Locomotives that NEARLY made it

Bowaters until 1969.

 

Romney Hythe & Dymchurch railway.

 

BICC (Belvedere, N Kent) had a 3'-6" gauge line, which certainly historically used steam locos. Whether or not they made it to closure in 1968, I don't know. This line ran alongside a neighbouring SG route, over a level crossing, down which road ran an electrified tram route!

Parts of the 18" gauge Woolwich Arsenal system lingered into the mid 60's, though as far as I can tell, the last NG steam seems to have finished around 61/62

I know we class the RH&D, Fairbourne and La'al Ratty as NG nowadays, but before regauging during the Ellerton era on Penrhyn Point and the Wells & Walsingham set up shop, they tended to be more commonly referred to as 'miniature railways' ... even though all ran to a fixed timetable.

 

Reading the latest Steam magazine, John Cameron mentioned that he could have bought any 1 of 5 A4's. Knowing that 60024 (Kingfisher) and 60034 (Lord Farringdon) were two of the locos based at Ferryhill at the time so we could have easily seen either loco preserved if they'd have been in better condition (or 60009 in worse) at the time.

 

The two 3'-6" guage Bagnalls (Sir Tom and Woto) were bought by an East London car dealer (He was also an enthusiast, one time driver at Sammy Williams) They were kept in a yard in Romford probably into the 1980's when they were sold on, I believe that one has been re-guaged to 2'.

 

Both are now 2’ gauge.

https://flic.kr/p/QtehM7

 

Given their size it seems suprising that the line wasnt built as 2 foot rather than 3'6

 

Probably to do with the cable drums they had to shunt around for which special wagonry was devised.

 

There were some small wagons, much like bogies stored in the yard with them, both loco's were oil fired and had a tank about 3' x 3 'x 1' mounted in the l.h.s. of the cab just under the roof

 

as shown here
https://flic.kr/p/FN3B5f

 

Makes sense now

 

A submission from this side of the Irish Sea!
These 2 beasties worked at the Courtaulds factory in Carrickfergus (about 10 miles outside Belfast). They were Peckett W7 0-4-0ST locos 2088 of 1948 "Patricia" and 2113 of 1950 "Wilfred"


Photo from Belfast Telegraph
(https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/03f0e/29148474.ece/AUTOCROP/w1000/STEAM 12.jpg) Note the loco name is incorrectly captioned on the BT website.

It is believed that they were held in the scrapyard for a while, in the hope that they would be saved (particularly since they were only 20 years old), however nothing came of this and they were both scrapped.

Keith

 

A very sad loss, though those which really grate are the fates of the last SG2 and the last UG .... both handsome designs and fine examples of the humble 'bog standard' 0-6-0s which served the GNRI so faithfully, for so long. Neither deserved extinction.

 

An object lesson in how NOT to sling a steam locomotive. fortunately, only the handrail seems to be suffering on this side.

 

I have only ever heard of the access problem (geometry and topography) being the cause of her return to Swindon for scrapping

 

Yes, same story I have heard.

Back to locos nearly making it, North Staffs 0-6-2T being bought for Lakeside from the NCB but cut up before collection c.1969
Kerr Stuart "Vitcory" class at Aberaman colliery set aside for preservation and the building it was stored in demlished around it, late 60s
Then a number of locos preserved, but then cut up, like the two Avonsides at Middleton, wans't one of tem a Mumbles loco?

 

It was, an Avonside B3 called 'Swansea'. The other B3 was MD&HB No 21 the original idea was to make one 'good' one out of the two. IIRC Middleton sold one of them to the inimitable Keith Rose who then scrapped it.
Ray.

 

Sounds like theres a story to this Keith Rose chap, a bit like the Ttanic Steamship Co and theur locos...

Many years a go I saw a frenieds Industral Loco Society magazine with an article on scrapped preserved industrials in it, including two Pecketts and firelesses cut up at Chasewater in the 70s too.

 

One I thought a particularly sad loss, being just so unusual, was Std Gauge Kent Cement Works No.2 Elephant (Brush Electrical 0-4-0st of 1898 and a sometime shedmate of surviving MW L Class 0-6-0st Arthur*). Lasting until 1960, it looked as if someone had put Peckett Triassic's cab on TR No.3 Sir Haydn, whipped off the trailing truck, stuck heavy square dumb buffers on it, then given the result a heavy dose of steroids.


*Now at the Middleton Railway and named Matthew Murray

 

One of the Pecketts was ex Whitecross Wire in Warrington (maybe P1038?). Its older and pretty derelict sister from Whitecross went to Jim Morris at Lytham who traded it, along with a Sentinel, to a scrap merchant in exchange for ex Preston Docks Bagnall 'Princess'. I believe some major parts of ex L&Y Simplex loco (Service No1?) were lost/stolen at Chasewater possibly rendering it unrestorable. Unfortunately, in the 60's early 70's, industrial locos were sometimes seen as disposable/unrestorable if they required expensive work doing to them. Several locos passed through Keith Rose's hands including Barclay 0-4-0ST 'Chemicals' which returned to industrial service at Shipley and was renamed 'Harry' - latterly at the P&BR . He also had a Bagnall 0-4-0ST which, IIRC, came from an Oxfordshire quarry/cement works but had originally been built for India and had a double cab roof to help combat the heat. The loco was never steamed at Embsay as it required new crown stays so was sold for scrap in the early 70's. He also had an unusual Yorkshire 0-4-0ST on the YDR which carried the name City Link - something to do with a courier company (possibly a sponsorship deal?). Keith was certainly a 'character'.
Ray.