2026 Entries/Returnees and Withdrawals

Returnees: *subject to caveats*
- Q-class 541 (Bluebell)
- 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" (GCR)
- 777 "Sir Lamiel" (GCR)
- Large Prairie 4150 (SVR)
- USA 65 (KESR)
- N2 1744 (NNR)
- M7 30053 (Swanage)
- 4MT 80104 (Swanage)
- Y7 985 (MSLR)
- 323 (Bluebell)
- 2MT 46447 (ESR)
- AB221 (DFR)
- 42XX 4253 (KESR)
- Jinty 47324 (ELR)
- Dunrobin (SVR/Beamish)
- K1 62005 (Mainline/NYMR)
- S15 825 (NYMR)

Withdrawals
- Standard 4MT 76017 - 1st January (KESR)
- 57xx 7714 (SVR)
- 7F 13809 - January (NNR)
- Ivatt 2 41312 (MHR)
- AB1799 "Lady Nan" (ESR)
- 4MT No. 80136 (NYMR)
- 75014 (DSR)
- O1 65 (Bluebell) - ticket expires in 2027 but depending on mileage due to tyre wear
- 2MT 78018 (GCR)
- Large Prairie 4144 (Didcot)

Any other planned/hoped for/likely returnees and known withdrawals/end of boiler tickets please write below so I can edit the post - I made the thread in the hope of tempting people to see a loco(s) in steam before the ticket expires - Obviously all subject to change.

 

Ivatt Cl. 2 46447 at the East Somerset Railway should return in 2026.

 

I thought 323 Bluebell might be back this year but admittedly haven't heard anything updated on that for a while.

Andrew Barclay 2221 is being worked on hard at the Dean Forest in a bid to have it ready for the March gala there.

 

Judging by a recent photo and report in the "Tenterden Terrier", it looks as if 2-8-0T No. 4253 has a good chance of returning to steam at the K&ESR during 2026.

Significantly, 4150 and 4253 will be the first ex-Barry restorations to be completed since 4110 (unless one counts 2999 and 6880) and only the second and third since the Covid lockdown. This is another indicaton of the challenges the preservation movement is facing with the triple whammy of a difficult economic environment (and one which isn't likely to improve before 2029), fewer, more elderly volunteers and the sheer amount of work needed to complete the restoration of locos which, by and large, were among the last to leave Woodham's and therefore the roughest.

 

Theres still one or two from the 2025 thread that have got very quiet with no news or updates - J94 68078 at Sellinge for example (Companies House showing recent striking off of those running Kent Locomotives Limited doesn't sound promising??)

4150 is not an ordinary returnee as such - it's a big return from withdrawal in the 1960s though!

A call out for news rather than anything I know : GW 3814? 4936 Kinlet Hall has been in Tyseley for some years now. No recent news afaik on the Heavy freights 7200 & 7202 at GWS / QRd?

At MHR I think that 2026 is overly ambitious for me wanting to see 34007 Wadebridge return and 75079 to steam again. 34101 Hartland's firebox seems to be coming together at NYMR however?

Also, the guys at Bo'ness seem to be making good progress with D49 Morayshire but again, 2026 may be wishful thinking from me.

 

47324 should hopefully return on the East Lancs during the year

 

AB1719, "Lady Nan", at ESR is expected to come out of service in 2026. Hoping to start overhaul straight away.

 

I hope that this doesn't mean that 68078 (an old friend of mine from its Widdrington days) goes the way of the unfortunate Catalina flying boat that was part of the remnants of a company that went into receivership. This historic aircraft was sent for scrap as part of the disposal of assets.

https://www.catalina.org.uk/2012/11/01/world-catalina-news-november-2012/

 

No chance of seeing 34007 next year or 75079 I think. However, 41312 should see the year out.

 

Also at the K&ESR USA Tank 30065 is not too far from completion at Rolvenden. Manning Wardle Charwelton is due to return after completion of final assembly at the Flour Mill.

Gervase (Sentinel conversion) is also at Rolvenden for completion of its overhaul.

 

Another possible returnee is Dunrobin (SVR/Beamish). According to Will Marsh in the last SVR News, "with a bit of momentum, 2026 might well be the year that sees this long-running project finally completed".

 

Drifting slightly O/T here, but there have been similar losses in the railway preservation world, such as the trailer coach of the Bulleid 4DD unit and an Ivatt Atlantic boiler (the one found at the same time as that now on 32424).

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62005 ?

 

80136 failed with leaking tubes mid October and not getting repaired to see end of ticket ?
30053 ..didn’t it relocate to NNR as not required at Swanage ?
30825,80135 at NYMR ?

 

SLL also have a Sellindge base and their news page for October mentions in passing that 68078 is “due to leave the site for its new home in the next few months”.

Companies House shows striking off the KLL company has been requested by its own directors (i.e. not by creditors or an administrator) therefore may be for benign reasons. It’s a cost-effective way to wind up a non-trading company if it has no debts.

 

M7 is at Weybourne for completion of overhaul; boiler has been done there under contract.

 

Video recently put onto Youtube by the NYMR referenced 80135 to be aiming for a return to traffic in 2027.

Y7 No. 985 should return at the MSLR this year too.

 

Is B12 8572 return planned for 2026?

 

I have spoken to one of the directors of KLL. There is no "trouble up mill". It simply has to do with the new rules regarding companies not being suitable to their particular situation. They are making other arrangements for the future. The engine is safe, and will be running before long.