At Severn Valley last weekend
Published 24 March 2014 | 
A couple of pics showing the excellent sales display stand at the SVR last weekend.
We raised more funds for the project and recruited another new member
Betton Grange at K&WVR
Published 12 March 2014 | Our sales stand was out for the first time this year at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway last weekend.
Featuring a wider range of DVDs, the option of a red fleece and the new 9″ bears, our team had a successful weekend raising funds for the Society. The new Cylinder Appeal got under way with a miniature cylinder casting acting as a donation box.
LOCOMOTIVE WHEELED!!
Published 10 April 2013 | The momentous news this week is the wheeling of the locomotive on Monday 8th April at Llangollen.
The following pictures show how this was done.
On 13th April a video of the wheeling can now be watched on U Tube. Pleas click the following link
Firstly the frames were bolted onto dummy wheelsets for rolling outside
Here Mike Pierce is overseeing the fitting of an axlebox to a wheel bearing
Next the frames were lifted above the wheel sets
The wheeled chassis is run back into the shed. The first movements of Betton Grange as a rolling chassis
Finally the locomotive sits back in the shed ready for the spings to be added in the coming days
December 2012 Newsletter now available
Published 11 January 2013 | The latest Newsletter is now available to view by clicking the following link
The latest news from 6880
AXLEBOXES RE-FURBISHED
Published 9 January 2013 | Work on re-furbishing the axleboxes for 6880 being carried out at Llangollen workshops. All 6 boxes will soon be ready for the wheeling of the locomotive. Meantime the Springs, Spring Hangers and other associated parts have been ordered.
- Axlebox being cleaned
Rivet holes reamed out
Published 28 November 2012 | Over the 4 days from 22nd – 25th November working members including Mick Prior, David Huntbatch, Richard Pumphrey and Quentin McGuinness successfull reamed out a large number of holes in the forward section of the locomotive’s frames ready for hot rivetting. The process involved the use of the magdrill. There are still further holes to be reamed out once final alignment of the front buffer beam has been completed. Once this has been done the hot rivetting can take place and this is expected to happen towards the end of the year.
The above work will allow the wheeeling of the locomotive to take place in early 2013
A NEW STORAGE CONTAINER
Published 28 November 2012 | The Society has been given a 20′ Storage Container now kitted out with long shelf racking. The plan is to store parts used in the construction of the locomotive, labelling them so that we can produce a complete parts list for the build. This will help in identifying missing parts and in assessing what we have.
Part of the container has been reserved for the safe storage of Sales Stock and so most of the clothing, books and DVDs have now been placed in their new dry home.
WHEELS NOW RE-TYRED
Published 17 May 2012 | The 3 wheelsets for 6880 have now been re-tyred at the South Devon Railway’s Buckfastleigh workshops. On 10th May 2012 the wheelsets sit waiting for movement to Llangollen after the tyres were fitted and profiled. The cranks have also been quartered. The balance weights will need to be adjusted after the wheels return to Llangollen to bring them into line for use under a ‘Grange’ Class locomotive.
It is expected that the VAB will inspect the work before transport to Llangollen shortly.
Engineering Progress
Published 5 March 2012 | Progress on building 6880 is continuing as the following photographs show.
These bolts are for fixing the Extension Frames to the Main Frames
This is one of the Brake Shaft Castings
This is a view of the front end showing the cast brackets to support the front buffer beam
The footplating has been secured to the frames and painted
SSS3 Newsletter
Published 24 February 2012 | Click here to view the SSS3 Newsletter now being sent to thousands of people across the UK SSS3 Newsletter