Engineering notes

By Tony Massau

We returned to Bridgnorth during August bank holiday week with work mainly concentrated on the pony trucks, picking up where we left off in March. Some more grease lubrication lines were fitted although we await the machining of a few more fittings to enable this job to be completed. Some bespoke bolts and screws are also awaited. Painting of components has also been carried out. Some lubrication pipe runs supplying the pony trucks need to be fitted on the loco chassis before the pony trucks are placed underneath. Two of these have been fitted underneath the bunker. Also, two drainage pipes from the coal space have been fitted under the bunker, again necessary before the rear pony truck is in place.

Firebox work is in progress with various sections being marked out for hole drilling and trial assembly.

Some parts of the rocking grate mechanism have been fabricated.

Our own machinists have been on site on some Sundays in compliance with the SVR's coronavirus restrictions when there is a little more freedom of movement in the workshops with the paid staff being off duty.

82XXX In Service

Neil Evans has sent me two more images of Riddles Class 3 tanks in BR days. Please click on the images for larger versions.

82006 in clean lined-green livery heads a two-coach working on the Wellington to Much Wenlock branch. We don't know when the shot was taken, but the livery, and the later BR totem, date it to the later 1950's or early 1960's. 82XXX locos replaced the small-wheeled GWR 44XX Prairies that had been in charge of trains over this very steeply graded line for many years.

If anyone knows who took the photograph, please let Chris know so that it can be credited appropriately.

No prizes for guessing where 82020 was captured by Colin Caddy in June 1964. The engine is in unlined green, which didn't show off the neat lines of these engines to fullest advantage. As you know, 82045 is to be outshopped in lined green with the later BR totem, though we haven't ruled out a repaint at some stage into lined black with the earlier 'cycling lion'. Had 82045 been turned out, as planned, in late 1955, it would have carried this livery.