GWR Pannier at Blaenavon

Well things have been a little slow with the Pannier this year as all of our priorities have focussed on getting the extension open, but we have been able to progress a little at last.

We have finally completed cleaning down the chassis and just a few areas are waiting their black topcoat and we are starting to bolt on some of the replacement parts on the chassis.It is good after all of these years to finally start putting parts back on rather than taking parts off, we finally feel we are starting the long road in getting the chassis complete.

This weekend we fitted the front buffer beam and the two front buffers so the chassis is starting to look a little like a locomotive again.

We can now fit the rear bufferbeam, buffers and then start rebuilding the front and rear drag boxes.

We are only a small group but we have raised almost £60,000 so far and still have a long way to go before the locomotive is anything like restored, this is the last ex-Barry pannier to be restored and the only mainline locomotive currently being restored in South Wales.

Progress has been slow this summer on GWR pannier tank 9629, mainly due to the fact that we have all been far too busy helping to extend the running line at the Pontypool and Blaenavon railway, this is an ex-LNWR line at the top of the eastern Valley in South Wales. If the weather is not too bad and and we carry on at our existing rate then the line should be extended from its present 1/2 mile to 2 miles at Easter next year, we are all crossing our fingers.

The pannier meanwhile has not been totally on stop, fundraising has continued and we have been purchasing the steel to rebuild the cab and bunker, this has been profile cut and shaped by a local engineering firm, so we now have a kit of parts awaiting rivetting together.  we have been busy the last two days drilling the new buffer beams, they are now complete and just require painting before being fitted back on the chassis, it will be great to be starting to put things back on at last. we have recently purchased new rear axle springs that are fitted in the cab and the blower ring which sits on top of the blast pipe inside the smoke box. I have put a few pics showing the drilling taking place etc.

Drilling the front bufferbeam

The old bufferbeam is clamped onto the new one to act as a template to drill the new holes

Backing plate for the cab steps being drilled

Old front bufferbeam alongside new rear bufferbeam

 New blower Ring

Over the next year hopefully we will progress a little faster as we should have more time to work on the locomotive, we hope to purchase the 4 front springs soon these are expected to cost over £3000 plus vat and then we have the costly excercise of getting the wheels turned, the axleboxes machined and white metalled as we progress towards a rolling chassis, modelling in 12″ to the foot scale is expensive to say the least!

well over the last bank holiday we continued to shot blast the chassis of pannier 9629, it is now around 75% complete.

Shot blasting the chassis

Hopefully by July all of the chassis will look like this

 Once we have finished painting the chassis we can start bolting and riveting parts back on like buffer beams and footplating.

Hi My name is Pete Drummond and as well as modelling in oo, on30 and o gauge, I also model in Standard Gauge or better known as 12″ to the foot scale. I am involved with the restoration of GWR Pannier Tank 9629 at Blaenavon in South Wales. The locomotive has been on site in a stripped down condition for many years since its arrival from the Holiday Inn hotel in Cardiff where it was displayed for many years. We have now decided to start restoration of the locomotive in ernest and over the next months and quite a few years I will keep you informed of the trials and tribulations of modelling in the real world so to speak.