The Bluebell Railway in Sussex has resumed work on its Crompton D6570 after moving it back into the maintenance shed at the start of last month.

D6570, ‘Ashford’, first entered service in October 1961. It was withdrawn in February 1997, and the following month was bought by the Kent and East Sussex Railway. B350 Ltd bought it in 2021 and moved it to the Bluebell.

The front section of the loco’s no.1 cab was completely missing, with the crash pillars having rotted out at the point where they joined the floor and platework either side of the marker lights having worn to the extent that it was paper thin.

Removing the platework has allowed better access for the restorer to needle-gun the base of the desk and to apply a coat of primer.

Replacement cab supports, front floor section and crash pillars have been made. With the cab now fully supported from the front, the remaining platework below the driver’s and second person’s window to be placed right back to the cab doors. Once this is done, attention will turn to the internal cab floor and cable tray, particularly on the driver’s side.

The battery box link conduits have been reinstated, which involving dropping the air tanks, which also provided an opportunity to refit some of the tank pipework.

The battery box and battery isolating switch are now connected by a new, flexible copex duct, and the battery cable has been pulled through, ready to be connecting at a later date.

The inside of No.1 cab’s roof has had a fibreglass strengthening strip applied where the wiper motors are fixed in order to protect a kknown weak spot.

Over the next few months, the Railway plans to reinstate the other battery box and the remaining air tank pipework, and to clean and prepare parts to go back into No.1 cab.