The cab is making good progress with roof having been assembled on a specially made cradle, and the sides and spectacle panels added temporarily using bolts. Once the cab assembly has been proved, it will be completely dismantled and grit blasted and primed prior to riveting together.  The profiled plate work for the cab is presently being rolled and pressed to shape.

The pattern for the chimney is making good progress at South Lincs Foundry at Spalding.

The front boiler support and pony truck top centre castings have been delivered following machining and have been trial fitted to the frames.  The Cartazzi horn blocks have been removed from the frames and sent to North View Engineering in Darlington for adjustment and welding on the manganese steel liners. North View has also manufactured the Cartazzi horn stays.

Back at Darlington Locomotive Works the footplating has reached the stage where it has all been removed for grit blasting and priming prior to final fitting
North View has also started manufacture of the first of four large fabricated frame stays, the frame stay and inside motion bracket which apart from keeping the frame plates the correct distance support the inside slide bars.

Timsons Engineering at Kettering have been awarded our largest single machining order to date to machine all the engine axle and cannon boxes and manufacture all the spacer, abutment and thrower rings and details for the roller bearings and axle boxes.

Cab side trial fit – David Elliott

Fitting the spectacle plate to the cab side – David Elliott

Mick Robinson works on the cab – David Elliott

The whole assembly begins to take shape – David Elliott 

Uprighted, the classic shape of Gresley’s wind-cutting cab is apparent – Bob Hughes