Member for Goulburn Pru Goward said it was a “great win for Goulburn and Ainsworth Engineering.”

“I am thrilled for Ken and his team - it is fantastic that a local firm are recognised for providing such a specialised service,” Ms Goward said.

“There is a significant amount of work to be done to restore the boiler and I look forward to seeing the finished product.”

Transport Heritage NSW CEO Andrew Moritz said the appointment reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to returning this iconic steam locomotive to heritage service.

“The announcement means 3801’s boiler has been transported from Chullora to Goulburn with work now starting,” said Mr Moritz.

“The repair work is significant and will involve manufacturing processes never attempted in Australian standard gauge railway preservation.”

Hydraulic riveting machinery along with hand riveting will be required to connect new flanged plates to the existing boiler.

The correct fitting of the hundreds of components that make up the boiler requires a great deal of skill and reliance on vital technical information, left to us by our predecessors in the NSW railways.

“For over a decade we have invested heavily in developing the traditional skills necessary to repair heritage boilers,” said K and H Ainsworth Engineering Managing Director Ken Ainsworth.

“We are humbled by the confidence placed in us by Transport Heritage NSW, it is without doubt the most interesting project that we have been involved with.”

Locomotive 3801 was built in 1943 by Clyde Engineering and has been in preservation since its retirement from the NSW Railways in 1962.

The locomotive was withdrawn from heritage service in 2007, as it required major boiler repairs.

Despite a new boiler coming from Germany, a decision was made to fix up the old boiler to “return 3801 back to service in the shortest possible time frame.” 

The expected completion date is mid 2017.