Latest News

Current news items are listed below. If the Acrobat icon is shown, then click on the icon to read the attachment. If an image is shown, you can click it for a full size image. You can find old news items in the News Archive.

Cab Roof Assembly
02/03/2026
	The cab roof was despatched to Brightstar Shotblasting and Coatings in Sheffield last week for blast cleaning. It had spend a while out of doors at Quorn and then at Diamond Engineering (CTL Seal) so it needed a bit of TLC. It was returned to us today and was promptly fitted to the cab frame.
Drivers Screen Window Frame
02/03/2026
	The Drivers Screen Window Frame comes in an inside frame and an outside frame. Here Mike is riveting the outside frame to the steel panel using an air riveter. The inside frame is used to hold the glass in place and is secured to the outer frame with sleeve nuts.
Coupled Wheel Spring Gear
23/02/2026
	We have around 95% of drawings to build 72010 - Hengist. Some drawings are missing and some parts were taken from LMS railway designs, i.e. pre 1948. For the coupled wheels, the suspension spring is connected to the frame via a spring link and a rubber bearer housing assembly. The housing assembly consists of a base plate carrier, 4 rubber bearers (2 each side of the centre and a top plate housing. The photo shows the assembly with spring link. We have been able to source the base plate carriers but had been unable to locate the top plate. The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway have loaned us the top plate housing from one of their Fairburn tank engines to see if it is the same as the one fitted to the BR standard Class 6 engines. Todays job was to see if it fitted.
Coupled Wheel Spring Gear (2)
23/02/2026
	Yes, the housing fits perfectly on one of 72010's spring brackets. We have had a discussion with one of Diamond Engineering's team as to the best way to manufacture it. The housing is now off to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield where it will be laser scanned. This will produce a 3D model which we can use to make the production drawings.
Window Fastener
17/02/2026
	Small parts into stock this week. These are the fasteners that lock the cab side windows in place. The steel plate is rebated and screwed into the outer window frame; the brass bracket is rebated and screwed into the inner window frame. The round part is screwed into the bracket. When fully home it presses against the steel plate and prevents the windows from moving. These were kindly made by one of our members who has a home workshop.
Grease Nipple Union
17/02/2026
	Ian has also made us a couple of grease nipple unions. These are fitted to the trailing coupled wheel rear spring hanger and supply grease to the pony truck pivot. In this case we don't have the original British Railways drawing so the union is modelled on a similar union for which we have a drawings. As we can't guarantee that it is the same as the original part, we have given it one of our drawing numbers which are in the SS-50000 series.
Sandboxes and Filler Pipes
02/02/2026
	CTL Seal are now known as Diamond Engineering. Today a couple of jobs related to the sandboxes were completed. On the sandboxes, the holding down brackets (or feet) have been fully welded in place. The sandbox filler pipes (on the left) have now been welded up. Diamond Engineering have also welded on the pads that are on the sides of the pipes. These provide a base for pipe clamps.