Foremarke Hall pulls the 'Northern Belle'

Since Bryony, Tom and myself have taken over the GWSR steam department blog so much has happened. P&O has had new grate sections fitted. Dinmore Manor has had new bearings and was prepped for the annual boiler examination which is now successfully complete. 4270 has had the connecting rods removed for inspection of the cylinders, piston rods and rings.

However if you are a regular to the steam department blog, you may have noticed the lack of posts about Foremarke Hall. Well this is because at the end of 2019 the Hall was transported to Tyseley to have some work carried out.

One of the first jobs which needed to be done was to build up the cross heads with weld and remachine the taper on the inside of the crosshead. This was to ensure there is a really good fit when the piston rod is located into the taper.

The next job was to remetal and remachine the coupling and big end bearings. Here are the rods after being removed from the locomotive.

Whilst removed from the loco, the crossheads have also been remetaled and you can see them being remachined.

Below is the locomotive in the process of being put back together after all of the work had been carried out.

Once back together, Foremarke was then prepared for a steam test and some running in before returning to Toddington.

Whilst the front end was away at Tyseley, the rear end, or the tender, has also had some winter maintenance jobs completed. The coal bunker has had a coat of paint to help protect from rust and the chassis has had a thorough clean, led by Alex. Inside of the tender is normally somewhere you don’t usually get to see, other than when filling the tender with water and looks something like this...

However if you climb in there is a small passageway through the baffle plates which prevent the water sloshing about whilst on the move. One of these had come loose and needed re-welding.

Once that was complete all that was left was to apply a coat of paint to the rear buffer beam and await the return of the locomotive.

The Hall has now arrived back at Toddington and been reunited with the tender and was back in service for the race trains at the Cheltenham Festival.

Courtesy of Kevin Jarvis

I was very fortunate to have a rostered turn on Foremarke Hall on Gold Cup Day which was on a very special service, ‘The Northern Belle’ from Cheltenham Racecourse for London Paddington!

Ok so I may have bent the truth a little… I forgot to mention that we terminated at Broadway and the passengers were transported by coach to Evesham for the return to London Paddington. Oh we can dream!

Luke

As you may already be aware, the GWSR has had to temporarily cease operations due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. The decision was made following Cheltenham week and it goes without saying that staff and volunteers are feeling the railway blues. To exacerbate the situation, over the winter we suffered another significant landslip just south of Gotherington

Slip in January 2020 (Courtesy of Stuart Hamilton)

Enough remedial work was completed to be able to operate, however there is a lot that remains to be done and the ground is still moving. The suspension of operations means an immediate loss in income and the GWSR has launched an emergency appeal to help fund the remaining work. 

Dinmore Manor removes equipment prior to Cheltenham Race Week (Courtesy of Stuart Hamilton)

If you can, please consider donating to the GWSR and help raise the £250,000 needed to preserve the line for future use. Further donation options are being explored but for now please see the following.

You can help this cause by donating to us either:
By Bank Transfer to Sort Code 30-90-89 Account 47638368 using the reference ‘LANDSLIP’ plus your membership number (if applicable)
Or 

By sending a cheque payable to GWRT to The Chairman, GWRT, Churchward House, Winchcombe Railway Station, Winchcombe, Glos GL54 5LD.

In either case, if you are a UK taxpayer and feel able to download, complete, scan and e-mail our Gift Aid form to trust.chairman@gwsr.com we will be able to claim 25% Gift Aid. Alternatively, you can print, complete and return it to the above address.

Thanks,

Luke, Bryony and Tom