The Churchward County Trust (CCT) has announced that they now own a variety of key components required to construct their new build Great Western Railway (GWR) 3800 ‘Churchward County' Class No.3840 “County of Montgomery”.
The Great Western Society (GWS), based at Didcot Railway Centre (DRC), has donated these parts to the CCT to support the project. The components had already been preserved by the GWS to build a GWR 4-4-0 County, but with other new build and restoration projects ongoing, the Society never started on the 3800 class. When the CCT was established, the GWS agreed to transfer these parts to the Trust once a couple of key milestones had been achieved, which they now have.
Components transferred include:
From GWR 2-8-0T 5205 Class No.5227
- GWR Standard No.4 Boiler No.5212 – Built in 1923, this type of boiler was fitted to Churchward Countries and a number of other classes
- Pony truck wheelset with both axleboxes – To be used to form the bogie for 3840
- Four horn guides (subject to being suitable)
- Two eccentric sheaves
From other locomotives
- Rolling Chassis for a Churchward 3,500-gallon tender No.2143 – In a suitable condition to be restored
- Four axleboxes for the coupled wheels – from 2800 2-8-0 No.2861
Plans are underway to prepare these components for transportation to Tyseley Locomotive Works to join the main frame, and where future assessment of restoration work can take place.
Churchward County Trust Chairman Gary Boyd-Hope said: “I would like to take this opportunity to place on record our gratitude to the Great Western Society for its generous donation of these parts to the Trust. The society has been very supportive of our project from the beginning, having already loaned us the pattern to have No. 3840's coupled wheels cast. Its support shows great faith in the CCT and belief in our ability to achieve our goal.
“The formal handover of these parts effectively means that we have all of the major items required to complete the locomotive – frames, boiler, wheels, cylinders and tender. There is a considerable amount of work still to do, and a lot of money still to raise, but the key pieces of the jigsaw are in place.”
For more information or to support the Churchward County Trust, please visit their website here.
If i won the lottery,! My engines rebuild would have a thin inner shell or boiler lining of stainless steel, Same material for the smoke tubes! Super heating tubes as they are, (two a penny). All frames ground down, Galvanized and painted black! Purists neednt know a thing? Maybe a small off the shelf wallace/tiernen dose pump on the tender supply side, Befor the injecter stage, To manage/ maintain best pH setting for all inner corrosive parts, (Although i must add that ive absolutely no idea what happens when cold tender water meets immediate boiling point and 280 PSI), Better than doseing the tender with buckets thats going to be topped up again tomorrow and the next day. Look in your kettle! Could i have just one Trevithic idea? Sorry, Terrific idea. (Maybe get a remark on RailAdvent of corrosion issues from the horses mouth)! Heading, 30year boiler inspection? OK, Tongue in cheek! But you get the jist.