South Devon Railway - 3803 Restoration

The
South Devon Railway
3803 Restoration Project
moves up a gear!

With restoration of 3803 now being progressed with a view to having the engine in steam for 2006 all the stops are being pulled out to get the job well and truly under way.
The accompanying picture gives a taste of the future with the engine briefly posed in the station at Buckfastleigh during the shunting manoeuvre to take the engine to the North end of the site in preparation for boiler removal. A contract has been let with the L&NWR Loco Company at Crewe for the overhaul of the boiler. The boiler was due to be despatched to Crewe on Tuesday October 26th.

Meanwhile the chassis will be returned to the main workshop at Buckfastleigh for work to continue. At the moment the main project will be continuing the assembly of the motion. Orders have been placed with various suppliers for missing cab fittings and so on.

What a difference a day makes (26th October 2004)
Today saw the despatch of the boiler from 3803 to Crewe for overhaul. Devon Lifting Services were in early in the morning as was Dave Antell with his lorry and by 10.45amthe boiler was out of the frames and onto Dave's lorry ready for the journey North. The pictures show the boiler being carefully positioned on the trailer and the now boilerless 3803 parked in the loop at Buckfastleigh Station with the 10.45am train to Totnes leaving the station. Shortly afterwards the frames were separated from the tender and repositioned in the main works for work to carry on on the locomotive's motion.

24th November 2004 Update

With the boiler away at Crewe SDR workshop staff are making strides with the work on the chassis. Pictures of progress show the last expansion link nearly complete after attention to pitting and general wear on the inside and side surfaces. Meanwhile the cladding around the cylinders and cylinder block is being manufactured. The backhead cladding has already been made. New clacks have been delivered. The vacuum cylinder has gone off for machining to TMA Engineering at Birmingham who have already dealt with the rocker arms. Rough castings have been delivered for the cab front windows (side windows already obtained and fitted). A pattern has been made by a
member for a second 3803 numberplate. A safety valve bonnet was also recently purchased at a local auction. Work is in hand on manufacturing the cab floor with the capstan lathe working overtime turning out the bolts from steel bar.