Description

All of the locomotive’s steam fittings have now been inspected, overhauled where required and mostly fitted back onto the boiler. Another very neat job that has been ticked off is that the new blower ring casting has now been fully machined and fitted to the petticoat. Both of these are now ready to be fitted to the underside of the chimney when the time comes.

In mechanical news, the locomotive’s axles have passed their UAT inspection so when the time eventually comes she can make her way back across Network Rail to Didcot Railway Centre. Also, the tanks, cab, bunker and boiler cladding have received the first coats of top-coat green.

Finally – it has been a long time coming and I'm delighted to say that on Saturday 28 September, in the presence of the Great Western Society’s Chairman, Richard Preston, we saw the first fire being lit in 1466’s boiler since 2002.

In technical terms, this first fire is what we call an initial thermal cycle; whilst not raising any pressure within the boiler itself, it allows all the old and new platework to expand, contract and relax without any of the normal stresses – any possible steam from the boiling water escapes naturally through the open clack valves on top of the boiler 

Details