Erlestoke Manor Fund has issued an update on restoring its two GWR Manor Class 4-6-0s, 7802 Bradley Manor and 7812 Erlestoke Manor, back to operational service.
Both Manors are owned by the Erlestoke Manor Fund and have been out of service in recent years. Erlestoke Manor has been undergoing a planned full overhaul whilst Bradley Manor suffered an incident while making a guest appearance away from its Severn Valley Railway base. Both are nearing their return to service, one this April and the other next year.
7802 Bradley Manor
In January, major progress with Bradley Manor was made when new cylinder blocks were temporarily fitted to the chassis to check their overall fit and alignment, and to mark-up them for further work before they were removed again.
Since Erlestoke Manor has left Tyseley, work has accelerated in returning Bradley Manor to operational service. Regular volunteer working parties have prepared the frames for repainting and continuing to construct a new 3,500 gallon tender that eventually will accompany the locomotive. It is hoped that Bradley Manor will be back in service early next year.
7812 Erlestoke Manor
Erlestoke Manor returned to the Severn Valley Railway last December for mileage accumulation and acceptance running but had only covered 60 miles when a warm axle box was detected.
To fix the problem required use of the wheel drop at Bridgnorth, but as it was near to the close season, it was decided to keep it in storage in Bridgnorth Works before carrying out the repairs in February. The aim is to accumulate further mileage once the close-season track works at Bridgnorth have been completed. It is hoped that Erlestoke Manor will be formally launched back into passenger service at the Severn Valley Railway's Spring Steam Gala from 14th to 16 April.
5164
Erlestoke Manor Fund owns a third locomotive that has recently been acquired, ex-GWR Large Prairie no. 5164, but is currently in store at Barrow Hill. Work to return it to service will start once 7802 Bradley Manor is operational again. Because of the current inflationary pressures, the fund is purchasing items required for its overhaul well in advance of starting the work. The Large Prairie Appeal has been launched to raise these funds, and information about how to make donations is on the fund's website at www.erlestokemanorfund.co.uk
My sources on the SVR say there is no work for it so will be leaving the railway and going to the WSR – will it ever return?
By the sounds of it 7812 is leaving the SVR after the Gala as there is no work for it and going to the WSR. Will it return, doubtful, will the SVR survive even more unlikely with management that despise volunteers .