The boiler of veteran Chruchward 2-8-0 no 2807 had a fire lit in its grate for the first time in nearly half a century on 17 March, underlining the progress that has been made by Cotswold Steam Preservation. The fire was ceremonially lit by CSP chairman Fred Leach at Llangollen for the boiler's first steam test.

Steve Price, the CSP press officer, explains that Llangollen was chosen to carry out extensive work on the GWR Standard No. 1 boiler and it moved there in 2006.

"Repairs included replacement of the firebox side panels, new stays throughout and of course complete tubing. The boiler passed its hydraulic test for the boiler inspector on 10^th March and this fire was intended to warm the boiler gently before the full steam test on 24^th March. Provided that is successful the boiler will be replaced in the frames on 31^st March."

Steve adds: "It was very appropriate that Fred lit the first fire. He has been involved in the restoration of the locomotive from the very beginning, including purchase from Woodham's Barry scrapyard in 1981 and moving it to the fledgling Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. In fact, 2807 was the first locomotive to arrive at Toddington and restoration work has been progressing ever since."

2807 was built at Swindon in 1905 and was withdrawn from service in 1963 - an active life of 58 years - and it is now 47 years since the boiler was last in steam. It was among the first batch of the 2800 class to be built, making history as the first 2-8-0 locomotives to run in the UK. Designed by G J Chruchward to handle the Great Western Railway's increasingly heavy freight traffic the locomotives were for many years the most powerful in the country and were a triumph in terms of their haulage capacity and economy.

Once reassembled, 2807 will make some test runs at Llangollen before being returned to Toddington.

Says Steve: "This is a really exciting time as the engine comes back together. We're looking forward to our historic locomotive making its public debut at the GWR175 celebrations between 29^th May and 6^th June, after which the engine should settle down to be a regular performer on the Honebourne Line - a line it often worked on during its GWR/BR career.

"And, as a matter of historic interest, the boiler now carried by 2807 was once carried by Grange class no. 6848 Toddington Grange."

Historic notes

• No. 2807 is the oldest survivor of Churchward's standard designs (City of Truro is a Churchward development of a Dean design)
• The 2800 class were the first 2-8-0 wheel arrangement locomotives in the U.K.
• No. 2807 is the oldest survivor of the 2800 class.
• This makes No. 2807 the oldest surviving British 2-8-0.
• The engine is the oldest privately-owned Great Western Railway locomotive (3440 City of Truro is two years older, but is owned by the National Railway Museum)
• No. 2807 is the only survivor of the first lot of ten 2800 locomotives. One member of the class (some records suggest that it was 2807) hauled a 2,012 ton coal train from Swindon to Acton in 1906, a record for steam that has never been broken on the main line
• Locomotive completed 1,472,687 miles in GWR and BR service

 Technical information