Lord Fisher an Update

Published: 14/09/2026

Credit: BH

With Loard Fishers boiler away work continues on the rest of the locomotive.

 Alongside the boiler work, the main frames have undergone extensive restoration. The frames form the structural backbone of the locomotive, carrying the weight of the boiler, cylinders, and motion while resisting the considerable stresses generated in traffic. Our work has included stripping the frames back to bare metal to identify areas of corrosion, wear, or historic repair, followed by careful inspection of horn faces, axlebox guides, and frame stretcher fixings for wear outside tolerance. Where wear has been found, horn faces have been re-machined and, where necessary, packed or built up to restore correct axlebox running clearances. Frame stretchers and cross-stays have been checked for security and re-fitted where required, ensuring the frames remain square and true.

Work is also underway on grinding in the valves. Steam locomotive valves and their seats must form a gas-tight seal to ensure steam is admitted to and exhausted from the cylinders at the correct point in the piston stroke; any imperfection in the mating surfaces results in leakage past the valve, reduced power, increased steam consumption, and uneven running.