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Visiting locomotive from another railway at Alston in 2007. |
Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 saddle tank locomotive �Stanhope�. Works No. 2395.
(Now based at the West Lancashire Light Railway, at Hesketh Bank, Preston, Lancashire.)
Introduction:-
The visiting steam locomotive at the Steam Gala Weekend at Alston Station held on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd September 2007 was a Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 saddle tank steam locomotive, named Stanhope. Normally based at the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank, in Preston, Lancashire, this locomotive often visits other narrow gauge railways.
The locomotive arrived at Alston on Saturday 15th September 2007 when it was unloaded. Stanhope being air piped but having no air brake, therefore had to be coupled to other South Tynedale Railway locomotives, to operate the train services between Alston and Kirkhaugh. It was used in service on Tuesday 18th and Thursday 20th September and during the Steam Gala Weekend on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd September 2007.
Unfortunately, it developed a fault with the injectors on Sunday 23rd September 2007, whilst returning to Alston with the passenger train, coupled to Helen Kathryn on the second train of that day. Therefore it had to be taken out of service to await repair.
The above photograph shows the locomotive, Stanhope, at Kirkhaugh Station, whilst being piloted by Henschel Riesa Class 0-4-0 tank locomotive Helen Kathryn on Sunday 23rd September 2007, during the Steam Gala Weekend on the South Tynedale Railway. Photo by Daniel McIntyre.
Some details about the locomotive:-
The following paragraphs shown below, about the locomotive is taken from the West Lancashire Light Railway internet site at www.westlancs.org :-
Stanhope was manufactured by Kerr Stuart & Co. of Stoke on Trent in 1917 as works number 2395. It was the first “Tattoo” class locomotive to be fitted with Hackworth valve gear, and as such was illustrated in the contemporary maker’ catalogue. It was sold to Holloway Brothers of Inverkeithing for use on construction of the Royal Naval Dockyard at Rossyth and afterwards also the Sidcup bypass. In 1930, the loco was sold to Durham County Water Board for use on the Weardale reservoir contract at Burnhope Reservoir. It is here that it received its name.
In 1934, the loco was sold to the Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales, where it was modified by lowering the boiler by 6 inches to improve stability. By 1948 the loco was out of use, and remained on the scrap siding for a considerable number of years. Many of the parts were removed for use in the restoration of other locomotives. In 1966 the loco found its way into preservation, but deteriorated even further until, after several owners, the restoration of the remaining parts began in 1994 at the premises of the FMB Engineering Company.
In late March 1994, an agreement was reached with Alan Keef Ltd., Light Railway Engineers of Lea Line, near Ross on Wye, to complete the remaining work to return Stanhope to working order. This entailed Stanhope being stripped down to enable remedial work to be carried out on the wheels and axleboxes. After this, all motion work was re-fitted. Lost motion has been fitted to the brake mechanism to allow the installation of a steam brake. Recently manufactured items are the rivetted saddle tank, blast pipe and ash pan, safety valves and clack valves. After just over five years restoration and more than fifty years since she last ran, Stanhope finally steamed back into life in early September 1999, in time to make a special appearance at the Alan Keef open day on September 11th 1999. The eventual aim is to operate the locomotive at the new site of the Moseley Railway Trust, however in the meantime it is based at the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank, where it arrived on 20th November 1999.
This locomotive has operated on other narrow gauge railways and it visited the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway earlier in May 2007, to be part of the offical opening of that railway’s extension of line to Killington Lane on Saturday 12th May 2007.
The photograph to the right above, shows the locomotive, Stanhope, at Woody Bay Station on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, with Devon County Council leader, Councillor Brian Greenslade on the footplate on the above date. Photograph by Tony Nicholson and the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which appeared in the “Heritage Railway” magazine, July 2007 issue.
For more information about the South Tynedale Railway, please contact:-
THE SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY,
Registered Office Address:-
The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB.
Telephone 01434 381696.
Talking timetable - Telephone 01434 382828.
Registered Charity No. 514939.
Limited by Guarantee: Company Registration No. 1850832 (England).
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 Tynedalesman compilers
This page was last updated on 6th October 2007.
� South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society 2007.