Newsletter No 21 – Summer 2023

Result of Livery Vote Lining the Loco GWR Swindon Colour Specs All that Brass – Part 2 Richard (Dick) Beckett Dave Dee Memorial Bench Rods Progress Boiler Progress

Progress June 2023

Week Four Half of the team spent most of Tuesday and Friday continuing working on the P Way department’s tamper by dismantling the track lifting units which, as they’re outside was hot work. Most of the components are seized solid so a degree of drilling out and hammering was required and, once separated, a lot of effort to clean off … Read More

Progress May 2023

Final Week During the week, the painting work continued and one of the number plates was fitted to the bunker plus a start made on the lining to show how it will finally look.  This was mainly for the benefit of visitors to the weekend’s Steam Up and open day at Rolvenden. Some of the insulation for the cylinder area was … Read More

Progress April 2023

Final Week On Tuesday it was yet more rubbing down and painting of both 4253’s frames and running plates and the top section of Project 2. Friday’s task was to get Project 2 out of the booth and upright which first involved tuning it over so the flat side was on the bottom to safely sit on the skids.  It was … Read More

Progress March 2023

Week Four Four days of working this week as there’s so much to be done prepping 4253 for its proper repaint.  The large, flat areas are relatively quick and simple to rub down but the rivet heads (of which there are hundreds) are far more time consuming having to be individually tackled with a wire brush. The boiler’s expansion bracket holding … Read More