Six high-profile steam project groups with the common objective of delivering their respective locomotives fit for UK main line running have held a successful second meeting at CTL Seal Ltd in Sheffield.

All of the founder members attended :

Engineering

Over recent weeks management work on the planning and arrangement of important next steps for the chassis reassembly at West Shed has been unavoidably restricted by staff availability and unscheduled operations for 6233. However a West Shed team meeting this week agreed a set of actions, including progressing detailed arrangements for component testing with Boro Foundry and for wheelset assembly at South Devon Railway Engineering.  Arrangements for dragbox and rear cylinder cover replacement were also approved. 

Finance

At the first board meeting of the new financial year on 30 July a summary of our Quarter 1 results for 2022/2023 along with the accounts for 2021/22 was presented to the board for approval.

Prior to that, a meeting was held with our accountants at their offices in Stafford to receive their verdict:

‘The total income for the year showed a reduction from that in 2020/2021.  However, the charity has fared very well through the pandemic and is emerging in a healthy cash position. Now looking forward to external events coming back online and to utilising the cash reserves to progress work on the engine.’

Engineering

Seven driving wheels have now been cast at William Cooks. (The order includes two for Royal Scot). Casting the last wheel in the order has been delayed to next week to allow us to witness and record the process. Proof machining and testing of the wheels is planned for July.

Planning for the tyre and axle supply and wheelset assembly is complete.

Our preparation for the testing of chassis components (in the absence of original documentation) is being completed this week. We have been able to arrange for a competent volunteer to carry out hardness testing at West Shed before MPI testing is carried out at Boro Foundry.

Finance