80105 a British Rail Standard Class 4MT Tank Engine
Purchased and Cared for by the Locomotive Owners Group (Scotland)
Ltd. aka (LOGS)
May 2026 Update
80105 Boiler Repairs: Update for Shareholders / Supporters
As many of you will be aware, 80105 is currently out of traffic, requiring specialist repairs to its boiler. Since it was withdrawn from service in December, the LOGS Board has been assessing the scale and cost of work required, considering options for getting 80105 operational again and taking steps to put this work in place as quickly as possible.
1. What has happened to 80105?
During December 2025 80105 came out of traffic on the BKR for a scheduled boiler inspection, carried out on behalf of the insurers. The inspector identified serious defects when inspecting the condition of the firebox. This led to the immediate withdrawal of 80105, pending repairs.
Crucially, the inspector recommended the replacement of all crown stays and a significant number of side stays. This is specialist work, requiring the skills of an experienced boilersmith. Replacing stays is the major part of the repair work (and the cost), but it is possible that some further work may be identified once the boiler is lifted for a full inspection.
2. Options for Getting 80105 back in Working Order
80105 was launched into traffic early in 2025 following a 15 year overhaul. It was, at the time of the boiler inspection, performing well and looking/sounding great. We were preparing for the BKR Santa Trains season and setting up hires to other railways for 2026/27. It was therefore a massive shock to all involved to learn that 80105 would be out of service for an indefinite period.
Faced with the list of essential boiler repairs, the estimated (6 figure) cost and limited resources, LOGS Directors considered options and identified two possible courses of action;
A. Undertake repairs at Bo’ness:
Put 80105 in store and dedicate efforts to raising the money for the repairs through various fundraising channels and buy in expert services.
B. Seek a suitable partner in the heritage railway sector:
This would involve moving 80105 to a railway with the expertise and capacity to undertake the repairs and enter into a “repair to hire” arrangement. This would see the locomotive pay off the repair costs through a medium term hire arrangement with the host railway. This arrangement would see the locomotive pay off the repair costs with the host railway.
The Board’s Decision
The Board was of the unanimous view that option A. would not be a practical proposition : This would likely see 80105 languish at Boness, out of action for a considerable period – given the scale of fundraising required.
This time out of use would be hard to justify: The loco is in sound, operating order (apart from the firebox) and shareholders / supporters deserve the pleasure of seeing their loco in action after the years of dedicated work to get it this far. This “in-house” option would also be a challenge for the limited capacity of the SRPS Steam Group, given its other commitments.
Option B. was therefore the pragmatic choice:
While this means the loco leaving Boness, it has the attraction of getting 80105 back into traffic relatively quickly and provides a credible mechanism for raising revenue to fund the repairs.
3. What progress has been made? What has been agreed?
During the first months of 2026, the Board sought interest from several Heritage railways in a potential “repair and hire” agreement. Following extensive discussions with interested parties, the Board finally reached agreement last week with the Strathspey Railway Company (SRC) at Aviemore to undertake the repairs.
On completion of repairs, this deal will see 80105 operating summer and December seasons at Aviemore over 4 years.
The decision to accept the offer from SRC was principally based on evidence of the high quality of work that has been carried out by the SRC Engineering team on their locomotive fleet.
However, the arrangement agreed has mutual benefits for both SRC and LOGS: SRC require to cover a period in 2028/29 when two of their locomotives are out of traffic for overhaul and 80105 is seen as a highly desirable replacement. Apart from practical considerations, the Strathspey line is one of the most scenically spectacular railways in the UK - an ideal line to showcase 80105.
It is also a very authentic Scottish branchline and it allows 80105 to retain it’s Scottish identity. Last, but not least, Aviemore is readily accessible by car, rail and bus from the central belt – an important consideration for all concerned with 80105.
Thanks to some swift negotiations, LOGS has been able to take advantage of an offer to move 80105 by low loader in the last few days. By the time you read this the locomotive will be in Aviemore shed.
4. When Can We Expect to see 80105 in service again?
The arrangement with SRC envisages that repairs will be completed and the locomotive operational during the latter half of 2027. After running in, 80105 will be committed to Strathspey duties for each of the following 4 summer seasons from 2028 to 2030 (Jun to Aug incl and winter services in December). The Strathspey Railway may request additional periods of hire outwith these commitments and this will obviously be favourably considered by LOGS.
In between its operational commitments at Aviemore
80105 will be available for “3rd party” hires to other heritage railways, including the BKR at Bo’ness. Several other railways have already intimated their interest in having 80105 appear on their railways when it returns to service.
All hires will be organised by LOGS and co-ordinated with SRC to ensure 80105 is available to meet its commitments at Aviemore. The proceeds of all hires will contribute to paying off the repairs and providing income to fund the next overhaul.
Once the repair debt is paid off and the 2031 winter season commitments at Aviemore completed, the terms of the current agreement will have been met. Between now and then, LOGS directors will be considering 80105’s future from 2032 to the end of its boiler ticket (and beyond) and we will share plans as these take shape.
5. How Can We Keep in Touch with 80105 at Aviemore?
During its time under repair at Aviemore, LOGS/SRPS volunteers will be on site regularly to work on the loco. The Directors will meet regularly with SRC officials and issue updates on progress. Access to the workshops will be subject to SRC health and safety rules but LOGS Directors will explore opportunities for access for supporters during the repair stage.
Following repairs, there will obviously be many opportunities to see 80105 in action at Aviemore (and on 3rd party hires elsewhere) and we will provide details as soon as these are available.
6. Join SRA
80105 shareholders/supporters may wish to consider becoming members of the Strathspey Railway Association as, (apart from the benefits of supporting the Railway) this will keep you informed about what’s happening on the line.
LOGS
May 2026