0-6-2 Saddle Tank Steam Locomotive “Barber”

The following information has been compiled from an article written by Ronald N Redman, which was published in Narrow Gauge World & NG Modelling magazine No. 33, May/June 2004 edition.

Locomotive and Builder Details:-

The locomotive is a two foot gauge 0-6-2 saddle tank, built in 1908, it is a very rare breed from an equally rare builder, Thomas Green & Company Limited of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Thomas Green founded his engineering business in North Street, just outside of the city shopping centre in Leeds, in 1848, naming it as the Smithfield Iron Works, and about 1880 the business became a limited company just prior to starting to manufacture steam trams. Some 200 of these monsters roaming the streets of most industrial towns and cities were produced, and it was only one step toward to Green’s joining the ‘band’ of Leeds locomotive builders.

Green was destined to design and build only thirty-six locomotives according to a list that they made available to the author in November 1953, and possibly two of the entries may well have been steam trams. Among this short list were a couple of two-foot gauge 0-6-2 saddle tank locomotives.

The above photograph of “Barber” is taken from “Narrow Gauge Railways, England and the Fifteen Inch” by Humphrey Household, published in 1989.

The first of these two saddle tank locomotives, was one named Masham works No. 366, which was ordered in May 1904 and it was delivered with an invoice for �825, to E. Wilson Dixon, who was the Engineer for Harrogate Corporation. It was supplied for service on the railway, which was then in use from the Masham connection with the North Eastern Railway, up to Leighton and then on to the site of Roundhill reservoir a distance of eight miles. This most attractive machine had 9½ inch x 14 inch cylinders and a very spartan cab, which was not ideal for the weather that can be encountered in the Northern Dales. Nonetheless it worked well and it later passed through several hands before being recorded as working for Albnert Batchelor Ltd, at Halling on the Medway, in the mid 1920s.

Turning to the second Greens 0-6-2 saddle tank locomotive, this came about as a result of unusual circumstances. The Harrogate Gas Company was having problems with road maintenance due to damage caused by their road locomotives moving coal from Starbeck to the Ripon Road gas works. They were also receiving complaints from the residents of High Harrogate who objected to the sounds and smells of the engines during the night. After 1890, the North Eastern Railway put a siding in at Bilton on the Harrogate to Ripon line, giving a much shorter run but on virtually country lanes, and soon letters started to appear in local press from ‘Disgusted of Harrogate’.

A standard gauge railway was suggested as a possible solution, but costs ruled that out, so the gas company decided to go for a cheaper alternative, a narrow gauge steam railway. Representatives of the gas company board went up to Masham to inspect the reservoir construction line in 1904. They were so impressed by Edward Wilson Dixon that he was asked to prepare plans for an approximate one mile two-foot narrow gauge line from Bilton siding to the gas works at New Park on the Ripon road.

Holmes and King of Liverpool secured the contract to build the new line, which included an 800 yard tunnel on the final approach to New Park. Dixon had used three Green-built locomotives on the reservoir line with some success and chose them again from three quotes from Leeds builders. The locomotive selected was an 0-6-2 saddle tank, Greens works No. 441 of 1908, which was to carry the name Barber after Francis Barber, the Chairman of the gas company. Unusually, the name was composed of individual metal letters mounted directly on the saddle tank, rather than on a conventional cast brass plate.

As new the locomotive was painted in Green’s standard livery of lined red and black with frames in brown. Basically it was a slightly ‘beefed up’ version of Masham with 10 inch x 16 inch cylinders, but with a drop footplate and totally enclosed cab, features which were essential to negotiate the very restricted tunnel at the gas works end of the railway. There was so little room to spare that the cab had to have a small escape door in the back of it to allow for retreat in the event of derailment. The door served another purpose later in life, when it enabled the driver to reach down to the coupler without having to leave the footplate.

It was a gamble running a fairly busy line with only one locomotive. Barber took quite a lot of hammer and required two new fireboxes and it was completely rebuilt by the Hunslet Engine Company in 1921, after the gas company acquired its second locomotive. This was Spencer Hunslet Engine Company works No. 1340 of 1919, which was a cut down version of one of the builder’s classic First World War 4-6-0 tanks. Despite its pedigree, it was not popular with the Harrogate drivers proving to be ‘a bit light on its feet’ and prone to slipping on the grades.

Spencer lasted in service until about 1943 and it was not cut up until 1946 - if it had lasted a few more years preservationists would have been fighting over it. Its place was taken by a Peckett 0-6-0 saddle tank, works No. 2050 of 1944, which has since been preserved and, in 2004, was in excellent working order. A 102 horse power Drewry diesel locomotive arrived in 1949 and after the eventual closure of the railway in 1956, it was subsequently acquired by the Rhodesia Chrome Co. Ltd, of Selukwe.

Barber got progressively more rundown and was never steamed again after the diesel locomotive arrived. By this time the gas board was in the hands of the North Eastern Gas Board, and after being approached by Eric Cope, the founder of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, they agreed to the locomotive being preserved, if the society could find it a good home. It was then shunted into an empty coke drop for storage. In May 1956, Maynard Mitchell, the then director of Leeds Museums, expressed an interest in seeing it restored and put on display in one of the museums in Leeds.

In April 1957, Barber was moved to Bilton for return to Leeds by road and for storage in an ex-tramway sub-station, then used as a museum store, which was half filled with horse-drawn carriages and an immense hay wain, which eventually had to be destroyed due to the ravages of woodworm. In this unlikely environment Leeds area members started to clean up the locomotive but it was a forlorn task and space was at a premium once the 18 inch gauge locomotive, named Jack, arrived to keep Barber company.

When the new Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills became established, Barber, Jack and Lord Granby, the three steam locomotives acquired for the museum by the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, were moved in on 12th March 1980. Eventually, things at last started to happen under the guidance of Ronald S. Fitzgerald, the enthusiastic Keeper of Heavy Engineering. The tiny locomotive Jack was fully restored to steaming condition, and the dual gauge track at the museum was completed for the eventually running of Jack and Barber.

On 28th July 1983, Barber was moved to Bradford Industrial Museum’s workshop when the boiler was completely overhauled, apart from the new regulator, and the frames, the driving wheels and cylinders were refurbished. The main tasks still to be completed - the machining of the new neck casting for the regulator and its refitting, the machining of the casting for the trailing truck and its assembly, chimney, dome and cab fittings - would have finished the job.

This was the stage reached when Barber was returned to Leeds in sections back in 1991, and this, as at 2004, is how it stays. Now help may be at hand. Leeds Industrial Museum is happy to let another piece of ‘the family silver’ out on loan, with, it is hoped, another happy ending. It was agreed that the locomotive would leave Armley Mills during 2004, and that it is to be restored, as near as possible to its inter war years condition, to run on the South Tynedale Railway at Alston, in Cumbria.

It is a pity, that people could have not seen it running years ago at Leeds Industrial Museum, but it is hoped, that in time, they can look forward to seeing it running again through the delightful scenery of the South Tynedale line. It is hoped that one day, that a ‘Barber Special’ train can be organised for Narrow Gauge Railway Society members to mark their involvement with the initial preservation of this interesting and unique locomotive.

Just to put the record straight, Barber is not the world’s only Green’s locomotive to survive. There is a standard gauge one in South America, also there are the remains of at least one - possibly two - in Australia, and a very nice steam tram in South Africa. Just in case there could be some extra magical properties about Barber, it may be worth recording that one of the drivers on the Harrogate gas works line was a Harry Potter.

Arrival of the locomotive at Alston and plans for its restoration:-

An agreement between the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society and Leeds City Museums has been finalised for the loan, restoration and operation of the unique Thomas Green and Company of Leeds, 0-6-2 saddle tank steam locomotive Barber.

This locomotive was transported to Alston and it arrived on Thursday 29th April 2004 and was placed into the engine shed. Efforts are now being made to obtain funding to restore it to its “inter-war” condition.

Barber was built for the Harrogate Gasworks Company in 1908, and it is the only known locomotive which was built by Thomas Green that still survives in Great Britain. Both parties are keen to see the locomotive running again, especially as the centenary of the locomotive being in existance is not far off.

The South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society is proud to be entrusted with the restoration of this rare locomotive and with the opportunity to operate it at a northern base not far from its original home.

The locomotive is currently about 60% restored, including most of the boiler repairs and in conjunction with the Engineering staff at Armley Mills Museum, the Society will be restoring Barber to as close to its original working condition as possible. With the backing of Leeds Museum Services, it is now planned to transfer the locomotive to Alston by Easter 2004 and to raise the funds to complete the restoration of it, in a reasonable time, hopefully ready for its Centenary in 2008.

Briefly, Barber is 6 feet 5 inches wide and 18 feet 3 inches long, it weighs about 19 tons empty and has a tractive effort of 6,000 lbs at 75% boiler pressure. Its height was restricted due to the tunnel entrance to the gasworks, so it has a low, cut-out cab roof, which was typical of the three locomotives that worked at the site. In fact the tunnel was so restricted that Barber’s cab has an emergency rear exit in case of failure in the tunnel!.

The above photograph of ‘Barber’ is taken from “Narrow Gauge Railways, England and the Fifteen Inch” by Humphrey Household, published in 1989.

Further reading:-

A special issue of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society magazine (issue No. 146) has been published entitled Harrogate Gas Works: Its railways and other transport systems. It is written by Martin P F Hallows and David H Smith. It contains a good selection of photographs along with some superb drawings of all of the locomotives and rolling stock. This highly reccommended publication can be obtained through the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, and a limited number of copies of the book have been on sale at Alston station shop recently.
The photograph is taken from “Narrow Gauge Railways, England and the Fifteen Inch” by Humphrey Household, published in 1989, ISBN Number 0-86299-575-2. It is available online from www.thebarberline.co.uk

Dimensions:-

Barber is 6 feet 5 inches wide and 18 feet 3 inches long, weighs about 19 tons empty and has a tractive effort of 6,000 lbs at 75% boiler pressure.

Livery:-

To be confirmed nearer to completion of overhaul.

For more information about the South Tynedale Railway, please contact:-
SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB.
Tel. 01434 381696. Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828.
Registered Charity No. 514939.

E-mail enquiries - please click on links below:
South Tynedale Railway information - Send e-mail to South Tynedale Railway
STRPS membership information only - Send e-mail to Kathy Aveyard
Tynedalesman information only - Send e-mail to Liesel von Metz

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