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Locomotive Works News

SR Q-class No. 541
2023 overhaul

Latest News     -     The Maunsell Locomotive Society's page for 541     -     Bluebell web page for 541
Earlier overhaul (completed in 2015)     -     Loco Works News
 

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With its cylinders re-bored and steam pipes and piston rods replaced early in 2022, mechanically it is in reasonably good condition. Firebox defects have however now seen it withdrawn from service just a couple of years earlier than had been hoped. Requiring a boiler overhaul, attention to its tyres and a new tender tank, the plan is to do the work fairly quickly, in part using off-site contractors, to which end the locomotive (but not the tender) left the Bluebell on 6 July 2023, going to Leaky Finders in Devon.

The Maunsell Locomotive Society has agreed to try and raise £40,000 towards the cost of overhauling the tender and providing a new tender tank. The Q is an ideal size and economical loco for Bluebell operations. It fits in well with the 'Southern' image, and it did actually operate in the vicinity.

Online payments to the appeal can be made by clicking either of the DONATE buttons here and then selecting "Q 541 Overhaul" in the drop-down box.

For those who prefer to use cheques, please send a cheque, made payable to the 'Bluebell Railway Trust' (and a Gift Aid Form if appropriate) to the Bluebell Railway Trust, Sheffield Park Station, Uckfield TN22 3QL. Please add a note to say it is for the 541 Overhaul Appeal.

As ever, a warm 'thank you' to all concerned who have generously contributed thus far.

May 2025

The new tender tank constructed by the 4253 Locomotive Company has been delivered to Sheffield Park, has now been fitted to the tender frames, which themselves have received new dragboxes at both ends. (Photo: Melvyn Frohnsdorff)

The Maunsell Locomotive Society's own volunteers have continued working on the preparation of 541's boiler cladding, as well as cleaning and preparing the loco springs for testing.

Down at Leaky Finders, work continues. On the boiler, all the new patch screws are now fitted to the new outer firebox wrapper. Major milestones have been completed on the loco chassis, with new fitted bolts securing both cylinder blocks, and the same goes for the leading and driving horns - full report (pdf) here.

April 2025

The arrival of the new tender tank for 541 has been delayed by issue with the gearbox on the lorry that was to be used. Meanwhile the Sheffield Park workshop staff have completed fabricating the new front dragbox for the tender chassis and riveting it into place. They have also welded in two short lengths to the inner frames of the tender, to replace corroded sections.

Leaky Finders now have virtually all the new copper stays in place on the sides of the firebox. New patch screws have been machined on site and the majority have been fitted to secure both the lower outer firebox wrapper sides to the backhead and throat plate. New Monel (a nickel-copper alloy with high corrosion resistance) stays are being machined in house ready for fitting in due course. The new tubes have arrived. Optical alignment of the left-hand side of the loco chassis has been completed.

The next edition of the Maunsell Locomotive Society’s Newsletter has been held back to await the arrival of the new tender tank. More details of the overhaul of 541 and Stowe will be contained in the Newsletter. The MLS would appreciate the support of more members, so if you are not already a Member and would like to join, please download a membership form from the Society's website.

The photo (courtesy Leaky Finders) shows patch screws being fitted - full report (pdf) here.

March 2025

The Bluebell's workshop staff are fabricating the new front dragbox for the tender chassis. Machining of the journals of the brake beam shaft has been completed. Meanwhile workshop volunteers have continued painting various parts of the chassis and other members of the MLS working party have continued cleaning and painting various parts of 541’s cladding.

Down at Leaky Finders re-staying of the left-hand side of the firebox is well underway. The optical alignment work is initially to take reference measurements, and align the whole chassis, before cutting out and welding in new sections of frame around the horn guides.

The photo (courtesy Leaky Finders) shows optical alignment equipment being set up to take measurements on the frames - full report (pdf) here.

February 2025

The new tender tank is essentially complete, with thanks to our friends and colleagues at the 4253 Locomotive Company, based at Rolvenden Locomotive Works.

Meanwhile at Sheffield Park work has continued on the tender chassis, which is being painted, whilst work moves forward on the front dragbox, where a new pressing has arrived. MLS volunteers have been cleaning and priming sections of the locos boiler cladding.

At Leaky Finders patch screws are going in to join the new outer wrapper and existing backhead. New stays are being fitted as progress is made along the new plate work. The chassis is being prepared for optical alignment.

The photo (by Steve Pilcher) shows work on cleaning and painting loco boiler cladding - full report (pdf) here.

January 2025

At Sheffield Park repairs to the tender frames include re-riveting the leading horn guides, worn areas of the journals of the brake beam have been built up with weld and the journals machined back to the correct profile.

At Rolvenden, the rear section of the new tender tank has been welded into place, and as seen in the photo above, the 4253 Group has been painting the exterior of the tender tank.

The second photo shows the replacement of the copper door ring on the inner firebox, where a new piece of platework has been welded in, and passed its Non-Destructive Testing. The remaining stay holes have been reamed, to prepare these for the fitting of new stays. Work on the chassis has seen the completion of the new dragbox and reassembly of the cab sides and cab floor and the on-going fitting of new steel plates to the horn faces and wedges. A start has also been made on the replacing the driving horn sections of the main frames, which were life expired.

Before Christmas the Maunsell Locomotive Society volunteers had made a start on repairing corroded areas of the loco’s cladding - full report (pdf) here.

December 2024

As of the end of November, the main structure of the tender tank is now complete over at Rolvenden, with the top of the water space and coal space having been welded into place. The front of the tank including the tool lockers and shovelling plate are finished and painted in primer. The repaired original beading has been rivetted in place on the top of the tender tank. The tool box doors have been re-hung to give a better fit.

At Sheffield Park, the rear dragbox has been rivetted into place. Other repairs to the tender chassis are also progressing well.

The photo (by Melvyn Frohnsdorff) shows the new rear drag box fabrication rivetted in place in the tender frames - full report (pdf) here.

November 2024

Down in Devon, Leaky Finders have completed reaming 2/3 of the firebox stay holes. Once the final inner firebox repairs have been completed, the new firehole ring can be fitted. On the chassis, the horn faces and wedges have received new steel plates, the axle boxes have received Magnetic Particle Inspection, and welding repairs. The riveting of frame stretchers, angles and bracketry is pretty much finished.

The replacement tender tank being made by the 4253 Group, as of the end of October, is roughly 70% complete. The rear section of the tank is fabricated and ready for fitting. The original tank-top edge beading has been repaired.

At Sheffield Park, workshop staff and volunteers have the front dragbox fabricated and bolted in place ready for riveting onto the tender frames. Maunsell Locomotive Society volunteers have continued to clean and paint the brake rigging, prior to it being re-bushed. The outside of the tender frames have been de- greased.

The photos (thanks to Leaky Finders) show the firebox side sheets being drilled and reamed ready for fitting the stays, and the new dragbox being riveted in place on the loco frames - full report (pdf) here.

October 2024

Leaky Finders now have the outer wrapper welded in place and the smoke and flue tubes ordered. All the rivets on the running plate angles are done, along with re-riveting the rear frame stretcher and boiler mounting bracket. Both frame stretchers adjacent to the driving axle have been removed, cleaned and re-attached. The new rear dragbox has been riveted in place. The new horn block wedges, slippers and associated nuts/bolts have been machined and all axle boxes undergoing crack testing.

The 4253 Group at Rolvenden are welding in the two rear half sides of the tender tank, onto the previously fabricated inner frame – see photo. The original sand boxes are back up on the front of the tender tank, and the steps and lamp irons from the back of the old tank have been rivetted onto the new platework.

Back at Sheffield Park the corroded front dragbox of the tender and a short wasted length of the inner frames have been removed. The front section of the outer frames had been needle gunned back to bare metal. Fred Bailey is preparing drawings for new rear and front dragboxes. The stripping and repainting of the loco and tender brake rigging is in hand.

The tender wheelsets have returned from tyre turning at the South Devon Railway.

The photo shows the inside of rear end of the new tender tank (4253 Group) - full report (pdf) here.

September 2024

Leaky Finders have completed copper welding on the inner firebox, enabling them to move on to re-assembling the steel outer firebox. On the locomotive's frameswork has concentrated on the horn blocks, which having been removed, are all now machined, and starting to be refitted. The new rear dragbox is almost complete.

The 4253 Group continue making progress with the rear half of the new tender tank and a new (second) access hatch (from the front half of the coal space).

The photo (from Leaky Finders) shows the new rear drag-box of the locomotive, inverted - full report (pdf) here.

August 2024

Down at Leaky Finders' workshop in Devon, the main focus of recent work has been on the locomotive's frames, the opportunity has been taken to replace a number of loose rivets. Assembly of the new dragbox for the rear of the locomotive includes a start on riveting together several of the components. On the boiler, recent work has included testing the new welds on the throat plate, and recovering the bottle ends from the old flue tubes.

The 4253 gang at Rolvenden have completed most of the work on the front half of the tank.

The photo (by Melvyn Frohnsdorff) shows the tender chassis rear buffer beam taken down from the frames in the workshop at Sheffield Park - full report (pdf) here.

July 2024

Leaky Finders have made great progress on a large number of repairs on the boiler and chassis - full detail in the report linked below. The new lower half section of throatplate has been formed into the correct shape, and stay holes drilled. It has been riveted and welded into position – see accompanying photo. The throatplate welds have passed their NDT tests.

The 4253 gang at the K&ESR have continued to maintain excellent progress with the fabrication of the new tender tank. The toolboxes at the front of the original tender were fit for further use, and have been cleaned and have been fitted to the new tender front.

Back at Sheffield Park, Melvyn Frohnsdorff has continued working to free up the rear dragbox on the tender frames, releasing and removing the rear drawhook, burning out rivets on the rear buffer beam, in order to access and remove the old drag box. The tender wheelsets have been prepared and will soon go to South Devon Railway Engineering for tyre turning. A Sunday 9F Club working party has helped with further cleaning of the loco brake gear components and the painting of the tender’s rear footsteps - full report (pdf) here.

June 2024

At Leaky Finders, work progresses on the loco's horn guides, with some rivets requiring replacement. The new rear dragbox components have been fabricated. The new plate work for the firebox outer wrapper has had stayholes drilled, and rivets have been replaced around the firehole door.

The 4253 gang at the K&ESR is working, on average, three days a week on the tank and maintaining excellent progress. The front half of the tender is all up in position, and framework for the rest of the tank was being assembled. Chris Hunford's photo shows the coal plate being offered up to the tender side and tender front.

Back at Sheffield Park, Melvyn Frohnsdorff is removing the two rear buffers in order to access rivets holding the drag box in place. The tender frames were lifted on 7 May and wheelsets removed. 9F Club and other volunteers have been helping cleaning the tender frames, wheelsets and brake gear - full report (pdf) here.

May 2024

At Leaky Finders, new boiler plate has arrived for the sections cut out of the sides of the outer wrapper and both sheets have been shaped, weld prepped, trial fitted and are now waiting to be welded in place. New platework for the loco's rear drag box has been fabricated and is in the process of being riveted together.

All the new steel plate for the new tender tank is now on site at the Kent & East Sussex Railway. The 4253 Loco Group have fabricated the new 'well' underneath the tank, as seen in the photo here. The coal space is under construction and lockers rivetted together. Back at Sheffield Park, the frames and wheels are being cleaned up and repainted, and preparations are in hand to replace the rear drag box on the tender frames - full report (pdf) here.

April 2024

The tender body has been lifted from the chassis and sent on a lorry to Rolvenden for the 4253 Group to commence work on fabricating a new one, which will incorporate many of the detailed parts from the old one.

The tender chassis will be overhauled in the Bluebell's loco works - full report (pdf) here.

March 2024

Leaky Finders have removed all the Monel stays from the copper firebox and the NDT has been undertaken of the accessible areas of the copper firebox. Work has also started on weld prepping the existing steel plate work. This photo (provided by Leaky Finders) shows work in progress on the firebox.

The tender tank is about 100 years old, and has now been separated from the frames and is being sent away to the 4253 Loco Group (based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway) for the fabrication of a replacement - full report (pdf) here.

January 2024

Leaky Finders have cut out wasted areas of the steel outer firebox wrapper on the sides and backhead that require replacement. The locomotive's rear dragbox was wasted by corrosion, and has been removed for replacement, as is seen in this photo (provided by Leaky Finders).

The wheelsets have been sent to the South Devon Railway for tyre turning; the axles and wheelsets have been ultrasonically tested and have passed. Boiler fittings are being overhauled by Bluebell workshop staff at Sheffield Park. Melvyn Frohnsdorff has been busy freeing up the tender tank to enable it to be lifted to gain access to the frames in order to assess their condition - full report (pdf) here.

November 2023

The full scope of the boiler repair has been agreed between us, our boiler inspector and Leaky Finders. Work has started to cut out the life expired sections of the outer firebox wrapper. The wheelsets have been sent to South Devon Railway Engineering (SDRE) for ultrasonic testing of the axles and tyre measurements - photo thanks to Leaky Finders - report (pdf) here.
The tender has now been moved into the maintenance shed at Sheffield Park for a start to be made in dismantling the tender tank.

October 2023

The flues and smoke tubes had been removed and some needle gunning of the boiler barrel undertaken. The boiler had its NDT (non-destructive testing) examination at the end of September. The frames were lifted on 4 October to allow the wheelsets to be removed - photo thanks to Leaky Finders - report (pdf) here.

September 2023

Leaky Finders have been pressing on with the loco's overhaul at their premises in Devon. The boiler was freed up and lifted out of the frames on Friday 4 August. The large flue tubes and smoke tubes have been 'freed up' ready for removal - photo thanks to Leaky Finders - report (pdf) here.

August 2023

The Q-class arrived at Leaky Finders workshops in Devon on 6 July - photo thanks to Leaky Finders - report (pdf) here.
The tender remains at Sheffield Park and will require a new tender tank.

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