A £36,000 appeal has been launched by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (IoWSR) to ensure a key member of its locomotive fleet is fit for the future.
After more than 60 years of use, the tyres on‘O2’0-4-4T No. W24 Calbourne have worn to the extent that they now need replacing.
“The tyres have never been changed in preservation,”Marc Morgan Huws, IoWSR interim general manager told The RM.
“We are keen to get it back in action as soon as possible. The tyres cost £36,000 and the work is being carried out by South Devon Railway Engineering (SDRE) at Buckfastleigh.”
By mid-March, the appeal had reached £9000. A crane was on site on March 8 to lift No. W24 from its wheels – the bogie was removed on the same day to allow maintenance to be carried out on the running gear. The loco also requires smokebox repairs. It is hoped Calbourne will return to traffic in July in time for the school holidays.
Progress
Calbourne’s driving wheels departed Haven Street for SDRE on March 18.The same lorry brought the driving wheels for ‘Terrier’0-6-0TNo.W8 Freshwater back from Buckfastleigh where they have been reprofiled.
Freshwater is undergoing a full overhaul. Time was lost on the project due to Covid, however, with the wheels now back at Haven Street, reassembly of the loco is underway.
It is hoped that Freshwater will back in steam in time for the line’s autumn gala in September.
Work continues to progress on the‘E1’0-6-0T No. 110, which is being reborn as No. W2 Yarmouth. A year ago, a contract was awarded for the construction of a new boiler – which is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2025.
By mid-March, a full set of boiler pressings was almost to hand. The firebox tubeplate and backhead have been made. The main operation to form the inner firebox doorplate has also been carried out – it now awaits setting up in the 150T press to put a big dent in it to give a flat area where it meets the firehole door ring. A large sheet of plate has been acquired from which the inner firebox wrapper will be formed.
Due to be in traffic this season are BR ‘2MT’2-6-2T No. 41313 and‘Austerity’ 0-6-0STs Nos. 192 Waggoner and 198 Royal Engineer.
Following the completion of Freshwater, it is planned for workshop attention to be focused on getting the Ryde Pier tram trailer car ready for service.
While the chassis for the trailer was built some time ago, the body has recently been constructed by a local ship builder. It now
