Donors - the biggest givers

At the risk of repeating the endless refrain of railway preservation; we need donations. Lots of them.

And, the money arrives. Sometimes in surprisingly large bequests, but mostly small, affordable amounts. It all goes to the same project and based solely on our wealth at any one time, we can race ahead, or slow things down to wait for our coffers to fill properly before embarking on the next critical phase. We thank everyone for their interest, willingness to donate and generosity.

The donors it’s all too easy to overlook are those that had no say in their giving; mostly, the Barry Ten, the last of the steam locos that have been outside in the Woodham Brothers’ scrapyard, unmoving and largely unloved since the early-mid sixties.

With a completely broken LH cylinder casting (see photograph), 5227 now stands at GWS Didcot, having volunteered its the axle boxes, horns, fourth axle (axle only) and other various components.

5101 has given us six of its eight driving wheels and frame extension.

2861 has given us its complete cylinder block, which is currently in 4709’s frames as templates, but will be replaced once The Night Owl’s own cylinders are available early in 2020. The loco’s boiler has also served time with the 4709 project, but is unlikely to be a permanent solution.

The wheelsets for 4709 wait at Tyseley, having had their tyres re-profiled and where the crankpin collars and lead balance weights will be fitted. 5227’s axleboxes and horn guides have been fitted at Llangollen.

The Barry Ten will continue to give, until little is left but some rust flakes and the memories of their past.

But there is one thing any of our donors can’t give us; and that’s a boiler.

The first loco in the class - 4700 - did carry a No 1 boiler for two years, but once the specially designed no.7 boiler became available in 1921, it was swapped. We could follow the same path with 4709 and use the boiler from 2861, which would would certainly be a cheaper solution, by perhaps as much as £500,000.

However, during 2019 we decided to build a new no.7 boiler, largely as the risks and costs associated with using the older and less powerful boiler from 2861 are felt to be unrealistic. So, we remain committed to 100% authenticity - a new no.7 boiler, fabricated in the UK.

Which neatly brings us back once again to donations. We’re planning an appeal for funds to fabricate 4709’s new no.7 boiler and hoping it will be launched early in 2020 - watch this space.