LNER ‘A4’ Pacific No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley returned to the main line on May 21, hauling a special train from Crewe to Carlisle for members of the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust (SNGLT), the loco’s owning group. While the 4-6-2 is now certified for main line use, SNGLT personnel have been assessing the loco after running in and the May 21 trip.
An intermittent issue whereby steam appeared to be passing the regulator has been investigated.
“The root cause of the issue has been traced to the joint between the main steam pipe and the front tubeplate, or possibly the tubeplate end of the steam pipe itself,” explained SNGLT chairman Nigel Wilson.
“While it should be relatively easy to fix, the work, which is already underway, requires a significant amount of disassembly in the smokebox.