Will the cladding ever be finished......

Cleaning of the main boiler and firebox cladding.

Still many small bits to be sorted proir to reassembly.

Some of the lips and cladding edges have been eaten away by tin worm. Time to cut out the wasted sections.

Then weld in replacement patches prior to fianl rubbing down and painting.

bogie overhaul begins

With the frames back on the driving wheels the bogie has benn removed and is being stripped.

Tyres will be turned an the axle boxes overhauled.

Lots of parts to clean inspect and repaint ready for reassembly.

Yet more cladding!

The top fire box corners cleaned and ready for repainting.

The cylinder cladding finally completed and ready for transport to Tyseley for refitting.

Another view of the refurbished cylinder cladding.

Having finished the cylinder cladding work moves onto the firbox cladding.

Careful attention with the angle grinder removes the crud and flakey paint before sanding and painting

The next project is the doorplate or backhead cladding.

At least this time around we have all the parts rather than with the restoration when they had to be made.

3850 update

New tender main draw bar cup being manufactured.

This contains the rubber discs on the back of the main draw bar clevis which connects the loco draw bar to the tender. The rubber discs help to take out any shock loadings.

Here all of the finished bits are laid out. Next job is to transport them to Minehead and fit to the tender when it is stopped for a washout and can be separated from the loco.

You may have heard rumours about 3850 going to another heritage railway this summer and that we turned down a very good offer.  The reality is that we received a telephone enquiry, which, with the co-operation of the West Somerset Railway, we followed up. In the event the other railway hired a different locomotive, so we remain on the WSR.