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2019 and Boiler work has started

Joseph Wellsteed
Jan 20, 2019
3 min read

As we have not posted an update on the website for several months now, it would be best to give a round up on what has been going on since the last news update.

In August, the boiler was moved into the workshops for initial assessment by the boilersmiths with a view to start the work in September, pending progress on other boiler jobs. The railway would inform us as to when the bolier work was underway. It was eventually placed at the very back of the shed when 4160's boiler was removed to allow it to be lifted onto its side.

We have already acquired many new components for the boiler as they were either missing or being repair. These include a safety valve, a front tubeplate and a backplate for the firebox.

Meanwhile, a brand new set of injectors were ordered from the Severn Valley Railway. The original set were removed long before 5532 was rescued from Barry. These were completed and delivered to Llangollen in August. A big thank you must go to the Severn Valley Railway for producing the parts to a very high standard. The new injectors are now in storage and will be fitted to 5532 closer to the time when she is ready to steam.

The New Injectors, produced by the Severn Valley Railway.

We are now on the look out for more components including a Hydrostatic Lubricator and a Safety Valve Bonnet. If anyone can help us out with these components, please get in touch.

By the time October came around, unfortunately the viewed start date for work to commence on the boiler had been and gone. This was due to other boiler jobs (including 4160, Morayshire and Sir Nigel Gresley) had overrun. This was of no concern for us, as we were warned before hand that this could be the case. However, work away from the boiler had been going ahead, with new plate work being ordered to go around the foundation ring.

And so we come to January 2019 and at the start of the new year, work finally began on the boiler, the first job being to remove all the rivet heads of the old firebox stays so that the inner firebox could being removed for a full examination. The old stays will the be drilled out from the outer rapper. The support brackets on the side of the firebox will be removed to assist this.

It is worth noting that 5532's boiler is not the only No.5 boiler currently in the boilershop. The start of 2019 saw the boiler of sister loco 5539 moved into the shop to be restored to working order alongside ours. 5539 is owned by a board member of Llangollen Railway, who also owns 64xx Pannier Tank No.6430. We look forward to seeing the progress of this restoration and hope to see both locos work alongside each other in the not too distant future.

That pretty much concludes the round up of what has been going on for the past few months. The future is starting to look brighter and the days that 5532 returns to steam is becoming a reality. However we still need as much money as we can get to make this happen sooner rather than later. Please help us out by donating to the restoration or by purchasing shares in the loco, details for this can be found here:- https://www.llangollengwloco.co.uk/how-you-can-help