Toddington Standard Locomotive Limited, which is restoring Standard Class 4 2-6-0 no. 76077, has announced that it will be coupled to a new BR2A tender of the type that it was coupled to during its working life on British Railways.

Four of the class including 76077 were rescued from Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry, but 76077 lost its tender while at Barry to 76017, whose tender had been sold to Briton Ferry steelworks for conversion to a steel billet carrier.

The intention was that as the restoration team didn’t have the correct axles and roller-bearing axle-boxes for a BR2A tender, a larger BR1B tender would be constructed instead, as that was: a type used by the class on the Southern RegionMore importantly, suitable axles and axle-boxes had been sourced from a Class 40 diesel, which would have brought a significant cost saving compared with having manufacturing new BR2A-type axles and axle-boxes.

However, last month, new wheelsets were purchased from the Bluebell Railway which had acquired them from Briton Ferry steelworks as potential spares for the BR2 tender behind the Bluebell’s Standard class 4 4-6-0 no. 75027.

TSLL approached the last year with a view to acquiring them, which led the Bluebell to confirm that they were unlikely ever to use them and were happy to sell them to TSLL for an undisclosed sum.

They were inspected by TSLL Engineering Director Andrew Meredith and Chairman Chris Irving, who found them to be in generally good order despite being stored outside for some 40 years.

To meet the cost of acquisition, transport, and full refurbishment an appeal was launched to ‘buy a spoke’ for £350 or half a spoke for £175, and that has already raised 75% of the required total. Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can find details of how to ‘sponsor a spoke’ at www.standard76077.com

TSLL’s marketing director Ian Crowder points out: “The discovery of these wheelsets at the Bluebell was a welcome but unexpected opportunity and immediately made construction of a BR2A tender affordable.”

Explains Andrew Meredith: “There remains plenty of wear on the tyres and we were still able to turn the axle-boxes by hand, even though the distinctive Timken covers are missing which allowed ingress of water. However, I suspect the bearings will need replacement.

“The agreement reached with the Bluebell Railway is of clear benefit to both organisations and we collected the wheelsets in early May. The tyres have since been re-profiled and the wheelsets delivered to LMS in Loughborough, where the axle boxes are now being removed for overhaul. The wheels and axles are being shot-blasted and painted ready for when they can be used in a new-build BR2A tender.”

Andrew Meredith points out that construction of the tender is likely to start after the locomotive returns to steam. He says “The engine will initially run with a hired-in tender and I’m keen that this should be a BR1B – this means that the shareholders who were in favour of the larger tender will at least see their engine with one for a couple of years or so.”

Paul Russell, Locomotive Engineering Director of Bluebell Railway Plc commented “I am delighted that these wheelsets, which we acquired many years ago and are now unlikely ever to need, have found a good home and that we have been able to make a positive contribution to the restoration of 76077. I look forward to seeing 76077 enter service and I hope the locomotive will be able to visit the Bluebell one day.”

Ian Crowder added “This is a magnificent result and it was enthusiastically embraced by our shareholders. We are extremely fortunate and grateful to have so many supporters keen to see 76077 returned to steam as soon as possible and I think the generous response for construction of a BR2A tender – the type that was attached to the engine from the beginning – really speaks for itself.”