Let’s get 4561 rolling
The Manufacture of New Side Tanks for 4561 are Progressing Well
Further Progress is being made on 4561’s at Minehead
November 2025
More Progress on the Side Tanks
Paul Orrells reports more good progress at Minehead, all of the fixing holes for the outside sheets have been drilled.
The sheets were then tack welded together at the front, and the combined sheet was then laid down to weld from the seam from the back.
The front and rear welds were then all completed and the welds now awaiting dressing.
October 2025
Work continues on the Side Tanks
Work has proceeded extremely well on the right hand tank over the last few weeks as per the attached pictures.
7/10/2025 – The photos below show that the two bottom halves of the tank have been welded together, with the curved front section of the tank with its 8 inch radius bend temporarily mounted, along with the baffles and stays in place welded to the bottom of the tank.
9/10/2025 – The next two photos show the front curved section being drilled and attached to the angle iron frame above the front splasher.
We have also ordered the first of the inside sheets that supports the reverser stand, which should also be with us in about 10 days.
September 2025
More progress on the Side Tanks
As we approach the end of September 2025 Paul Orrells writes:
The two bottom floor sections and the two front sides of the tanks have returned to Minehead following shot blasting.
The small items which had been removed from the old tanks have also been shot blasted – these have now been painted in red oxide and put away for the time being until they are needed.
The floor sections were then suspended in the air so areas for further welding could be masked off prior to applying the first coat of the 2 part epoxy coating.
The two front sections with the curved ends have also been coated – on the inside (water side) with the 2 part epoxy and on the outside with red oxide. We have done it this way because we found on T2061 that it was very difficult to get a good finish of topcoat over the epoxy, so building up layers of gloss paint over the red oxide should result in a better finish.
With the areas masked off, Buzz should continue welding into October to include joining the two bottom plates together.
August 2025
Side Tanks
A team of 4 volunteers in Minehead workshops who built the replacement water tank for tender T2061, presently running with Odney Manor, have made arrangements to take on the building of the replacement side tanks for 4561 as a project. The work is taking place at Minehead managed by the WSR.
The existing set of tanks built in the 1980’s have not survived 30 years in storage very well. When made some details of size and shape were either not known or could not be easily fabricated with the facilities available resulting in a reduced water capacity. A new set of tanks will overcome these issues, with full capacity 4561 will not need to stop for water at Williton.
To ensure that the finished items are as close as possible to the original Swindon product we have obtained a high resolution copy of the correct November 1920 drawing number 59801 “Side tanks, cab and bunker, lot 201” from the National Railway Museum. Armed with this information and by using sample patterns to offer up against the locomotive frame we are working towards reliable good fit.
The 1980’s built tanks have been transported to Minehead and all of the re-useable fittings such as air vents, steps, handrails, beadings have been removed and placed in store pending cleaning. The tanks themselves will be kept until the end of the project so that we can compare old with new and investigate any differences.
To ensure that the floor of the tanks are flat and true a build platform has been constructed within Minehead workshops upon which one tank will be constructed followed by the other. The right hand tank is being built first, but parts for both tanks are being ordered together. All components are being shot blasted to ensure a surface suitable for painting. For internal surfaces subject to being submerged in water a two pack epoxy paint is being used. Externally normal heritage vehicle paints will be used as they are easier to achieve a good base for a gloss finish.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings for the floor plates have been used to produce laser profile cut parts, these are on the build platform so that parts can be added as the build continues.
Internally each tank has 7 supporting frames and all 14 of these have already been finished and painted. The frames being assembled within a jig to ensure they are all the same size and shape. The 7 frames for the left hand tank will now be put into store until required.
One of the completed and painted frames within the jig showing how spacer blocks were used to assemble the shaped edge to the correct profile.
A trial assembly of the frames for the right hand tank took place recently, each frame in it’s appropriate position. This is a view forwards on the outer face of the tank.
A view on the front face of the tank. The large cut out in the floor plate right foreground is an opening for the leading coupled wheel which will be covered by curved plate work. The bolted down angle iron on the left is to attach the outside sheet of the tank.
This view is rearwards on the inside face of the tank. The internal face of the tank is shaped towards the rear to allow additional room for the boiler’s firebox
A driver’s eye view of the tank. The shaped slot just in front of the gloves is for the reversing handle, other holes are for various water fittings.
The two curved pieces of bottom angle iron which come around the front of the tank, one for the LH tank and one for the RH tank. The slots will be filled with weld and ground back to make a smooth surface.
How the angle iron was bent. Heated red hot the slotted straight piece was pulled around the curved former to reach the desired shape.
All words and images by Andrew Forster.