NEWS FOCUS

Above: This - but bigger! A 5-inch gauge Sweet Pea. Photo: Chris Bird. Right: Front of the frames, with at right part of the smokebox saddle. Far right: Parts of the Hackworth valve gear, with EHLR volunteer Alex Luckham holding the return crank in place.

“The young volunteers have gained a few engineering skills...”

workshop to allow more room to operate the machines alongside, and for painting to begin.

The project has given the railway’s young volunteers a chance to gain a few engineering skills, learning how to safely operate lathes and milling machines. A few of them have taken up mechanical engineering as a profession after enjoying working on the project. This also ensures that the skills remain on the railway for the overhauls that the locomotive will need in the future.

The next major components soon to be made will be the cylinders. The original plan was to fabricate them, but we are currently exploring our options with cast cylinders and are looking for a suitable existing pattern. Okay we know we can simply go to one of the commercial workshops, but we are trying to keep costs low by keeping as much of the work as possible in-house. With this in mind, we are looking out for the possibility that another society has had a suitable pattern made up which is sitting on a shelf waiting for another use. The size we are looking for is with a bore of six to seven inches and a minimum stroke of 10 inches, with a valve chest on top to match the outside valve gear of the Hackworth type.

If you can help us, please either write to us at the address below, or write on the current thread in the narrow gauge section of the National Preservation Forum at www. national-preservation.com.

If you would like to support the project please either visit the railway and buy a gift from the railway gift shop at Beachlands Station, or by sending a donation with a cheque payable to the East Hayling Light Railway Society, to: EHLR Steam Loco Project, R Honeyman (Treasurer), 2A Bembridge Court, Hayling Island, PO11 9LZ.

It you would like to join the society and volunteer on the railway, come to the shed at Beachlands Station and speak to one of the volunteers, or visit the line’s website at www.haylingseasiderailway.com.

NARROW GAUGE WORLD – No 69

After the visit of the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust Bagnall ‘Wendy’ to the railway in September 2009, and the return visits coming up this year, the EHLR volunteers are gaining experience with the operation and care of steam locomotives as well as getting a taste of the future when our project is completed. With all this work to bring steam back to Hayling, the Hayling Seaside Railway is becoming one of the UK’s newest steam lines.

The dates for ‘Wendy’s’ return to haul passenger trains on the Hayling Seaside Railway are on the weekends of, June 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27, and September 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26. There will also be a gala event on the weekends of June 19-20 and September 18-19, during which the railway’s diesel fleet and a visiting diesel will haul goods trains alongside the steam-hauled passenger trains. l

More Information n For operating dates, timetable and further details log onto the website www.haylingseasiderailway.com

15