61264 is now a 4-6-0 again thanks to another week of hard graft by the NYMR and TBLT’s fantastic team of engineers.

The bogie wheels, having been sent away for turning at Ian Riley and Son’s, were reinstated, following which the bogie itself was reconnected to the loco.

After some 18 months in the shadows, 61264 was today shunted into the running shed for final assembly, new brick arch, valve setting and weighing before attaching to its tender and steam testing.

There is one small snag – birds have taken to nesting in the tender! The MPD are currently looking into all the options for safely and legally re-homing them.

Then the loco will be run in and we can commence revenue earning service for the first time in a good while.

Dougie Foster and Steve Andrews  lower the bogie frame on to the wheelsets (photo courtesy of Adrian Dennis / Grosmont MPD)

Loco re-wheeling finally complete – seen sitting over Grosmont wheeldrop (Photo courtesy of Adrian Dennis / Grosmont MPD)

61264 moved down to main running shed for final reassembly and steam test  (photo courtesy of Mark O’Brien)