Erlestoke Manor Fund release steam locomotive update

Progress has been made over the summer at Tyseley

The Erlestoke Manor Fund have released overhaul and repair updates for GWR Manor’s No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7802 Bradley Manor respectively.

Trains have returned to the Severn Valley Railway after the coronavirus lockdown, but Manor locomotives have been missing from action, however, the Erlestoke Manor Fund is working to change this as soon as possible.

The Erlestoke Manor Fund are keeping the situation under review and has led to the resuming of activities at Tyseley Locomotive Works over the summer.

7812 Erlestoke Manor

The completion of the overhaul of 7812 Erlestoke Manor remains the number one priority for the fund, with work progressing on boiler and mechanical repairs over the summer.

The chassis has had the slide bars and vacuum brake cylinder refitted, which now leaves the following items to be completed and refitted:

New slidebar bolts
New pistons and new piston rods
Remetalled crossheads
Remetalled connecting rods

This means that the EMF are in sight of overhaul completion, but there is still plenty of work to do on the smaller items, a boiler to refit and a lot of painting.

The boiler repair has progressed recently with all small and large boiler tubes now fitted. The firehold rivet replacement is now also completed which now leaves to work to dress off the copper welds in the firebox and fit the remaining stays. After this is all complete, the boiler should be ready for hydraulic testing, with a new ashpan being on order to the same design as to that fitted to 7802 Bradley Manor.

7802 Bradley Manor

New cylinder blocks are now being machined by Roach Precision Engineering Ltd in Brierly Hill. In the latest update, there isn’t much to update regarding 7802 Bradley Manor other than that a pattern for a new cylinder cover on the drivers side is now under design. 7802 Bradley Manor is expected to move into the main works at Tyseley in the next couple of months for the heavy parts of the repair work to start.

The Two for 2020 Appeal aims to fundraise money for the repair work and overhaul work on 7802 Bradley Manor and 7812 Erlestoke Manor is still open, and more information can be found by clicking here to visit their website

Tender T2329

The rebuild project of Churchward 3,500 gallon tender to run with both 7812 and 7802 will resume mainly once 7812 has returned to steam and is in service with T2334.

Some work has progressed though, such as the below tool locker which is one of a pair for the tender, which has been fabricated by West Somerset Railway Engineering in Minehead.

T2329 locker — Credit: Erlestoke Manor Fund

Contract work like this should help engineering businesses through the current times.

Sales Coach at Bewdley Station

Public opening at Bewdley on operating days from Saturday 3rd October 2020 means that the sales coach has now reopened. The coach has a range of books, DVDs, model railway items and other railwayana, with all proceeds going towards the upkeep of 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7802 Bradley Manor.

Normal opening hours will be Saturdays from 11.00 am until around 3.30pm.

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