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.
Wheels Leave Kidderminster
Published 21 November 2011 | Betton Grange’s wheels leave the SVR’s Kidderminster yard bound for the South Devon Railway. The wheels will be re-tyred at Buckfastleigh this winter and the bushes and pins refurbished for use on our locomotive. It is planned to have the locomotive on its wheels by the Spring of next year in time for SSS3.
View the video below to see the wheels being loaded:
June 2011 News Update
Published 10 July 2011 | Rapid progress being made on the restoration of the front bogie from ex-GWR ‘Hall’ No. 5952 Cogan Hall, which is being renovated by locally-based Betton Grange Society members at Williton works on the West Somerset Railway. A similar programme is underway with the buffers and front buffer beam. Continue reading
Grange Finds its Feet
Published 26 June 2011 | Agreement has been reached between the 6880 Betton Grange Society and the GWR(SVR)A for the loan of the spare driving wheels from Collett ‘Mogul’ No. 7325 for use under 6880 Betton Grange which is being constructed at the Llangollen Railway’s workshops.
6880 Chairman Quentin McGuinness and Mick Haynes of the Severn Valley Railway-based owning group, exchanged contracts on 27th April in an agreement that will see the set of 5′ 8″ drivers released for refurbishment after 30 years of storage at Bewdley for the unlikely eventuality that they might be needed as spares for the out of ticket ex-Great Western ‘Mogul’, which is currently on display inside the Engine House at Highley.
“The wheels have been hidden out of sight since the early 1970s” Quentin told Heritage Railway, “Our next task is to get them craned out from their storage area on the ‘Stourport triangle’ and moved to Bewdley yard where we can get them NDT tested and assessed for suitable use under 6880”.
Although the wheels have been untouched since being acquired by the GWR(SVR)A they are thought to be in reasonably good condition and restoration and adaptation for use under 6880 isn’t thought to be a major problem. It is planned to get a quotation from the South Devon Railway to have the wheels refurbished later this year, which along with the overhauled bogie truck, currently stripped for repairs at Williton on the West Somerset Railway, will allow Betton Grange to become a rolling chassis at Llangollen by next spring.
The final major components required to complete the new-build ‘Grange’ is the casting and machining of a new pair of cylinders, the appeal for which was launched in Heritage Railway (No. 148) and already over £10,000 of the £60,000 required has been raised.