Last week I made a trip to Bridgnorth for a catch-up session with the Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services team who are carrying out the comprehensive reconstruction of Dunrobin as a contract from Beamish.

Below: Mechanical progress is being made, with regular hours allocated to assembling Dunrobin’s ‘bottom end’.  Here the newly fitted crossheads can be seen (the items with the brass oil pots on them).  These transmit the force of the piston rod into the connecting rod.

Below: A close up of the fireman’s side crosshead.  Readers will recall that the cylinder block for Dunrobin is brand-new.  This is now permanently fitted, allowing the valve gear (already overhauled) to be fitted, work that is currently in hand.

Below: A view of the front of the rolling chassis, with the front bufferbeam still absent, to aid installation of the pistons.

Below: The new pistons – complete with the original cotter stamped ‘4085’ (Dunrobin’s works number and also the usual reference we make to it, between ourselves and the contractor).

Below: The new smokebox is largely complete.  This sits between the wheel splashers, with the wings of the frontplate forming the front panels of the splashes, which also include sandboxes within their assembly.  All very elegant and very recognisably Victorian in appearance.

Below: The cab has been receiving coats of paint, in advance of being fitted onto the frames (which are just in the process of receiving new cab floor plates).  A great deal of time is being dedicated to the detailing of Dunrobin, including the livery and the areas that were burnished steel rather than painted.  The aim is to recreate its pre WW1 appearance as closely as possible.

Below: An interior view of the cab, which will have a scumbled wood appearance applied.  The position of the bench seat is readily apparent here – occupants resting their feet on wooden duckboards on the shelf below.  Below this is the opening for the coal to be shovelled from.

Below: In the boilershop, the last stages are being reached of the overhaul of Dunrobin’s boiler.  This is the patch above the firehole door on the outer firebox.

Below: The regulator has been fitted and the longitudinal stays are in place, with the nuts loosely fitted at this stage.  The two pads visible are the injector mounting points, with the copper rings actually being the ends of the internal pipework for these.  The paired outlets above the nearest injector pad are for the blower – live steam from the top and the pipe to the blower inside the smokebox, to the bottom.

Below: At the front end, work is being completed on the main steam pipe and other internal pipework.  The front tubeplate will be riveted into position (enclosing this view) once the new dome has been completed and riveted in place.

Below: A close up view of the main steam pipe, which conducts steam from the regulator (in the dome) and takes it forward to the steam pipes on the front side of the tubeplate and on to the valve chest between the cylinders.  A great deal of attention is paid to these components, as they will become virtually impossible to access once the tubeplate and dome are in place.

Below: Looking into the boiler barrel, the inner firebox is clearly visible at the far end (this being the only significant original component of the boiler – along with upper sections of the outer firebox wrapper and throatplate).  Note the longitudinal stays above this, running forward to eventually tie the front tubeplate to the backhead.  The girder stays can be seen atop the inner firebox, and also the two injector delivery pipes – the copper pipes with the down-turned ends visible at each side of the boiler and which deliver the feedwater to the coldest part of the boiler – front and bottom.  This reduces thermal shock from the inrushing ‘cold’ water (it isn’t cold to touch due to the means by which the injectors operate).

So, next steps…  The dome is to complete and fit, and then the front tubeplate is to be riveted in place.  The boiler can then be tubed and the fittings or blanks added – this then enables the hydraulic test to be carried out.  A subsequent steam test will then be carried out, out of the frames (to enable full visibility of the boiler shell).

Mechanically, work will continue on assembling the valve gear and fitting the cab.  The water tanks will also be test-fitted, as these form part of the cab structure.  Three is then a myriad of smaller jobs to consider and complete.  When we purchased Dunrobin, it had a lubrication system adapted to enable it to be prepared without access to a pit.  As we have a pit, we will look to restore as much of the original design as possible.

Some small changes will be included – an ashpan sprinkler is being discussed and a spark arrestor will also be fitted (largely for when operating away from Beamish).  Then there is the livery…  For which more thought and scrutiny of photos is required.  I’d also like to find a pair (at least) of LMS loco lamps (as these suit day to day use), which can be ‘blinged’ for use on Dunrobin.  Ideally a clear and red bullseye lens.  If you have some lying about, please do get in touch!

A comprehensive book on Dunrobin will be produced in association with the Highland Railway Society, and work on this is now underway too.  Meanwhile, back at Beamish, the Duke’s saloon, 58A, is having a new roof canvas fitted and it will be tidied up and revarnished ahead of re-entry into service in 2025.  The Furness Railway Trust’s North London Railway coach is also to be repainted (as part of an extended hire arrangement), and will carry the olive green livery of the Highland Railway, in order to enhance the train formation that we will be operating.

So, million dollar question time… When will Dunrobin be completed?  I think it is fairly safe to say it will be in 2025 – unless any dramatic events emerge over the horizon.  When in 2025?  Well, that remains to be seen – but it will certainly not be the first half!