Esme - 1961 restoration photograph...

Esme – 1961 restoration photograph…

This photograph was recently purchased on e-bay for our archives and to enhance the file on Esme.  It shows the engine at Wardie Garage in Granton, taken in August 1961.  J. H. Farr, president of the Scottish Traction Engine Society, had purchased the loco (No.988 built in 1903) from Edinburgh Corporation Gas Department and it would appear that a cosmetic restoration had been carried out at this time.  Study of the locomotive today suggests that a number of missing fittings were replaced, possibly from Barclay’s stocks (Andrew Barclay being the locomotive’s builder), as they are of correct type though not necessarily correct size for the loco – the gauge glasses being particularly short and impractical if actually used!  The loco is finished in the light green livery (presumably believed to be original) and carries the number ‘5; rather than the name Esme, which was painted on the tank side in the early years of work at Granton – see an earlier blog post for more on this.

Esme

Below: A reminder of Esme today – after many years on display at Biggar Gas Works and later in store at the National Museums Scotland storage facility in Granton, Edinburgh.  In due course we will remove the firebars, washout plugs and some fittings and arrange to lift the engine to enable a boiler survey (of the firebox in particular).  If the results are favourable we will then look at a plan for Esme’s return to steam – though I should emphasise that this work is some way off as there is much to do on other projects!

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I’m always on the look-out for archive photographs of locomotives/trams/rolling stock now in the Beamish collection – a number of regular correspondents contact me if they come across anything that might be of interest and I would always be pleased to hear from anyone else who spots interesting shots that we might add to the archives and respective files.  Contact can be made via the blog or to museum@beamish.org.uk and mark for the attention of the Transport Curator – they’ll find me by this route.