Y14 Overhaul Update

TheY14:2014 Appealis already allowing real progress to be made on the overhaul of J15 7564, which will see her returned in the guise of a Great Eastern Railway Y14. The appeal has now breached £40,000 and thank you to all those who have so far donated. Without your help we would not be able to update you on the fantastic progress to date! But there is still a long way to go before the works can be completed though - if you haven't yet donated to the appeal, please do so today so we can return our centenarian locomotive back to steam for another ten years.

You can support the appeal by making a single or monthly donation (you can download a formhere) or joining a supporting club, such asThe Loco Clubor theJ15 '200' Club.

After 7564's frames were lifted cleared of her wheels, the three driving wheelsets have been in a specialist wheel lathe to undergo machining to a 'P9' profile specification. This profile ensures the locomotive sits correctly on the rail head and tracks around curves accordingly with minimum flange wear. This is one of several tasks being undertaken that must be completed whilst the locomotive is dismantled, as machining a wheelset once assembled is difficult to undertake without a specialist rolling road type wheel lathe.

The tender frames have now been stripped and are in undercoat, ready for the first application of Great Eastern Railway blue. Several test panels are being produced to ensure the correct shade of GER Blue is sourced to match the original and we are working with Williamsons, a paint specialist who still hold on record the original mixes from over a century ago, including GER, LNER and BR specifications.

The engine's front bufferbeam has now been removed, with repair work taking place as necessary with the cylinder pistons removed for machining.

Looking ahead, the locomotive's boiler will be stripped and assessed, with repairs made where possible - whilst the appeal fund raised to date will enable this work to begin, we cannot emphasise enough our reliance onYOURhelp and support to the appeal to enable it to be finished. We still need to raise a further £60,000 to complete the overhaul. Please dig into your pockets and give generously.