With the boiler refitted our rare 3ft 2¼in gauge Fletcher Jennings is gradually beginning to look like a locomotive again thanks to the dedicated efforts of several of our volunteers.

Early this year Townsend Hook had reached this stage with the boiler back on (having played host to a nesting blackbird in the interim) and the pipework being sorted out. The brake handle and reverser lever are in position. The substantial wooden buffer beams had been reconstructed, fitted and painted.

A large patch was welded on to cover the wastage in the metal, the result of several decades of open-air storage. The thicker metal was then painstakingly needle-gunned to remove the accumulated rust.

Then a coat or two of red-oxide primer was added.

Inside the shed, the boiler had been painted black and various boiler fittings replaced.

Thanks to John Salmon and Jack Slaughter for most of the above pictures.