Rising to the challenge

In January a new deck in the boiler room was completed and because the specially-designed Byworth boiler is smaller than the original one and there is a compact rear smoke box, more space has been created which makes the room easier to work in. At the same time work continued on the time-consuming task of shimming and refitting refurbished white metal bearings to the main engine crankshaft.

By mid April the culmination of the gargantuan effort that all the volunteers had put into the overhaul of the Challenge came to a head when the boiler was lit and tested to full pressure. It went without a hitch. Against a clear blue sky steam could be seen bellowing out as the safety valves lifted to bang on the correct pressure.