Meanwhile, Russell had been sent away to the Rhos Helyg locomotive works for a general service. The engine proved to be in surprisingly good condition after almost twenty years of fairly heavy use - a real tribute to the quality of Rounhouse's construction. Nevertheless, the workshop visit provided an opportunity to attend to some minor issues, such as resetting the reverser servo arm (which had worked slightly out of alignment), and replacing the die blocks and piston rings. Hopefully, this work will "future proof" the loco to ensure another twenty years of reliable running.
Russell returned to traffic at a VWHR steam-up in early December. It was accompanied by No. 2 which, following the problems experienced during its last visit, had been stripped down again to allow the electrical pick-ups to be removed from the wheels. Although this will make it more difficult to re-convert the loco back to track power (should this ever be neccessary), it has resolved the problems with short-circuiting when operating on a line with balloon loops, or alongside steam locos with non-insulated wheels. The engine made several trips with a heavy train of Accucraft goods wagons - her first successful runs away from home metals.