Fresh from its rebranding in August, the LMS-Patriot Company has released an update on its work building ‘Patriot’ class steam locomotive, 5551 ‘The Unknown Warrior’.

The company reports that the new-build steam locomotive has been “progressing well”. The loco is at Tyseley Locomotive Works, and workers have spent the last few months securing existing components to the frames and manufacturing and fitting new components.

One task that has been completed is the fitting of the middle cylinder with machined bolts.

The two outside cylinders will soon be back from Ian V. Riley Engineering, and once they have returned, they will be fitted to the frames.

The locomotive needs twelve new spring hangar brackets, which have now been manufactured and machined. Once the frames have been levelled, the spring hangar brackets will be fitted to them.

Once this process is completed, work will start on the horn blocks and ties.

Also completed is the casting and drilling of three new rear cylinder covers. There will now be a final quality check of the castings.

Ian Riley Engineering moved to new premises earlier this year and is now ready to restart the machining of the Unknown Warrior’s six new driving wheels. Once machining is completed, the driving wheelsets will be delivered to Tyseley Loco Works. This is expected to take place in Spring next year.

The Unknown Warrior will have an all-new boiler, which is being manufactured at Heritage Boiler Steam Services (HBSS). The work has been progressing well, and has included fitting of the remaining longitudinal stays, fitting unions to various pipework, and temporarily fitting the J-pipe.

The company, which is currently in the process of recruiting a new chair, has ordered two sets of boiler tubes, so that it has a spare set. The tube sets have been ordered and delivered to the Huyton workshops of HBSS.

The company plans for the boiler to be delivered to Tyseley for trial fitting in the frames next year. Once the trial fitting is completed, the boiler will return to HBSS for fitting of the tubes, hydraulic testing and certification.

More information about 5551 ‘The Unknown Warrior’, together with membership details and 5551 branded merchandise, is available from the LMS-Patriot website.