11th June 2010

Furness 20 was steamed today and a test train run at Rowley – it will be operating every weekend until the end of July so don’t miss the chance to see this wonderful locomotive in action. We now think we have the two oldest working standard gauge engines in the country at Beamish – FR20 was 1864 and Coffee Pot 1 from 1871. Elsewhere there is the broad gauge Fairy Queen in India (1855), Talyllyn (1865) and Prince on the Ffestiniog (just withdrawn from traffic) built in 1863. I have heard word of an earlier working standard gauge engine in Sweden which I am looking in to – but it does give FR20 the distinction of being the second oldest of all working World-wide, as well as oldest standard gauge. If one takes Beamish’s other working engines (the three replicas by dates represented i.e. 1813, 1815 and 1825) plus our 1855 Joicey steam winder, then that amasses (quick sum) to some 1018 years of working steam history!!! Add in Rambler (1931) and that isn’t a bad total, though it doesn’t really mean much… Interesting to think about though!

Anyway, below is a selection of photos from today showing FR20 in action and at rest…