We’ve gone and bought another one! One of the UK’s ‘lost locomotives’ joins the Beamish collection…
Here is some exciting news – we’ve bought another steam locomotive! I’ll be posting an article in the links section in due course, containing all the details, but the gist is that a 1901 built Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST named ‘Newcastle’ has joined the collection at Beamish. This will act as a second engine to Dunrobin for use at the station – another classic Victorian inside cylinder locomotive of suitable light railway appearance and thus well suited to passenger work of the nature it will encounter here.
Below: Last July, and the first glimpse of Newcastle on the Hertfordshire farm which had been its home for 40 years. It was last steamed in around 1980, and since then the undergrowth and trees had taken a hold on the area.
Below: Newcastle was very well wrapped up by owner Gordon Wells, himself a former Stratford engineman. This was the first view of the engine with covers peeled back. Pretty much complete, sans chimney. So the negotiations and planning began, and through the efforts of Martyn Ashworth, we were able to purchase the locomotive.
Below: Turn the clock forwards to Wednesday 7th March 2012 and again through Martyn’s meticulous planning, the engine was readied for removal. This work required a short extension of the siding Newcastle was stood on, a seriously big crane, movement of another locomotive that is on the site (for now) and arrangements for onward shipping of the engine to Beamish.
Below: Up she goes, turned through 90 degrees to clear a building then swung around towards John Antell’s waiting lorry.
Below: Safely aboard… I have shot some film of the process which should appear on here shortly.
Below: Arrival at Beamish this morning. Taking Newcastle to Newcastle (sort of – not quite coals to Newcastle, but…)
Below: Preparing to unload the locomotive in the Colliery yard, where the engine will reside for the meantime.
Below: Unloaded and ready for action – not quite but a good idea of what the engine will look like when eventually restored. The livery is correct, it isn’t a version of LNWR/BR, but is actually the scheme of the Midland Coal Coke and Iron Company where Newcastle (works No.1532) was supplied new in 1901. It was based at the Apedale Ironworks, now adjacent to the new Apedale Valley Railway.
There is no immediate plan to overhaul Newcastle, this being a strategic acquisition, and the Newcastle is Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, but we have certainly got a superb loco to join Dunrobin at Rowley in due course, manageable but also quite stately!
As outlined above, a full history article will appear in the downloads in due course…
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