Over the coming weeks South Devon Railway Engineering will start to assemble the wheels for the new build “Patriot” project. The engine, 45551, already has frames assembled and many parts either made or under construction. The contract for making the new 6’9” driving wheels has been awarded to SDRE. The tyres have already arrived as have the new axles. The last part of the jigsaw was the new wheel pans, which have been cast and machined by the Boro Foundry. The new castings arrived at Buckfastleigh on Thursday 13th October. First job will be to press the axles into the wheel pans using the large wheel press and to assemble the crank axle. Then the tyres will be fitted and profiled and newly manufactured crankpins added to the wheels and quartered. Quite a job!