Loco Mileages - 2021

Mr Fairlie himself would be well pleased too.

 

I suspect so too. From what I've read, James Spooner (i.e. the original loco of that name) was a pretty significant improvement on Little Wonder, itself way better than the double ended contraption with a single firebox supplied to the Neath & Brecon Rly.

 

Not quite Victorian, but the H class at the Bluebell (built 1904) has twice in recent years gone over 7,000 for the year, the peak being 8,740 in 2015. At one point I thought it might hit 50,000 for its ticket, but Covid and a protracted intermediate overhaul that saw it out of use for a year has put paid to that, but it will still be over 40,000 when it bows out next month. A lot of that will have been hauling the dining trains, which are reasonably heavy (140 tons) up reasonably steep and sustained gradients (1 in 75/60/55 for about 8 miles on each round trip). Not too shabby for a loco of that vintage.

Tom