Y14 Overhaul - Statement

Investment in Engineering Skills to Help Secure Future of Historic Locomotives

The North Norfolk Railway And its supporting charity, the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society, have today announced a collaboration that will see essential skills being passed to the next generation of engineers as they help restore the line’s oldest locomotive.

The Railway has engaged two new apprentices who will start work at the line’s Weybourne Engineering Works later this month. The M&GNJR Society is supporting the initiative with a grant to cover all employment and training costs of one of the apprentices. During their three year apprenticeship, the young engineers will learn a wide range of skills and techniques needed to keep locomotives employing Victorian era technology steaming well into the 21st Century.

They will spend time alongside experienced fitters and technicians in the line’s boiler shop, machine shop and running shed. Amongst the projects the pair will work on is the overhaul of Society-owned Y14 locomotive No. 564 which was withdrawn form service earlier this year for a statutory boiler overhaul. The 1912-built engine is the oldest based on the 5½ mile heritage railway and having her whole working life in East Anglia she is a firm favourite with Society members, railway volunteers and passengers alike.

To expedite the overhaul, the boiler work will be carried out offsite by contractors while the necessary repairs to the frames and motion will be undertaken by the skilled team at Weybourne.

North Norfolk Railway General Manager, Graham Hukins said “We are delighted to be able to expand our apprenticeship and trainee programme with the addition of two Engineering Apprentices and I should like to thank the M&GNJR Society for their generous help in making this possible. Next year marks our 50th Anniversary and we are taking a long-term view to the challenges faced by heritage railways – with many industries no longer requiring traditional skills, training is key.”

He added, “We are pleased that this collaboration will mean that much of the work on the Y14 will be done in house. We have recently evaluated how to best use our engineering resource and concluded that the emphasis should be on looking after locomotives and rolling stock that are based here long-term, and then filling spare capacity with outside contracts. Currently, our team’s skills are in such demand that we are in danger of restoring other people’s engines at the expense of our own. The new focus won’t impact current projects but, as contracts work through, the balance between outside work and in house overhauls will change slightly.”

Speaking for the M&GNJR Society, Chairman Martin Blee commented “The Society is thrilled with this partnership with the NNR. The two organisations have always worked together and supporting a further apprentice advances the Society’s charitable objectives and will help keep our locomotives in working order. The boilers of Hunslet “Ring Haw” and B12 8572 are already under overhaul in the boiler shop at Weybourne and the optimum way to return 564 to service in a reasonable timescale is for the boiler to go elsewhere while the bottom-half is fettled at Weybourne. Growing the NNR team will help ensure the skills to care for our unique collection of engines and rolling stock are available on site for many years to come.”