Willy goes solo to help Avon Valley’s RSH appeal

by

ROBERT Stephenson & Hawthorns 0-6-0T No. 7151 has begun the journey towards a return to steam at the Avon Valley Railway (AVR), helped along the way by a four-coupled Kerr, Stuart well tank.

On February 24, the AVR ran an extra steam day, featuring Bill Parker’s 0-4-0WT Willy (3063/1918) as sole motive power.

The special trains were operated to raise funds for the overhaul of the 1944-built ex-CEGB Hams Hall power station No. 7151; the well tank displayed a headboard that read ‘RSH 7151 Restoration Project’ throughout the day.

Article continues below…
Advert

Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save
Kerr, Stuart 0-4-0WT Willy runs alongside the cycleway east of Bitton en route to Avon Riverside with the 15.32 Bitton departure on February 24. PETER NICHOLSON

The big 0-6-0T has provided the backbone of AVR services since late 1999, and it even ran for a couple of years following its arrival at Bitton in 1980.

No. 7151 continued to be a regular performer until withdrawal in the summer of 2014, and since then has been awaiting its turn in the overhaul queue.

A small team of volunteers has begun removing the smaller items ahead of a full strip down, which will allow for an in-depth inspection to be carried out.

Article continues below…
Advert

The boiler will likely be sent away for overhaul, but the railway hopes a lot of the general repair work can be carried out by volunteers, thereby reducing the total cost of the overhaul.

Read more News and Features in the April issue of The RM – on sale now!


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


Article Tags:

About the Author