield Park in early 2024 giving us an exciting prospect of seeing our flagship locomotive once again in steam…
Since the boiler test, and initial testing and fettling was completed, the finishing touches have been put to the locomotive, as seen in Andy Kelly’s photo from the 27th…