‘Met 1’: first the Underground, now the Forest

Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4T No. 1 leaves Swanwick Junction during a vintage train day at the Midland Railway - Butterley on May 2. Credit: Alan Weaver


Having ventured down into the tube network, Metropolitan Railway ‘E’ 0-4-4T No. 1 is to penetrate the depths of the Forest of Dean in July – to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the workshop that restored it.

The Dean Forest Railway’s ‘Flour Mill Gala’ of July 1-3 and 8-10 marks two decades in business for Bill Parker’s nearby steam restoration firm, by bringing in three of its highest-profile projects.

Making its first visit to the DFR, ‘Met 1’ will be joined by two National Collection locomotives also overhauled at the Flour Mill – LSWR ‘T9’ 4-4-0 No. 30120 and Beattie 2-4-0 well tank No. 30587, both based at Bodmin. The DFR’s own GWR ‘Small Prairie’ No. 5541 will also be in steam.

Next on the itinerary of the ex-London Transport 0-4-4T is the Mid-Norfolk Railway, where it is due to stay for the whole of August.

For more details, see the latest issue of Steam Railway, on sale now (note however that GWR ‘42XX’ 2-8-0T No. 4247 will now not be attending the MNR’s June gala as planned, having failed during its visit to the Great Central Railway).

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