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Old 12th February 2020, 09:19 PM
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The Idle Fellow The Idle Fellow is offline
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Full Name: Bill Starling
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South Norfolk
Posts: 331
Default The return of Percy

I expect everyone on here knows about the sad accident to Stuart Hines' Fowell no. 108, 'Percy', last March. In an argument with an 'I didn't see it' driver, one front wheel was hit so hard that the perch bracket was smashed and a number of other parts bent or broken - happily the boiler survived. The invalid was taken to Statfold Engineering and earlier this week a rejuvenated Percy arrived back at the haulier's yard in Suffolk. (Stuart heaps great praise on Nick Noon and his team at Statfold.) Today Percy completed the journey home under his own steam.

The grin that says, 'I've got my engine back'.


Making Percy 'road legal'.


Shunting in the haulier's yard.


Steam test, Jonathan Wheeler checks that the new tubes aren't leaking.


Stuart's regular crew, Norman Last, oils the rear wheel bearings.


On the open road in High Suffolk.


Storm Ciara has gone, but it's still windy.


Passing Pakenham watermill.


Nearly home.


This is where the accident happened, a straight, clear road in a 30 mph area.


Home yard! Note the new perch bracket casting.


Don't know if that's just an expression of contentment, or if Stuart is thinking about cleaning, lagging, cladding and repainting.


Thanks for a memorable day and a great start to my steaming year.
Bill.
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