Preserved Locos Stored in Hellfield Engine Shed

Back in my trainspotting days, c1965, we occasionally saw preserved locomotives being hauled through Apperley Bridge. Examples included Green Arrow and 1217E. On learning that they were destined for storage at Hellifield, we made our way there on a Bug Cart and forced our way into the unattended engine shed. We were delighted to find a wonderful selection of locos, some restored, some as withdrawn. From memory we saw:

LNER 4771 Green Arrow
LNER 1217E
34051 Winston Churchill
60010 Dominion of Canada
LNWR 1439
LTSR 80 Thundersley
26500 (and possibly 26501)

After that my memory fails me. 42700 was stored at Hellifield at a later date but wasn't there on this occasion. Were the Midland 2-4-0 and 4-2-2 stored there?

Does anyone know the complete list of preserved locos stored at Hellified shed? Even better if you know the dates of arrival/departure.

 

Oh yes .... the Flying Banana was there.

 

Was the NER Q7 stored there?

 

I went round Hellifield at the time of the storage, just a nudge on the back door and you got in, no locks.
I do not remember the 60010, but loco's obviously came and went at different times. The was also an emu (identified as M28249M from a roll around the net), MR118, MR158A, 63460, 44027 and 42700 to add to the list. Photo's on the net appear to confirm 26500 and 26501.

 

No, not when I was there, which I think was about 1965.

 

Contradictory information then - Brifoamer says it was (63460 -1965)! Perhaps the difference was just a question of timing

 

There's a photo on Flickr of 63460 at Hellifield dated mid 1960s. My guess is that it arrived after our visit.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/barry_of_blackrod/8199935050

 

42700 wasn't withdrawn until 19/3/66 so its arrival at Hellifield must have been some time after that,
Ray.

 

Wikipedia quotes that withdrawal date, but states it was stored at Hellafield, hmmm.

 

Shed Bash UK has the following listed:
Hellifield shed closed on 17th June 1963.
Following closure in 1963, Hellifield shed was used to store locomotives which would form part of the National Collection.
On 29th June 1967 the following were stored in the 'old shed'.
Midland Railway 2-4-0 158A LNER J17 0-6-0 1217
LNWR 0-4-0ST 1439 LNER V2 2-6-2 4771
Midland Railway 4-2-2 118 LMS Crab' 2-6-0 42700
LMS 4F 0-6-0 44027

 

Some of these locos were subsequently moved into store in the roundhouse at Leicester MPD. I certainly remember seeing 44027, 4771 & 63601 there circa 1968.

Andy

 

According to the RCTS (which is possibly more reliable than Wiki) the loco was withdrawn from Birkenhead on the date quoted.
Ray.
Edit.. Some more discussion including photos (1/2 way down p.1) here https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/76767-large-shed-on-down-side-at-hellifield/

 

So the full list could be:

GWR Railcar No 4 - restored
LNER 4771 Green Arrow - restored
LNER 1217E - restored
LNWR 1439 - restored
LTSR 80 Thundersley - restored but grimy
MR118 - restored
MR158A - restored
26500 - as withdrawn
26501 - as withdrawn
34051 Winston Churchill - as withdrawn
42700 - as withdrawn
44027 - as withdrawn
60010 Dominion of Canada - as withdrawn
63460 - as withdrawn
M28249M - as withdrawn

Quite a list, but not all there at the same time.

Something at the back of my mind says that BEL2 might have been there. Not sure though.

 

Weren't these originally intended for the transport museum in the old tram depot Leicester? Some locos actually got there but I can't remember which ones.

 

118 and 158a did I believe, think there were a 2 others there as well.

 

By July 1968 Thundersley was at Carnforth MPD with 46441 and a couple of stored Black 5's. Presumably this was after Hellifield was cleared but why Carnforth? It was at Bressingham a couple of years later but did the loco go somewhere else in between?
Ray.

 

By 26th May 1968 only 42700 , 63460 and a coach which I seem to think was an East Coast Joint stock vehicle

 

That an interesting photograph. I see that the Black 5 appears to be 45025 in storage. I visited the shed a couple of weeks later, on the afternoon of Sat. 3rd Aug '68 and there was no sign of Thundersley then, while 45025 was in steam being prepaired for railtour duty the next day. I took a similar view from the footbridge, showing 42073, (4)6441 and the smokebox of 61306 on what had become the preservation road - behind me were 42085 and 75027. Alongside 42073 is 75009 which like 75027 was an old Somerset & Dorset stalwart.



Peter

 

Thanks for posting that photo of 42700. It must have departed fairly soon afterwards as the loco appears, at Haworth having received a lick of black paint, on the same roll of film as the Thundersley photo. This dates it between the end of June when the KWVR re-opened and the last day of steam at Lostock Hall, Aug.4th. (also on the film).
Ray.

 

I have a date of 11th June 1968 for 42700 moving to Keighley. Also, spotted it c1967 at Skipton MPD prior to delivery to Hellifield.