Earlier this month, visitors to the second open day for the Toddington Standard Locomotive Limited were greeted to the progress on Standard 4 No. 76077.

76077 was presented with a number of additions to what was just a bare set of frames just two years ago

For the first time since 1968, the coupling rods have been fitted and these were joined by the cab assembly being temporarily placed on the frames, complete with a cab side number.

The event was held at Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough, where the restoration is taking place.

76077’s restoration is being carried out with an aim to have the locomotive steaming in 2026, the locomotive’s 70th Birthday.

Chris Irving, Chairman of TSLL commented: “It was a very exciting day marking yet another significant milestone in the progress being made towards completing restoration of this ex-Barry locomotive.  The company is in a good position to meet current expenditure with the success of our component sponsorship scheme, which is now on its third edition.  This really seems to have captured the imagination of our shareholders: It means they can identify specific items on their locomotive that they have paid for and it has helped to ensure the rapid pace of restoration. But we are keen to welcome new shareholders to ensure that we can meet future costs, not least of which is the boiler.”

“So many ex-Barry restorations have taken the thick end of 30 years or more to complete,” he says.  “We have a very tight timescale of six years which at the present rate of progress, is entirely achievable provided the funding continues,” he says.

Meanwhile, at Toddington, work will soon start on the trial fitting of the crinolines and cladding, which have been manufactured off site.

Next year, the company hopes to have a major push to raise £150,000 to have the boiler overhauled.

Back in 1987, when the locomotive was purchased, it was the last to leave Woodham Bros scrapyard and meant that many components had been removed for other restorations.

When it moved to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, where the locomotive will eventually operate at, the parts were removed but as other locomotives took priority, work ceased in the early 1990s and the locomotive was stored for 30 years.

Fast forward to 2017 and a visit to the GWSR of Standard 4 No. 76017 prompted a small group of members to open negotiations with the owner, Chris Hinton, with a result being the TSLL was formed to complete the restoration of the locomotive.

Work started in 2020 in Loughborough. Once back in steam, 76077 will run with a hired in tender, which could be either a BR2A or a BR1B, if the latter is chosen it will be unique of the preserved locomotives to be equipped with a BR1B tender.  The opinion of shareholders is being sought.  Adds Chris Irving: “It is, after all, their locomotive and we will build the tender that they would like to see eventually coupled to 76077.”