Working closely with the Great Western Society at Didcot, No. 3840 is to be built to the pattern of the 10 original ‘Counties’ erected at Swindon in 1911/12, featuring Holcroft curved frames and screw reverse. The locomotive will incorporate both original GWR and new components, such as the ‘Standard No. 4’ boiler currently carried by unrestored 2-8-0T No. 5227 and the 6ft 8½in driving wheel pattern used for Didcot’s re-created ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 No. 2999 Lady of Legend.
With other parts including the bogie wheels, axleboxes and a suitable Churchward 3,500 gallon tender chassis set aside for the project, the Churchward County Trust already has a considerable head start in component terms. Thanks to the manufacturing advancements made in the course of other new-build schemes, we hope that No. 3840 could steam in as little as 10 years’ time.
Please join us on our adventure!
Recent news
Front End assembly
With the machining of the cylinders, racking plate angles, extension frames and the bogie pivot pin we have all the major parts required to assemble the front end. The buffer…
Cylinder machining update
The cylinders have been going through several machining passes at CMS in November and December. We finished the year with most of the machining done and CMS are now onto…
The Next steps !!!
Literally, the cab steps are being assembled at TLW, and the brackets have been fixed to the rear of the main frames where the steps will be eventually be fitted…