July Update

Monday, 14th July, 2025

80097:                              Preparation for steam test continues.

46428:                              Terry's Holtby's continued search for components has again born fruit.  This is (pictured) a double top feed.

                                         An unusual  type. The later Standard 2 variants had separate points of water injection mounted each side of the boiler. Conventional and likely a                                             

                                         lot cheaper to manufacture using a standard pattern. This component must pass some stringent testing before we can purchase and use it.

                                         To have a new one cast would be so expensive.

                                          Thanks again Terry.

You may recall references to a reverser bracket. We need two full assemblies comprising top and bottom halves. We had one half, the lower which fixes to the loco. The

upper top half was missing and the other side...nothing. Searches for spares or patterns did not bear fruit.

Fortunately, as is often the case, this same component migrated from LMS to BR and was used on a number of standard designs including 80097. So we borrowed a top

half and with our existing bottom half, handed them to a local pattern maker. He has done a great job and now we have a full pattern to have our own assembly cast in steel.

See pics of reverser bracket with weighshaft in situ and our newly made patterns. The search is on for a foundry who do cast steel.