At around the same time that we started our Samson project, the North Bay Railway at Scarborough commenced construction of a similarly sized narrow gauge locomotive, in the form of a Bagnall ‘Sipat’ class 0-4-0ST, named Georgina.

The project was completed recently and on Wednesday 23rd March it made is debut at a launch for invited guests on the North Bay Railway, the first steam locomotive to operate there having always relied on diesel traction (steam outline) since the early 1930s.

Below: Georgina returns to the railway’s headquarters on the return trip of its first passenger run and the first steam round trip on the railway.  One of the Hudswell Clarke built steam outline diesel locomotives is seen on the left.  The railway is 20 inch gauge.

Below: The very tiny proportions of the locomotive can be seen here.  The Sipat class were as small as you get before becoming a miniature engine.

Below: The marine firebox type boiler is seen clearly here – the same as that fitted to Samson.

Below: The Hudswell internal combustion locomotives came in tank or tender form, the former represented by Robin Hood here.

A second Sipat is planned, to two-foot gauge, and Station Road Steam in Lincolnshire have three under-way at their workshops.  In due course there will therefore be five of this type of locomotive at work around the country – not bad given that until this year, there were none!

The team, led by manager David Humphries, has many more exciting plans for developing the manufacturing/restoration side of the business, so this is certainly one to watch.