Boscastle Locomotive Supporters Club

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Boscastle Locomotive Supporters Club

Boscastle Locomotive Supporters Club - for news and info on the history and restoration of this iconic steam engine

12/06/2026

The new motion parts are progressing well at Daniela Works Ltd as initial machining has been undertaken.

The bulk material has been found to be tough on cutting tools as the parts are roughed out of the forgings before being heat treated and then further machining takes place.

20/05/2026

Latest news on the replacement centre motion parts.
The forgings have arrived at the works in Shildon and they have started to unload them and work on them, first cutting the forgings to rough size before loading them on to the CNC milling machines to for shape finishing. A heat treatment then normalises the material before finish cut, nitriding and finish ground to size.
So quite a bit of work to come!

The images of the parts on the CNC bed are ones being machined for another locomotive but are similar in size and shape to the ones that will be produced for Boscastle.

17/04/2026

The replacement centre section cylinder/valve motion forgings have now been heat treated and are being prepared for shipment to the UK for machining.

We have also been offered for sale some castings from another Bulleid Pacific owning group 34007 Wadebridge at the Mid Hants Railway that will allow new flanges to be machined for the two 2.75” dia tender to engine water pipe connections to be made.

Boscastle will be on display again this weekend 18th/19th April and the volunteers will be conducting shed tours from 10am to 4pm on both days at the GCR in Loughborough.

28/03/2026

Work is underway to create new centre piston mechanism forgings to replace the ones stolen from Boscastle nearly four years ago.
This has taken a lot of time and effort to find a suitable supplier with the capabilities to recreate the original items.
The new forgings are currently undergoing heat treatment before being shipped to the North East for machining and finishing.

Another piece in our complex jigsaw that is rebuilding a steam engine, we are all looking forward to putting them to some use on the GCR metals.

19/03/2026

Latest on our Boscastle - Sponsor a Boiler Tube initiative has seen three new large Flue Tube sponsors adding four more tubes to the total already sponsored (Thanks to John Neal(x2), Brian Dale and Jonathan Sturgess).

We have also had one more of the smaller Smoke Tubes No.9 sponsored.

Each sponsorship comes with a certificate and recognition (optional) on our sponsors board.
Makes a nice gift for the train mad members of your family or friends.

See our website for details on how to sponsor a tube.
HTTPS://www.Boscastle loco.co.uk

16/03/2026

Following some generous donations from the visitors during the shed tours at the spring steam gala (every penny counts) we have updated the super heater T-bolt fund display as we are now up to around £800 towards the total.

On a “Park and Ride” shopping trip to Loughborough market at the weekend Boscastles boiler was spotted on the Weltrol at Quorn enjoying the blue sky and sunshine of spring.
More boiler smoke & flue tube donations have been received and the display will be updated when we know what numbers and names are to be used.
Inspection by a new boiler inspector is being arranged and this will allow an agreed package of work for the firebox repairs to be finalised.

Meanwhile our Engineering team have been putting out requests for quotes for some parts for the damper control mechanism, using copies of the original BR Brighton works drawings.

02/03/2026

This weekends GCR Spring Steam Gala saw visiting sister engine 257 Squadron in action, the photos below from Sunday show her being restocked with coal under the Empress Road bridge before pulling forward to top up with water. After that it was a double header with the visiting 9F on the last train of the day out of Loughborough.

A busy weekend for the Boscastle shed tour guides and the Platform display team (Pamela in the Waiting Room) gave us the opportunity to educate the visitors on the workings of the shed and Boscastles long association with the GCR.

The Friday volunteers have also been progressing the fairing work and the brake shaft has been removed to allow the brackets to be re-drilled and reamed for fitted bolts to address the minor misalignment.
Piston retaining nuts are also being re-manufactured locally, these will replace the items stolen nearly four years ago.

19/02/2026

The Boscastle workshop volunteers have been busy with more work on cleaning up the the boiler fairings and trial installation of the tender brake/handbrake actuation mechanism.

Once/now(?) the shaft alignment has been sorted the shaft can be removed and sent for welding back of the brake arm before final installation into the braking system.

The weekend of the 14th & 15th of February saw an extra shed tour session requested by the GCR to coincide with their discount weekend for LE postcode residents.
Saturday was cold but sunny whilst Sunday was just cold and wet but despite the weather many ventured out and enjoyed their tour around the shed and kept the three shed tour volunteers busy from midday through to the late afternoon.

Our next shed tour session is at the GCR Spring Gala on 28th Feb & 1st March.

27/01/2026

Boscastles sister engine the unrebuilt Battle of Britain class 257 Squadron was busy at the GCR winter steam gala and visitors to the shed could compare and contrast the two.
Annesly badged 9F 92043 (actually 92143 I think) also put in an atmospheric appearance as it came in to be refueled during the gala.

Thank you to all the visitors and the appreciated feedback you give on our tours and talks.
Donations from the weekend have boosted our superheater header bolt fund and it now stands at £500 of the total £2000 that we need to raise.

24/01/2026

Despite the winter gloom the Boscastle volunteer team have been busy in the workshop cleaning and prepping boiler fairings, refurbishing control valves and setting up the tender brake activation crank and handbrake connection to prepare it for welding back together.

Boscastle will be open to visitors at this weekends GCR Steam Gala when the shed will be open to guided tours.

Also an information display and our boiler tube sponsorship promotional display will be on the Loughborough platform/General Waiting Room with Boscastle volunteers to chat to about progress on our rebuild.

Address

GCR Station
Loughborough
LE111SL

Website

http://Boscastleloco.co.uk/

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