7027 Thornbury Castle

Which three do you mean?
Take your pick from:-
1363
2516
2807
2818
2857
2859
2873 (admittedly in bits)
2874
3440/3717
4003
4247
4248
4253
4270
4277
5322
and perhaps one or two others I have forgotten!

 

Meanwhile....back to Thornbury, there has been some more little jobs done including preparing the two whistles for eventual use. Pictures on FB.

 

well, post Churchward standard on the GWR is roughly equivalent to post grouping on other lines... But if you exclude the amazing longevity of the 8-coupled types the list is much shorter.

 

More progress on Thornbury as the driving wheels have been removed from the chassis.

 

Good to see work progressing. Has a recent assessment been made about how much work needs to be done? ISTR that various restoration work was done at different times during its long post-Barry history, but I've no idea how much and to what standard.

 

I am really pleased that they have made so much progress, given that it was supposed to be "On the backburner this year" !

 

Thornbury has had more work done and the frames are now in the shed, with only the front driving wheels outside.
The boiler for Cromwell is still here and the 04 boiler has been taken off its frames.

 

I have to say more seems to have happened with 7027 in the past year or so than in the past 30 or 40 years!

 

Finally with with an owner who does the do rather than talks the talk .

 

That's pretty unfair. Pete Waterman did plenty of doing, just not on this loco. But I'm sure he would have done if he'd managed to sell a few million more records.

 

I wonder if D7076 is referring to Mr. Jones-Pratt...? He seemed to acquire quite a few buses as well a couple of years back, which have also now departed to new homes. I did think at the time that his bold statement of having 7027 finished in six years seemed rather ambitious.

Richard.

 

I suspect its a combination of the two, Mr Waterman did do a fair bit in the past, however in more recent times he has been more apparent getting publicity talking about things rather than doing them including 7027. Likewise as you note Mr JP was everywhere talking about 7027 when purchased, but then the actions rather failed to meet the rather extensive words and hence we are now where we are.

Don't really care who restores her as long as someone does

 

Work is continuing with the stripping and repainting of the driving wheels. The tender chassis is being stripped, but a crack has been discovered and they are considering the best method of repair.

 

According to the latest "Rail Mail" there are two cracks in the tender chassis.....but the boiler condition is "excellent". Work can start on the tender when 70013's tender is moved outside the shed.

 

After all this time in the open that's great news!

 

I saw that the tender tank has been lifted slightly and the front dragbox has been removed from the tender frames.

Also there are a couple of large forged steel blanks, which I believe will make a pair of connecting rods.

 

Oooh, some 'serious bits' great to see!

 

Work has now started on the boiler, with the firebox stays being prepared for new nuts - according to the latest "Rail Mail".

 

Sounds like the firebox must be in pretty good shape then. Hopefully this proves to be the case...

Richard.

 

Looking over the wall today, I could see that the three tender axles and wheels have disappeared from in front of the shed - so progress continues!
(There is a picture on the 70013 thread)