Restoration of Gresley A4: #60019 'Bittern'
at the Mid-Hants Railway

Steve was getting the Bittern rear tender door to close and lock sweetly.

Two photos (1st December 2004): Tony Wood

A space was cleared for the boiler on the middle road of the shed today by shunting the Black Five and its bogie outside onto the pit road. 

A start has been made on cylinder drain cock exhausts.

Photo (23rd November 2004): Tony Wood

Tender corridor end of Bittern 

Photo (18th November 2004): Tony Wood

Looking forwards between Bittern's frames at the air brake cylinders and, below them, an air receiver. Top right is the end of the middle cylinder slidebars for the crosshead

Photo (11th November 2004): Tony Wood

  Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern   (Index to archive)

Bittern's boiler:

"The hydraulic proving test was quite successful, with only a few minor leaks. The boiler was tested to 330 LB/in² this time.

"The smokebox is nearly finished and will be temporarily bolted to the boiler for transport back to Ropley.

"It is hoped to have the boiler back by early December"

Four photos (Chatham, 5th November 2004) and report: Andy Netherwood

This view looks forwards from a point near where the firehole door will be.

Andy Netherwood is going to Chatham this week to see the boiler hydraulically tested

Two photos (2nd November 2004): Tony Wood

Steve was busy on top of Bittern's tender. He showed me the spring he'd made for the corridor-end, and the arrester hook arrangement for the water tank filling lid. (Whilst water was being scooped from a trough into the tender, this lid would open to release pressure build-up. The hook held it so it closed again)

Two photos (28th October 2004): Tony Wood

I climbed through the sump into the water-space of Bittern's tender. The vertical plate on the left of the pic is a baffle, kept in place by the horizontal struts. You're looking towards the rear of the tender.

View in the same direction but from 3' to the left, showing (top lhs corner) the tender corridor

Two photos (12th October 2004): Tony Wood

View from footplate end of A4 Bittern's tender corridor

View of the rear end and  the 1½ tons of 3" plate which form steps from the corridor end

A cast-iron weight will be fitted at the front, and this lot will compensate for the weight of water displaced by the corridor's intrusion into the water-tank.

Three photos (all 30th September 2004): Tony Wood