Forty 4-4-0s Club coupled wheels appeal hits £40,000 target

WE are very pleased to announce that our Forty 4-4-0s Club fundraising initiative has reached its £40,000 appeal target.

The Club was launched in the Spring of 2019 to finance the casting and proof machining of the four coupled wheels for County of Montgomery. The Club allowed project supporters to ‘adopt’ one (or more) of the original 40 ‘County’ 4-4-0s for a £1,000 donation; donors receiving a certificate and framed photograph of their adopted locomotive in recognition of their support. The last remaining ‘County’ – No. 3809 County Wexford – was recently adopted by CCT member David Hancox.

Thanks to the donations received through membership of the Club, the CCT was able to have the four wheels cast by Trefoil Steel in Sheffield last year using a pattern kindly loaned by the Great Western Society at Didcot. After proof machining at Boro Foundry in Lye, these subsequently moved to the workshops of Riley & Son (E) in Heywood where they are to be tyred and assembled on their axles.

Commenting on the achievement, CCT Chairman, Gary Boyd-Hope, said: “The Trust is exceedingly grateful to David Hancox for adopting No. 3809 and propelling us to our £40,000 target. The Forty 4-4-0s Club has been a very successful initiative for us, and I must also thank all the other donors who have helped us by adopting one of the ‘Counties’.

“The conclusion of the appeal sets us up nicely for the launch of a new fundraising initiative this summer to complete the front end of the locomotive. This will include the machining and lining of the cylinders, the assembly of the extension frames, the fitting of the completed front end to the main frames, and some associated work on the superstructure. This will result in the first complete set of ‘County’ 4-4-0 frames to be seen in 90 years. Further details will be announced soon.”

For more information on how to support the project, please click here, or write to:

The Treasurer
Churchward County Trust Ltd
c/o 4 Green End Barns
Ramsey Road
St Ives
Cambridgeshire
PE27 5RH