From the Chairman and Engineering Management

Dear reader,
Tony and I would like to make a very special announcement. No, we are not going to stand at the upcoming General Election, however interesting that would be.

On the morning of Monday June 3rd, the boiler destined for 82045 was gently lowered into place for a trial fit. This is a very momentous occasion and one that we have been working towards for some time. More specifically the last month or so has been all about preparation for this day. We took a number of pictures and these can help you appreciate the occasion and celebrate a milestone in the build. We did announce this date at the AGM and I am very glad that we stuck to the programme and achieved this feat on time. In these difficult times it is great to achieve major stages in our ambitious project.

Even better in some ways I am pleased to say that the boiler fitted very well and after a small amount of adjustment it was removed from the frames for further work towards completion. In reality there is still a good amount of work to do to finish the job, but even the most cynical observer would have to admit that we are on the home stretch. Now that we understand how the boiler fitted, we can complete the joining of the barrel to the firebox and the barrel to the smokebox. All the tubes are on site and they will be fitted towards the end of the summer.

As we nearly have a full kit of parts for the build it is entirely possible that the boiler will be complete and ready for test towards the end of the year. I would once again like to thank the SVR Boiler Team at Bridgnorth and the 82045 working members who prepared the frames ready for the trial. Finally, it is important to recognise and thank the supporters who have donated sufficient funds to ensure that the entire boiler has been funded to completion. Thank you!

I hope that each of us can celebrate this occasion in our own way and feel that we are one step closer to the end goal.