323 ‘Bluebell’ is planned to go into the workshop at Sheffield Park in early 2024, with a view for the locomotive to be available in the Summer of 2024, giving us an exciting prospect of seeing our flagship locomotive once again in steam and working Bluebell service trains…
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 of November. This has been followed by a period of running in, to ensure reliable operation once ‘Fenchurch’ enters service. The subsequent photos from the 1st of December show a loaded test run to East Grinstead and back hauling the 4-coach Metropolitan set (80 Tons tare). Two trips were made, and even with provision of steam heat to the carriages, only half a tank of water was used to reach East Grinstead on each occasion. ‘Fenchurch’ also happily passed a “re-start from stationary” test on our 1-in-55 climb up to Imberhorne Cutting with that load. It was released into service as of 10 January 2023.
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. With the work on the rear of the frame plates now completed, work has concentrated on constructing the front end of the frame work. The new front buffer-beam has subsequently been fitted & angle work fixed into position & riveted up. The freshly paint rear sandboxes have also been fitted to the frames, to check they fit and to clear them out of the villas being a hefty item to store! Work in the new year will concentrate on acquiring and fitting new running plates as well as working towards fitting the new cylinder into the frames once some remedial machining work has been undertaken.
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 so help us to reach a major mini mile stone with the completion of the erecting & riveting up of the main frames. Moving forwards with the frames, apart from fitting the new cylinder block & repaired horn guides, work will start to concentrate on fitting the new running plates & rear bunker section which as yet need to be ordered.
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…
