72 •TheRailway Magazine•August2019
DuchessofSutherland team to
complete new-build‘Patriot’
THE Princess Ro yalClass
LocomotiveTrust (PRCLT)has
beenawardedthe contract to
completeFowler‘P atriot’4-6-0
No.5551TheUnknownWarriorby
the LMS-Patriot Project.
ThePRCLTalso operatesand
maintainsStanierPacific No.6233
Duchess of Sutherland.
The‘Patriot’s’bottomend and
associatedcomponentswillleave
their currenthome at Crewe
HeritageCentr elaterthis summer
andmovetot he PRCLT’sWest
Shed baseat SwanwickJunction,
MidlandRailway -Butterley.
Theboiler willfollowonceit
has beencompletedby Heritage
Boiler Steam Services at Huyton,
near Liverpool.TheLMS-Patriot Company
boardsaid thedecisiontoaccept
the PRCLT’stenderwasbased
around itsownabilitytoestablish
agood working relationshipwith
the contractor,with theclear
understanding that“it hasto be a
flexible arrangementtomeet all
the challenges the projectfaces ”.
“The PRCLTisdelightedtohave
beenawarded thecontract to
completeTheUnknownWarrior,”
said PRCLTchiefmechanical
engineer SimonScott.
“Welookforward to asuccessful
partnership withthe LMS-Patriot
Companythatwill seethe
completion of this fantastic
projectand thesteamingof the
new‘Patriot’.”Before No.5551 movedto
Derbyshirethe LMS-Patriot
Projectengineeringteam and the
PRCLTwill assessthe outstanding
tasksto determine thefinal
prog ramme ofwork requiredto
completethe loco.
Most of the largecomponents
have already been sourced,
manufactured,delivered and
fittedto the 4-6-0, leaving the
PRCLTwith whatise ssentially an
assemblyjob.The LMS-Patriot
Projectwill retain an active
involvementint his process,
sharing itsexperienceof
new-buildconstruction withthe
PRCL Tteam.
DavidBradshaw, chairman
of the LMS-Patriot Company,said:“Ourpartnershipwith the
PRCLTwill seethe successful
completion of the new National
Memorial Engine.The PRCLT
has excellen tfacilities andtheir
expertise willhelpensure that
TheUnknownWarrioris finished
to the highestpossible standards
formain line running.”
Theprojecthas raised
morethan £3milliontowards
No.5551’sconstruction, but
further funds arerequiredto
finish the locoand itstender
(which is withLeakyFinders in
Devon), acquirethe main line
running apparatus,and to buy a
supportcoach.
Formoreinformationvisit:
http://www.lms-patriot.org.ukLeft to right: LMS-Patriot Companyengineering directorSteveBlackburn andAndy Collinson, chairman of LMS-Patriot Enterprises,join
SimonScott (centre),Kevin West,CME ofTheLMS-Patriot Projectand Nigel Barber,fromthe PRCLT, with No.5551 at CreweHeritage
Centre on July 10.BOB SWEETPannier No.4612back in
Bodmin &Wenford traffic
GREATWestern motivepower
returnedto the Bodmin &
Wenfor dRailway fo rthe first
time in 2019 whenCollett‘8750’
0-6-0PT No.4612 rejoined the
working fleet in late-July after
overhaul.
Thelocopassed its steam
test on July 18 and,following
running-in turns,took its place
on the passengerroster the
next week.Thepannier’s return takes
the pressureoff‘Austerity’
0-6-0ST No.75178, which
had been therailway’s only
operational steam locothis
year.
No.4612 is picturedat
BodminGeneral station with
fittersTomBlightand Will
Marshall,who completed much
of thework on the loco.
JIMMY JAMES/B&WRMid-Hantsacquires‘Mickey Mouse’ tank No.41312
THE Mid-HantsRailway (MHR)
has secured the purchase of
Ivatt‘2MT’2-6-2T No.41312
fromowner John Jones,
ensuring its long-term future
on therailway.
Theex-Southern Region
‘MickeyMouse’tank becomesjust the second engineto be
owned by the line’s operating
companyMHR Ltd,joining
‘5MT’4-6-0 No.73096, which
it boughtin2017.
Mr Jones hadowned the
locosince1993, putting it
throughafull restor ationat Ropley beforeentering
service20years ago.
Other than visitsto other
heritage lines it has been
based on therailway ever
sinceand,having made the
decisionto sell,MrJones
gave the MHR firstrefusalas hewanted itto stayon
the line.
Thelocohas been acquired
thanksto agrant from the
MHRPreservation Society,
and comes into the railway’s
ownership with sevenyears
still on its boiler ticket.NickRallsleaves
Severn Valleyfor
Ironbridge...
SEVERNValley Railway (SVR)
general managerNick Ralls
will leave the railway he has
overseenforthe last 12years
laterthisyear.
Mr Ralls,who joinedthe SVR
shortly afterthe floods of 2007,
is ta king on therole of chief
executivefor theIronbridge
GorgeMuseumsTrust.
During histenure as
general manager therailway
notonlyrecovered from
the 2007 landslips,but it
also sawthe openingoft he
Engine Houseat Highley,the
diese lmaintenanc edepot at
Kidder minster,and enhanced
visi torfacilitiesat Bridgnorth....asBluebell’s GM
also steps down
JULI EJones ,the general
manager of the Bluebell
Railway,has lef tthe railway
afterjust 10 months in therole.
Shefinished on June 12,
with noreason having been
givenfor her departure.
Theline’soperations
manager ChrisKnibbs will take
on the day-to -day running of
the railway.‘BlackFive’boiler
returnsto Strathspey
THE boiler of LMS‘BlackFive’
No.5025returnedto the
Stra thspeyRailway on July 18
afterafull overhaulbyRiley &
SonatHeywood.
Theboiler wasalmost
immediately reunited with its
ashpan beforebeing moved
into Aviemoreshed.
Thebottom end of the
locoisatanadvan cedstage of
overhaul and will bereunited
with the boiler soon.Lambton 29 heading
to PeakRail gala
NEWLYoverhauled Lambton
Collieries 0-6-2T No.29isslated
to appearat Peak Rail’s Mixed
Traffic Gala onAugust 10-11.
TheNorth YorkshireMoors
Railway-based locowill star
alongside theFoxfieldRailway’s
Beyer, Peacock 0-4-0ST
No.1827and residentVulcan
Foundry-built‘Austerity’
0-6-0ST No.72.
Forfurther information visit:
http://www.peakrail.c o.ukBrackleyCentral
reopensto the public
THE former Brackley
Centra lstation building in
Northamptonshireonthe
GreatCentralRailway’s London
Extensionisonceagain opento
the public.
Afteryears serving asatyre
and automotivegarage,the
building has been savedfrom
demolitionand convertedinto
acoffee shop called Brackley
Central.SIDELINES
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