Betton Grange Society members have been busy making progress towards their target of having a rolling chassis for new-build GWR ‘Grange’ 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange, in time for next spring.

The driving wheels, which were once under the Severn Valley railway’s Collett ‘Mogul’ No. 7325, have left Kidderminster for the South Devon Railway where work is due to commence this autumn on crank pin modifications, journal skimming and removal of the old tyres. New steel tyres are already on order and should be on their way from South Africa any time now.

Meanwhile, following a complete strip down of the bogie from No. 5952 Cogan Hall by Betton Grange Society members at the West Somerset Railway’s Williton works, it has now moved to R H G Stone of Street, Somerset for machining of the horn faces. The wheels for the bogie have already been sent to the South Devon Railway and should be ready for reassembly in the refurbished bogie over the winter.

Back at Llangollen, where No. 6880 is being built, Llangollen Railway Engineering’s Dave Owen has progressed the fitting of the locomotive’s spring hanger brackets/legs to the main frames and these should be completed by the time this appears in print.

The frames themselves, are now resplendent in a first coat of gloss black and red. Bolts for the footplate are currently being made and quotes are being sought for the manufacture of a new cylinder racking plate.

Society members are hoping that the rolling chassis will be ready for inspection by members of the public at its big nine-day, Steel, Steam & Stars III event to be held at the Llangollen Railway from 21^st to 29^th April