2857 Society appoints Riley & Son as Contractor

The 2857 Society is pleased to announce that a formal agreement has been made for Riley & Son to take on the contract for the Mechanical Overhaul of 2857. It is anticipated that the bottom end of the locomotive will move to Bury in April 2026, with the removal of the boiler at Bridgnorth for attention in the SVR’s own boiler shop. 2857 Volunteers in co-ordination with SVR staff will work on the tender following its hire period to the EMF.

Fundraising is now absolutely vital to the success of this project. We anticipate that with all of the necessary funding in place, and with the excellent work of both Riley & Son and the SVR staff, the locomotive could return to traffic by the turn of the decade. We have held a target of a 2030 return for some time, and we are hopeful that we can achieve this.

Fundraising details can be found at the links below:

Online Shop – https://www.2857.org.uk/shop/

Donate – https://www.2857.org.uk/donate/

Overhaul Appeal – https://www.2857.org.uk/overhaul-appeal/

We’d like to thank the 6 contractors who showed interest, and gave quotations, for us to consider. Although Riley & Sons were our choice, it has been good to see the continued interest in keeping heritage railways alive through the desire to overhaul locomotives such as 2857.