Another busy few weeks here in Devon.

Starting with 35028 clan line, the remaining defective section of the syphons have been removed. The replacement sections were then marked up and have had the stay holes pilot drilled. Work continues on removal of a number of stays in the door plate, whilst the replacement firebox side sheets have now arrived. These will be trimmed and have the stay holes pilot drilled, before being weld prepped ready to fit in the next couple of weeks.

The Q class has now had its boiler NDT exam undertaken and we await a site visit with the bluebell to agree the scope of work on the boiler. The chassis has been jacked up to allow removal of the wheel sets and is now sat on the stands to allow a thorough examination to be undertaken to make sure any work is undertaken whilst access is easy.

Peckett boiler 2153 is progressing well, with the majority of side stays drilled out now. The lower foundation ring rivets have been removed and the sides of the outer wrapper have been cut free around the lower stays, as we know at the bare minimum this will require replacement. This makes removal of the foundation ring and firebox a much quicker task. It is hoped to have the firebox removed over the next couple of weeks.