On Tuesday 3rd February, D8233 was reunited with its bogies under the jacks in Baron Street Works for the first time since February 2019, before the pandemic.

On Christmas Eve, the loco was lifted from its temporary ex-Class 101 DMU bogies and these were removed from under the loco before the loco spent just over a month on the jacks. Whilst on the jacks access to the underside of the locomotive was greatly improved and all of the remaining underside was prepped, primed and painted in gloss black. The vast majority of the air pipes and other pipes that required removal for overhaul were also were removed. The remaining pipes were prepared, primed and painted in situ as well as several being re-fitted to the loco following refurbishment.

During it's time on the jacks the loco took a starring role in the loco works tours during the East Lancashire Railway 'Open House' where a guided tour saw D8233 mid-lift.

Throughout January a huge amount of work was carried out on the underside of the loco whilst it was in the air and the last 12 months had also seen a large amount of work on the bogies to get them into a position where they could be re-united with the loco. Finally at the start of February this was possible. During the day of the loco lowering all went well. The only issue was one of the pivots was catching on the way down but a wobble of the bogie saw it drop into place.

The loco will be lifted again towards the end of the first quarter of 2026 to have the traction motors fitted to the bogies, their overhaul almost complete with in house white metalling work on the bearings now being carried out by the East Lancashire Railway.

For more information and details on the work involved, please join the D8233 BTH Type 1 Facebook Group for regular depot reports - www.facebook.com/d8233

If you are interested in helping out please contact Rob Mason