Life is still all over the place thanks to Covid. So much so that Liza Jane missed her birthday (5/11) due to Lockdown 2.0.

Following limited reopening, I took her out for a spin and managed to get the steam test done.

I had forgotten how harsh the test is. It seems very cruel! Full blower on with a fire that was glowing white hot and the safety valves blowing off. However, she passed with flying colours including the injector picking up very nicely. So she is now covered for another year (14 months technically).

After the steam test I had an hour of more gentle running on the high level track.

Looking good in the sunshine

She is now back on the bench for some light maintenance. I needed to sort out the suspension by tightening the locking nuts at the top of each axle block pin; which I have now done. I also need to find and fit a suitable lock nut on the lever for the drain cocks to stop that loosening in operation.

The first year of ownership has been a pleasure and has been something to enjoy in an otherwise bleak year for social activity. Let’s hope that 2021 brings a return to normality.