Our locomotive left Barry in 1987 and was taken to the base of Humberside Locomotive Preservation Group at Dairycoates, Hull. There it was stripped down to component parts and repairs to some of those parts commenced whilst other new parts were started to be fabricated. Work was then put on hold and the locomotive was put up for sale. This was where we came in. A number of active volunteers from the Colne Valley Railway formed a consortium to raise the funds to purchase 45163 for restoration back to full working order and eventual use at the CVR.

The purchase was completed at the end of 1991 and work parties started to travel regularly to Hull to recommence work on restoration. In 1993 the locomotive and all component parts were moved to the Colne Valley Railway at Castle Hedingham in Essex. Restoration work continued and quite good progress was made however our locomotive was now outside whereas it had been undercover at Hull. We soon realised that our project stood a much better chance of successful completion if we could provide full undercover engineering facilities. Something that the Colne Valley Railway did not have to offer from its own resources. The search for a suitable building located a disused steel frame structure in an old coalyard no more than a mile away from the railway. Following successful negotiations for its purchase in February 1997 we dismantled it and transported it to the railway. Since then most of our efforts have concentrated on erecting this building as our workshop. The original building was only 60 feet long so we have constructed an additional steel bay to extend it to 75 feet in length x 40 feet wide. This work is now substantially complete. One or two jobs remain to completed on the internal fit out.

Work on the locomotive has not stood still whilst the shed is being constructed. Most efforts have concentrated on the acquisition of missing parts. Either by locating original components or by sourcing castings ready to be machined to make the parts that we need.

A resume of the major work so far completed includes: -

Some more recent acquisitions include a pair of new live steam injectors, injector water valves, tender drawbar, 8 feed Silvertown mechanical lubricator and new damper pads for the driving wheels and tender.

Many smaller parts, too numerous to mention, are repaired or manufactured ready to be assembled. Our current project is to complete repairs to the bogie with a view to being able to re-wheel it soon. Our main frames have now been moved and mounted on purpose made frame trolleys to get them into the shed and to give them mobility until the re-wheeling. By visiting our web page regularly we will keep you up to date with progress.