​Eagle – No.08757
BR Class 08 Shunter (Gronk), 0-6-0DE
​New batteries were delivered and we wasted no time fitting them onto the loco. For the last 12 months, every time we have wanted to use the loco, it would have needed to go on charge several hours before so we were very happy once the new ones arrived. ​

Class 142004 DMU
Vehicles No. 55545 & 55595 (Privately Owned)
Arrived on site 22/04 and expected to be staying with us for the foreseeable future. As it is privately owned we currently don't know what the plans are for the unit.
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Class 142058 DMU
Vehicles No. 55754 & 55708
​Arrived on site 15/04 and purchased by the trust. and there are currently no plans for the unit.

TSO 5148
​The coach has been selected as one of the coaches we will use when re-opening.

• It has had some paint in several areas and a new latch attached to the steam heat cupboard door as it was previously broken.

TSO 5220
​This coach has also been selected as one of the coaches we will use when re-opening.

• A new step has been fitted on the North-H&D side of the coach after being broken a few weeks ago.

CRC 2 Brake Van
National Coal Board (Privately Owned)

• Painting has continued on both sides of the brake van and measurement taken for the rotten corner pilar.

(Thanks to Dave A)
​

Telford Steam Railway are pleased to announce their recent purchase of 'Pacer' unit 142058 from Angel Trains and arrival of unit 142004.
The Pacers arrived at our site over the last 2 weeks and will be joining our other unit 144013 on services. Hopefully these units, fitted with disabled accessibility and low fuel consumption, will become a life-line for the railway once our aspirations of 'Steaming to Ironbridge' are achieved. Enabling us to run a more frequent and accessible service at a lower cost than other vehicles.

142058 underwent overhaul in 2017 at Holbeck Depot and was in service until 2019 when itself, 142004 and many others were removed due to not being PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) compliant.
​Both units were re-introduced into service in 2020, along with several others, to help with social distancing measures imposed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and operated with the BR Class 15x series of DMUs which are compliant with PRM measures.
Both unit were withdrawn towards the end of 2020 with '004' being the last of the 142s that were in passengers service, running the final Northern service between Kirkby and Manchester Victoria on the 27th October 2020. 

142058 is in much better condition than was first to be expected by our volunteers and is fitted with a digital display headboard as well as being fitted with Dot Matrix Indicators internally.

Unit 142004 has been purchased by a group of private individuals and will be staying on our line for the foreseeable future. We are sure the group will share more with the public once plans come around for the unit.

Keep an eye out for our 'Inside the Old Loco Shed' blog post for monthly updates of work that happens to all of our rolling stock, including the Pacers!

Many Thanks to Jacob Porrett & Oli Kirrage for the photos used in this article.

This is a short update as not much has been happening throughout March as focus has been on preparing the track for trains to hopefully commence later this year.

​Throughout March we have been continuing with the Spot Sleepering towards and into Horsehay & Dawley Station. So far approximately 70 have been changed from the point into the yard towards the station.
Once we got under the bridge in the station, it was realised that the rail itself needed replacing, not just the sleepers. We were unable to source a suitable replacement as the section of track was an abnormal length so the decision has been made to bring up some 30ft lengths of rail from Doseley as well as use concrete sleepers, to stop rot, and preserve the line for longer.
The job has temporarily been paused as we are waiting for machinery to arrive on site to assist with the digging and moving of concrete sleepers. For the mean time though the P-Way team are planning to ‘Jack and Pack’ the new sleepers as well as tamp so that trains can run over the track safely.

​The below article is from volunteer Richard O, who talked about some of the work that happened at the start of the month.
 
“The sleeper replacement of the mainline into H&D is going really well. Having used all of the stock of suitable sleepers at Spring village, we recently found ourselves in need of more. Fortunately, over the last two weekends we have been blessed with good weather, and the use of a tractor and trailer, which has enabled us to bring up more sleepers from our store at Doseley Halt. Here they will be sorted into those suitable to be reused and those that are not. Those not suitable will have the chairs removed and made available for further use.
 
It was great to be working outside at. Quite a few people were out walking or cycling, all of whom were very interested in our plans to extend the line and were really looking forward to us being able to run trains down to Doseley Halt and onwards into Ironbridge. The ongoing support of the local community is really appreciated and gives us a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm to make the extension of the line a reality as soon as we can. “

​The Permanent Way team also assisted S&T by helping to install new concrete cable troughing underneath the track in H&D Station to run power cables through.

That's the end of the update for March but we hope to have progressed even futher by the end of April, posiibly making it to the end of the Platform.