Following discussions between the CR828 Trust (the loco owners) and the Strathspey Railway Company late in 2015 it was agreed that 828 should be given an Intermediate Repair to allow her to return to operation on the Strathspey Railway. Her current boiler ticket lasts until 2020 so she should be a very useful addition to the Railway's motive power contingent. It's intended that she will operate around 30 - 40 days per year. The above picture shows her standing alongside 46512 EV Cooper Engineer in Aviemore Shed in early January 2016 with work having just commenced.

The main items on the intermediate repair list are:

1. Renewal of the tender tyres.
2. Renewal of the cracked LH Driving hornblock casting.
3. Renewal of the worn slide valves
4. Inspection and renewal of slack fitted bolts connecting the motion plate to the loco frames
5. Inspection of the loco and tender dragboxes.

The most involved of the above jobs is the renewal of the LH Driving hornblock casting. This will require lifting the loco of of her wheels so that we can access the hornblock. It is a long time since any new hornblocks were cast for a Caledonian Railway locomotive so it will be an interesting job to get a new one cast and fitted. Fortunately there are still companies in the UK who can manufacture components of this type. The material will be cast steel.