Front End Appeal

We are currently finalising details of our next big fundraising drive, to be launched in a couple of months’ time, and which will look at raising around £50,000 to complete the assembly of No. 3840’s front end. If we’re successful, it will give us a complete set of ‘County’ 4-4-0 frames, including the extension frames, cylinders, racking plate and bufferbeam etc., all ready for wheeling..

Credit: Churchward County Trust / Eliott Powick

The frames are the key to any locomotive and it is important that these exist early on in the build. Whilst the main frames have been erected, we need to complete the task by marrying them with the front end frames.  All Churchward two cylinder locos have front end frames that are joined to the rear of the cylinders by means of a twelve fitted bolts each side. The GWR practice was to assemble the front end as one unit – machined cylinders and extension frames, racking plate and front buffer beam and the bogie as one unit and bolt it to the main frames.   Whilst we cannot at the moment go this far as the bogie as we would need to have the new bogie erected, this unit will allow us to align and unite the front and rear frames into a complete unit which will then allow the fitting of the driving wheels at a later date.

Credit: Churchward County Trust / Eliott Powick