Last steaming before overhaul
Sunday 6th March was the last occasion that Wadebridge was in steam before she will have an extensive overhaul. She was rostered to run two afternoon trips with The Countryman train.
Wadebridge at Alresford on loop ahead of her final trip before her overhaul. 6th March 2016 14:26
On her last run she left Alresford at 14:48 and arrived at Alton at 15:23. She started the return journey at 15:51 and completed the task at 16:22. After moving the coaches to a siding she returned to Ropley.
Wadebridge at Alton preparing for her last run until after her overhaul. Sunday 6th March 2016 15:38
Wadebridge is now at Ropley where she will be covered with a tarpaulin whilst she waits for her turn to be overhauled.
Wadebridge has been in service for the last 10 years but now her boiler certificate has run out.
We have sufficient funds to start the overhaul but we need your help to finish the tender and a timely return of the locomotive to steam. Should you wish to make a donation to Wadebridge, please use the Wadebridge 34007 Overhaul and Tender Fund form. You may also consider leaving a gift to the Wadebridge Locomotive in your will. See Legacies for further information.
Wadebridge at Alresford just before her return to Ropley at the end of 10 years service. Sunday 6th March 2016 17:40
Locomotive and tender update
Wadebridge has currently been put to bed for the Winter after a successful Autumn of running on the Great Central Railway and the Mid Hants Railway.
Whilst the loco has been resting we have been pursuing our goal of finishing the building our own tender with a major milestone being the pressing on of wheel pans on to the new axles using the South Devon Railway Engineering’s wheel press. From this point, the new axles are mounted in the wheel lathe for the next stage in the machining process. The final stage will be to machine the new tyres to the correct size for fitting and then for them to be given the correct profile.
With the tender wheels sets nearing completion we have been investigating the production of axleboxes for the tender and after much thought we are having a new pattern made by Preservation Patterns
Locomotive and tender update
The locomotive has been out of service with various defects and not really required for service since last November. She re-entered service in August. The most serious defect was probably that movement had been detected in some of the fitted bolts securing the cylinders to the frames. Removing the loose bolts and making new required the front bogie to be removed. Whilst this was out we replaced the bogie springs for a set of new ones we had in stock. One was found to be broken.
Whilst Wadebridge was in the workshops for this some other work was carried out; including replacement of the front buffer beam stiffening plate, changing two of the driving wheel springs, re-bushing the brake hangers, examining all bushes and crankpins and re-metalling the centre big end and reweighing the loco.
As far as the tender is concerned, we have reached an agreement with MHR for the use of Canadian Pacific's tender for the use of it till hopefully our own tender is completed, and they are now running together.
Wadebridge will be going out on hire to the Great Central Railway for their Steam Gala from Thursday 6th October to Sunday 9th October and will be staying on the GCR for it to be used for some of the railway’s driving and firing courses and photo charters and will be returning to the Mid Hants Railway in time for the Autumn Steam Gala on the 28th to the 30th October.
D Williams, J Butcher
Locomotive and tender update
The locomotive has been out of service since November, the main reason being that the tender developed a serious water leak. This was the main factor which prevented her from going to the North York Moors Railway; at the same time several other faults were identified, the most serious of which is probably that movement has been detected in some of the fitted bolts securing the cylinders to the frames. In BR days the standard treatment for these was apparently to flog up the nuts very tight, and to then weld the nuts to the bolts. This had been done on Wadebridge, and during restoration the bolts were thought to be tight and were left. Corrosion during her time in the scrapyard plus 4 years subsequent further hard work may be why some of them have worked loose. The cure involves removing the front bogie and checking all the bolts, and removing, making new and refitting those which are no longer tight.
This work is dependent on the wheeldrop being available, and it is hoped that the locomotive will be taken into the workshops next month for this and other work to be carried out; including dropping driving wheels for bearing and pad examination, changing one of the driving wheel springs, re-bushing the brake hangers, dropping all the rods, examining all bushes and crankpins and re-metalling as required.
As far as the tender is concerned, we have advised Boscastle group that we no longer require their tender, the hire of which we have been very grateful for; we have reached an agreement with MHR by which Wadebridge pays for remedial work to the tender off Canadian Pacific in return for the use of it till hopefully her own tender is completed.
With regard to Wadebridge's own new tender, we decided after much discussion to have new set of original BFB wheelsets made which are now available as castings at the MHR, rather than using the class 33 wheelsets which were to hand, partly in the interests of authenticity and partly because of the difficulty of getting non-standard design approval. The wheel castings and axles are now available.
New tender axles
John Butcher
North York Moors Railway - Autumn Steam Gala
We regret to announce that North York Moor Railway have decided not to hire wadebridge for their forthcoming Gala after all.
John Butcher