Workshop Update 10th August 2019

Saturday, 10th August, 2019

BR Standard Class 4 mt  2-6-4T  loco   No 80097

80097 is now firmly established as a key part of the ELR’s loco fleet. She has been steaming regularly since her launch in March, is a favourite on the FXP courses and proved a stalwart on the rosters during the recent difficulties with 80080.

The Group are still carrying out any maintenance required on 80097.

Ivatt ‘Mogul’ Class 2 MT 2-6-0  No 46428

After a (very) short break, basking in the success of the completed restoration of 80097, the Group is now well focussed on the restoration of our Ivatt loco. This new impetus has brought in several new working members and we welcome them to the Group.

Initial work started last year in stripping down the pony truck. The second axle box guides have been machined and the pivot bracket straightened.

Keith Savory, Peter Watson and John Greenwood have been busy in the sun working on the frames outside our workshop, which have now been fully sand blasted and painted with primer. It’s interesting that Keith and John were members when the Ivatt was bought in 1987 and brought to Bury.

The reinforcing brackets and supports have been chiselled from the cab frame, the sand boxes have been reinforced and refurbished and the blowdown valve body, silencer and cylinder end covers have been cleaned.

Now that the frame is primed, our aim is to finish preparing the axles, drop the frame onto the driving wheels and get the assembly into our workshop and under cover before winter weather sets in.

Time scale..?? Well, no one thought that 80097 would take 34 years, so we’ll just crash on with the Ivatt and see how it goes !!  

Why don't you come down and join us.

Pictures:

Cleaning grease and rust off the Ivatt frames

Working on the sand boxes and blowdown body

The sand blasted, primed and part painted Ivatt frames