Seven Guest Locomotives amongst the ‘Stars’
Published 22 November 2011 | 
As at 21st November 2011 the line up of locomotives for next April’s Steel, Steam & Stars III event looks like this;
Visitors
Standard Gauge;
BR(ER) ‘A1’ class 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornado
BR Standard ‘7MT’ class 4-6-2 No. 70000 Britannia
Ex-LNWR/LMS ‘G2a’ class 0-8-0 ‘Super D’ No. 49395
Ex-LNWR/LMS ‘2F’ class 0-6-2T ‘Coal Tank’ No. 58926
Ex-GNR/LNER ‘N2’ class 0-6-2T ‘Suburban Tank’ No. 1744
Ex-CR/LMS ‘812’ class 0-6-0 ‘Caley Express Goods’ No. 828
Narrow Gauge;
TR 2′ 3″ gauge Fletcher Jennings No. 2 Dolgoch
Residents
Standard Gauge;
BR(WR) 78xx class 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor
Ex-LMS ‘5MT’ class 4-6-0 ‘Black 5’ No. 44806
Ex-GWR ‘2884’ class 2-8-0 ‘Heavy Freight’ No. 3802
Ex-GWR 64xx class 0-6-0PT No. 6430 (on auto trains)
BR ‘4MT’ class 2-6-4T ‘Passenger Tank’ No. 80072
Ex-GWR ‘5101 class 2-6-2T No. 5199 (in BR black for first time)
Ex-GWR ‘5101’ class 2-6-2T No. 4141 (subject to completion of overhaul)
Blue 828 joins Steel, Steam & Stars line up
Published 22 November 2011 | Subject to final contractual arrangements, the 6880 Betton Grange Society are delighted to announce that they now have agreement for ex-Caledonian Railway McIntosh-designed 0-6-0 ‘express’ freight locomotive No. 828 to attend its Steel, Steam & Stars III mega-gala to be held at the Llangollen Rialway from 21st to 29th April 2012.
The 1899 veteran, normally to be found at the Strathspey Railway in Scotland, is wintering at the Severn valley Railway where some bottom end repair work is to be carried out, signalling the possibility of a number of gala appearances south of the border prior to returning home next spring for the main summer season.
Chairman Quentin McGuinness said that “this is really the icing on the cake, the sixth standard gauge guest locomotive in what really is a stellar line up. We had targeted 828 when we first started planning the gala, but the costs of bringing her down from Scotland were prohibitive. But with the engine staying in England following its appearance at the SVR’s Autumn gala, everything has changed and we are very grateful to the Strathspey people for making this all possible”.
No. 828 joins celebrity ‘Pacifics’ No. 70000 Britannia and No. 60163 Tornado, ‘Super D’ No. 49395, newly restored ‘Coal Tank’ No. 58926, ‘N2’ No. 1744 and Talyllyn Railway No. 2 Dolgoch as one of seven visiting locomotives, whilst ex-GWR large ‘Prairie’ No. 5199 will be appearing for the first time in BR black and sister engine No. 4141 could make its return following a full overhaul. ‘Black 5’ No. 44806 and fellow Llangollen residents Nos 6430, 7822 Foxcote Manor, 3802 and 80072 will also be putting in appearances over the nine day event.
Engineering Progress – Nov 2011
Published 22 November 2011 | 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 21st to 29th April
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:
Summer 2011 Newsletter
Published 16 July 2011 | 
Now available to download, the Summer 2011 Newsletter with all the latest news, and info on SSS3.
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.
Extension Frames Drilling
Published 26 March 2011 | The extension frames are now being drilled, with completion due on Tuesday 29th of March.
They are due back at Llangollen before the Gala.
Video, D. Huntbatch. (Mr Belhurst)
Extension Frames Machining
Published 8 March 2011 | The two extension frame profiles are now undergoing machining at GH Stone, Street, Somerset.
Here are three photo’s and a short video of the work in progress.
We will soon be able to show the drilling work that has yet to be carried out.
All photos and video by D. Huntbatch. (Mr Belhurst)
February 2011 Newsletter
Published 13 February 2011 |
Now available to download is the latest newsletter.
All our members should have now received their printed version.