How it all began

In the early part of 1986, the former locomotive builder Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd (now part of Wabtec Rail in Doncaster) tendered for the construction of three diesel electric shunting locomotives for Durgapur Steel Works in India. In July of that year, the company was awarded a contract to build these locomotives, 40 tonne diesel electric 0-4-0’s by the Steel Authority of India and Mike Fairburn was appointed as Project Manager to manage the construction, shipment and commissioning of the locos. During the early part of 1987, through contact between the Managing Director or TH(R) and Martyn Ashworth who was then the General Manager of Peak Rail at their developing base in Buxton Derbyshire, a deal was struck to build a section of 5’ 6”, broad gauge track on which the locomotives could be tested, as Thomas Hill did not have facility for this at their Vanguard Works at Kilnhurst near Rotherham. The locomotives were duly built, the first completed in May 1987 followed by the second and third were all tested and made ready for shipping to Calcutta by early June of that year

Ever innovative, Martyn’s thoughts turned to what other use the 5’ 6” gauge track could be put to now that the diesel electrics had been tested and shipped, and attention turned to the nearby Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester who had recently taken delivery of the Ex Pakistan Railways, Beyer Peacock built 4-4-0. What an unusual attraction this would make if it could be returned to steam at Buxton? Negotiations ensued and the idea had merits that received serious consideration, but the sheer practical logistics of getting the locomotive and tender out of its new home in Manchester, then back in again, after a period of operation at Buxton, proved to be one hurdle too many to be overcome in the project, and the Beyer Peacock stayed in the museum. Sadly the 5’ 6” gauge track was lifted at Buxton, as was all of the other track, and what is left of the site is now a silent ghostly reminder of its once bustling and thriving past as a steam centre.

In the 1990’s, people had moved on and a new project had taken root. What was to become the Great Central Railway Nottingham took possession of buildings on the former MOD site at Ruddington. Martyn Ashworth had by that time moved on from Peak Rail to Swanage and then North again to Loughborough and become involved in the formative GCR(N), where with Alan Freebury, thoughts turned to “What if” and “What could be”. Following the extraction of the four steam locomotive boilers by preservationists, from the former Malden timber mills in Essex, thoughts began to turn to how these boiler might be used. One project that took form at that time was the Brighton Atlantic Project, now well advanced at the Bluebell railway, using a former Great Northern Railway boiler in the construction of a new London Brighton and South Coast Railway Atlantic.

Initial thinking in Nottinghamshire was that another of the Malden boilers might have come from a GCR Pom Pom 0-6-0 tender engine. Further a Great Central Railway tender was known to be in the hands of preservation and stored at Butterley. What about re constructing a GCR engine around this boiler and tender, but how could this be made economically feasible? Pakistan Railways still had Manchester built Beyer Peacock built locomotives, there was one sitting in the MOSI in Manchester for all to see, perhaps the main mechanical components could be salvaged form this source? Research into what might be done went ahead, Mike Norton went to Manchester to investigate what drawings were available and was rewarded to find that the museum held a large library of drawings of Manchester built locomotives. Would it be possible to build a facsimile of a long lost GCR locomotive using as a basis, mechanical parts of a dismantled Ex Pakistan Railways 4-4-0, the Ex Maldon boiler and the GCR tender?

Meanwhile the development of the Ruddington terminus of the GCR progressed apace, from a derelict MOD site to a working railway centre. The idea lay dormant in the face of other priorities to establish the GCRN and re open the line from Ruddington to Loughborough as a heritage railway and freight line to East Leake. Mike Fairburn joined the ranks of volunteers at the GCRN in 2003 and in the course of discussions between Martyn Ashworth, Alan Freebury and Mike Fairburn, the idea to construct a GCR engine was aired and debated. Through co operative locomotive exchanges between the North Norfolk Railway and the GCRN, Alan Freebury became a regular visitor to Norfolk and on his travels identified a cylinder block, lying unused at Weybourne that turned out to be an 18” x 26” slide valve cylinder block, an unused new spare originally ordered from makers Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn, by Stewarts and Lloyds Corby, for their 56 Class locomotives operated between the ironstone quarries and the steelworks. It had come to North Norfolk with a package of primarily Peckett spares that the NNR had bought to support a Peckett that they at that time operated on the line between Sheringham and Weybourne, but which by the time Alan Freebury had identified the cylinder block, had moved on elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the NNR sold all their Peckett spares including the RSH cylinder block to Nick Gilbert at the Northampton and Lamport Railway, the owner of two Peckett locomotives based there.

In the summer of 2007, Alan Freebury and Mike Fairburn looked seriously at the feasibility of building a GCR Class II (LNER D7) based around the RSH cylinder block and the Maldon boiler now at Mangapps farm in Essex in the ownership of John Jolly. John confirmed that yes he would in principle be prepared to sell the boiler and Alan and Mike went to Essex to view the boiler and measure it up to establish if it really would fit the a new build D7.

The conclusion of the inspection was that not only would it fit, built it is so close in leading dimensions to the later GCR fitted Belpaire firebox boiler as to be indistinguishable from the original when clothed. Also observed in the examination was a plate identifying the boiler as No 50, a discovery that was to lead to much anguish though ultimately to be formative in the project as it continued to develop. Further, evaluation of the cylinder block indicated that it could be modified to fit between the frames of the locomotive. The principle difficulty concerns the width of the block. Being designed to fit between the frames of an 0-6-0, the block is very slightly wider than a block designed to fit between the frames of a 4-4-0 an application in which there is a requirement for some lateral clearance for the wheels of the bogie of the locomotive. A benefactor stepped forward to fund the purchase of the cylinder block and it was duly secured and delivered to Ruddington.

Meanwhile attention turned to the tender to consider its suitability for the project. With priority of the available engineering team at Ruddington focussed on the resident steam fleet, there was little time available to progress the development of the project, and though contact with the owner of the tender was established, it was not until early 2010 that matters came to a head when the owner approached Mike Fairburn to advise that the tender would be scrapped to raise funds for another project but would be available for scrap price to the GCR Class II project if we wished to buy it.

Meanwhile some basic development of the project took place, with definition of the construction and preliminary estimates of cost and construction program. More consideration was given to the options for boilers for the project. A visit to the premises of Great Northern Steam in Darlington to discuss boiler design and manufacture in connection with another project, the overhaul of a Hudswell PLA class loco bought about consideration of the idea of building a new boiler for the project rather than overhauling the Ex Maldon boiler and the idea of building a new loco in the form as originally built was born, instead of the rebuilt form with Belpaire firebox. Further, indicative costings showed that the cost of a new all welded boiler would be little more than buying and overhauling the Belpaire boiler.

This ironic chain of events bought us to the point where we had established the basic elements of what is now the GCR No 567 Locomotive Project. The old Thomas Hill works at Kilnhurst occupied the site of a former Great Central Railway station and goods yard, and the frames of the three diesel electric locos which formed a part of the early chapter of this story were laid in the workshop that occupied the location of the former Kilnhurst station building. In the early years of the last century, it is entirely probable that passengers could well have alighting form a train hauled by a Class 11 and walked over the very location where in the 1980’s the frames of a three locomotives were laid, that would be part of the story of how a new locomotive would come to be built in the 21st century.

 

Fascinating stuff and maybe worthy of posting in the new builds thread? Certainly gives the 567 Project enhanced credibility seeing those behind it.

 

Fascinating indeed, and I think the decision to build a new boiler rather than construct, at least under the surface, a 'mongrel' I think is the biggest win factor for me. It also means that you get a more interesting, and more attractive loco into the bargain! It allows, of course, that in the future a group may be able to use the original belpaire boiler on a newbuild of what it came off originally - an M&GN 4-4-0 I believe? I'm sure in time the NNR, or a group there, might be interested...

 

Whats the latest news of this project?

 

The project now has over 100 subscribers and funds to hand to purchase frame plates, leading buffer beam and stretchers and the bending and machining of the frames. The board of the GCRN has now agreed to the project being based at Ruddington long term and plans for construction of the frame and display of the locomotive during construction are being developed. A HLF grant application is being developed that will include application for funding to restore the tender already in the ownership of the project. The steady progress of fund raising through subscription is progressing well, a component sponsorship scheme will be launches soon to support the purchase/manufacture of a range of parts small to large. The project team will be happy to visit and make a presentation to interested groups please PM to arrange. Thanks Black Jim, for your enquiry