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Visiting locomotives from other railways at Alston from 1996 to 1998. |
1. Keerstead �Telford Town Tram� Steam Tram.
(Normally based at the Telford Steam Railway, Horsehay, Telford, Shropshire)
Steam Tram Details:-
The Telford Steam Railway steam tram has proved to be a popular visitor to the Steam Gala Weekends held on the South Tynedale Railway at Alston, over recent years and was in service during the Gala Weekends held in September 1997 and 1998.
Photo: Telford Steam Railway steam tram photographed at Gilderdale on the South Tynedale Railway in September 1997.
Steam Tramway History:-
The two foot narrow gauge, Telford Town Tram, as it was originally known, which is operated by the Telford (Horsehay) Steam Trust was first opened to the public for one day only on 8th September 1979 and it ran again between 9th and 12th April 1980, in connection with the Wrekin and Telford Festival, 1980, and an exhibition of railways in Telford held in the shopping mall in the Town Centre. As soon as the legal problems of operation were settled between the Steam Trust and Telford Development Corporation, it was intended that the tramway would be open to the public at weekends and on certain evenings in the summer, and that fares would be charged for the short ride. At first, this could not be done as, under the New Towns Act, the Telford Development Corporation is not permitted to operate any form of public transport.
As opened, the track ran for about four hundred yards alongside the Randlay Lake, on part of the trackbed of the former London and North Western Railway branch from Wellington to Coalport East, which was closed to passengers from 2nd June 1952 and to freight from 5th December 1960. The rail section used was very light and utilised 20 lb. per yard rail, spiked directly to wooden sleepers.
Plans were for a steeply-graded and sharply-curved extension to be built from the lakeside terminus to the Telford Town Centre. This would involve a vertical climb of more than seventy feet over a direct horizontal distance of about a quarter of a mile. Later plans included further extensions, one giving a complete curcuit of Randlay Lake and the other connecting Stirchley and Silkin Way to take visitors within walking distance of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. Unfortunately the tracks in Telford were eventually lifted and the steam tram was moved to the Telford Horsehay Steam Trust Centre, at Horsehay, Telford, Shropshire, where it operates at present alongside their standard gauge railway line.
Steam Tram Details:-
The steam tram has an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement with a vertical steam boiler, the wheels are chain-driven by a 5� inch bore x 10 inch stroke single-cylinder engine. Gear ratio is two to one and the maximum permitted speed is eight miles per hour. Air pressure for the brakes on locomotive and carriage is supplied by a compressor driven by a single-cylinder 2 inch bore x 2 inch stroke Stuart steam engine, fed from the main boiler. Working pressure is 150 lb. per square inch. The tram locomotive was originally named �Thomas� by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry, author of the children�s books about steam trains, at a ceremony in the Telford Town Park on 9th April 1980.
There is at present only one four-wheel coach, seating 16 passengers who face each other on longitudinal benches, and the windows are not glazed. To accommodate the very sharp curves envisaged, the wheelsets of the coach are free-rotating on the axles. The coach is fitted with air brakes.
The steel frames of the locomotive and coach were made by Keersteads of Telford; the vertical multi-tubular boiler and steam unit by Pontis Steam Plant of Peterborough; the wheels and axles by W. H. Allen Limited of Tipton; the air brakes and other fittings and the bodywork of the tram and coach were provided by Alan Keefe Limited, Light Railway Engineers of Cote, Bampton, Oxford, of which this firm also acted as consultant for the whole project.
2. Bagnall 0-4-0ST �Isabel�
(Normally based at the Amerton Farm Railway, in Staffordshire.)
Locomotive Details:-
Bagnall 0-4-0 saddle tank steam locomotive, ‘Isabel’, visited the South Tynedale Railway at Alston during 1996, to take part in the Autumn Gala Weekend, which took place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September of that year.
The locomotive is shown on the photograph opposite, at her home on the Amerton Farm Railway, the photograph is from the Amerton Farm Railway website. Unfortunately, photos of ‘Isabel’ at Alston during September 1996, have got mislaid at present, but when one is to hand, it will appear on this page.
The following history of this locomotive has been reproduced from the Amerton Farm Railway website (at www.amertonrailway.co.uk):-
Isabel was one of the earliest locomotives to be built to the design of E.E. Baguley, and one of hundreds of this type built between the 1890s and the 1950s. However, Isabel has Baguley Patent Valve Gear, and she is probably the last working example in the world with this valve gear. Built as works number 1491, Isabel a standard 7 inch locomotive was delivered on 9th February 1897, to the Cliffe Hill Granite Company of Markfield, Leicestershire, and was named after one of the quarry owner’s daughters. She had a fairly uneventful life, initially hauling granite on their main line, and latterly being used as a shunting engine. Eventually she ceased work around 1946 and was laid up with all the other locomotives at the quarry awaiting the fate of the scrapman's torch, when the railway closed in 1948.
However, Isabel was lucky. W.G. Bagnall, who were very much still in business in Stafford at that time, were looking for a suitable display locomotive, and in March 1953 Isabel was brought back to be restored by the apprentices, and finally, later that year, she was put on display on a plinth at Castle Works yard, as a memorial to the 3,000 steam locomotives that were built there later that year.
She remained on display at the Castle Works until English Electric took over Bagnalls’ in 1961, and locomotive construction ceased in Stafford. Through the interest of the Stafford Railway Circle (formed 1959) Isabel was moved to a site in Victoria Park opposite the new (fourth) Railway Station in Stafford, where she was mounted on a plinth. It was there that the Deputy Mayor of Stafford, Councillor Rees L. Tyler, a railway signalman, unveiled Isabel and her commemorative plaques on 17th June 1963. Isabel remained on her plinth until she was returned to the Castle Works for further renovation in 1977.
The former Bagnalls’ works, is now GEC Castle Works, and it was there that the locomotive was restored by apprentices in 1977. The side panels and floors were replaced (side panels in aluminium), and the whole locomotive was ground to the bare metal and welded where necessary. Isabel was then hand painted, and unveiled at the Open Day at GEC Castle Works by the Mayor of Stafford, before being transported back to the plinth outside Stafford Station.
By the early 1980s Isabel presented a very sorry sight, due to deterioration as a result of the attention of the weather and vandals. Her chimney had collapsed and much of the plate-work was rotten. In 1984 she was removed to be restored in conjunction with Stafford Borough Council, but this initial scheme was destined not to be completed. It was around this time that a small number of local enthusiasts heard of Isabel’s predicament and formed the Stafford Narrow Gauge Railway Society Ltd (SNGRS) to complete a thorough restoration of the locomotive back into steam.
Thus agreement was reached with Stafford Borough Council in October 1987 and work started in earnest at a Council depot. The resultant restoration over three years repaired the boiler, fitted a new chimney and a new rivetted saddle-tank, and all new plate-work; the result was awarded the 1989 Dorothea Award for Conservation and the 1993 British Coal Steam Heritage Award. More recently, she was fitted with a steam brake and a steam-air pump of the Westinghouse type to charge the train brakes.
Isabel arrived at Amerton on 26th October 1991 and was successfully steamed; the first time that the locomotive had run for 45 years. Isabel ran her first revenue earning trains in July 1992. In service she has proved very capable and free steaming, although it takes about 3� hours to raise steam due to the design of the firebox, another Baguley feature. In 1998 three Society members investigated the mysteries of the Baguley Patent Valve Gear, the result of which produced modifications that have made a huge improvement to Isabel’s performance.
She has made two working visits to other narrow gauge lines, including the South Tynedale Railway in 1996, and more recently the Leighton Buzzard Railway, where she was able to haul lengthy passenger trains in very unfamiliar surroundings! Isabel is owned by Stafford Borough Council.
Technical Details:-
Builder - W.G. Bagnall, Stafford.
Works No. 1491, built in 1897.
Cylinders: 7 inch x 12 inch.
Weight: 7 tons.
Livery: Medium green, with red, black and yellow lining.
Wheel diameter: 1 foot 9� inches.
Wheelbase: 3 foot 6 inches.
Water tank capacity: 150 gallons.
Coal bunker capacity: 7 cubic feet.
Boiler pressure: 140 lb per square inch.
Tractive effort at 85% Brake Pressure: 3256 lb.
Length over buffer beams: 11 feet 7� inches.
Width: 5 feet 6 inches.
Height to chimney: 7 feet 6� inches.
3. Bagnall 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive �Woto�, Works No. 2133.
(Privately owned by Patrick Keef)
Locomotive Details:-
The steam locomotive �Woto� is privately owned by Patrick Keef. This locomotive came to Alston during September 1997 for the Steam Gala Weekend, which was held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September 1997. Also attending was the Telford Steam Tram.
W.G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962, when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford. The majority of their products were small four- and six-coupled steam locomotives for industrial use, and many were narrow gauge. They were noted for building steam and diesel locomotives in standard and narrow gauges.
�Woto� is normally based at the premises of Alan Keef Ltd., Lea Line, at Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with several other steam and diesel locomotives which are built between the gauges of 2 ft and 3 ft. This company specialises in a narrow gauge locomotive building and repairs.
Photo: �Woto� and South Tynedale Railway Hunslet 0-4-0 diesel locomotive No. 9 at Gilderdale Station, during the Steam Gala Weekend, 20th/21st September 1997. Photograph by Daniel McIntyre.
Locomotive History:-
This locomotive was built by W. G. Bagnall of Stafford in 1924 and it was originally built to 3 ft 6 inch gauge and was oil fired. It worked at Callender's Cable company works, which was located in Belvedere, Kent and was hauling trains of cable drum wagons during the 1960s. The company had three standard Bagnall 0-4-0STs, which hauled the wagons, these were - "The Mighty Atom" (a 6 inch saddle tank), "WOTO" and "Sir Tom" (7 inch saddle tanks). The locos were all oil fired, fitted with a large rectangular oil tank mounted above the usual coal bunker on the left hand side of the footplate.
The locomotive was later preserved and regauged to 2 ft.
4. Bagnall 0-4-2 tank locomotive �Gelert�, Works No. 3050.
(Normally based at the Welsh Highland Railway, Porthmadog, North Wales)
Locomotive Details:-
The steam locomotive, named �Gelert� is usually based on the Welsh Highland Railway at Porthmadog in North Wales.
This locomotive arrived at the South Tynedale Railway on Wednesday 26th August 1998, by arrangement with the owners of the locomotive to be used on passenger trains at Alston for a period of several weeks on loan to the railway, until its planned departure back to Porthmadog on Saturday 10th October 1998.
The locomotive was one of four similar locomotives, built by W. G. Bagnall of Stafford, which were built for the Rustenburg Platinum Mines of South Africa. The locomotives were used to haul 4 x 12 ton reef hopper wagons, loaded with Platinum ore for the mine shafts to the reduction plant, over distances of 6 to 10 kilometres. However as the mines expanded the two foot gauge railway lines were replaced by South African 3 foot 6 inch standard gauge tracks until the last two foot gauge line closed in March 1981.
Photo: �Gelert� photographed at Alston Station in August 1998.
Locomotive History:-
The locomotive was built in 1953, as works no. 3050, by W. G. Bagnall of Stafford and was ordered by the Rustenburg Platinum Mines Limited on 20th February 1951 via Baldwin (South Africa) Limited, who were agents for the locomotive builder, W. G. Bagnall.
It was used at the Rustenburg Platinium Mines in South Africa to haul wagons loaded with Platinium ore, as mentioned above. Whilst at Rustenburg, the Bagnall steam locos had several modifications made to them including the suspension changed from leaf springs to soil springs and steam generators were fitted for lights.
�Gelert� was the last of four Bagnalls ordered by the mines during the period between 1948 and 1953. It was not named whilst working at Rustenberg, but was given the number 4. Its sister engines are all preserved: No.1 in Johannesburg, South Africa, No.2 at Loxhill in Surrey while No.3 is also on the Welsh Highland Railway, awaiting restoration.
The Rustenberg Platinum Mine is a very large complex about 100 miles north-west of Johannesburg. A 2ft gauge railway was built to serve the various shafts and to carry the platinum ore about 10 miles to the reduction plant at Waterval. By March 1981, the 2ft gauge track had been replaced by standard Cape Gauge 3ft 6in track.
This locomotive and its sister, No. 3, were first sought in the early 1970s by members of the Welsh Highland Railway, but the Arab - Israeli War with its consequent world oil shortage gave them a new lease of life in the mines. In 1980 they again became available and the purchase was completed.
Both locomotives arrived in Porthmadog in April 1982, but serious work on restoring No.4 (now named �Gelert�), did not begin until 1990. Restoration was completed in 1992, the locomotive receiving its name and entering service on the Welsh Highland Railway in August of that year.
Locomotive No. 3, tentatively named Moel Tryfan, is awaiting restoration at Gelert's Farm Works. The frames and running gear have already received attention.
Preservation:-
Restoration of loco No. 4 (now named �Gelert�) took place over a ten year period at Porthmadog. The locomotive was stripped down to the frames, inside the �Big Shed� at Gelerts Farm and repairs were made to the boiler and new tubes fitted.
Some time later, the boiler was placed on a Hudson bogie wagon for its first steam test, which it passed and restoration continued. By 1992 restoration was complete and the locomotive was named �Gelert� and its nameplates fitted, to haul its first loaded passenger train out of Porthmadog Station for Pen-y-Mount.
Locomotive facts and figures:-
- Driving wheel diameter - 27� inches (2 ft 3� inch).
- Trailing wheel diametre - 1 ft 7 inches.
- Bagnall Price valve gear.
- Water tank capacity 480 gallons.
- Heating surface 298 square feet; tubes 262 square feet; firebox 36.3 square feet.
- Copper firebox and steel tubes.
- Grate area 7.6 square feet.
- Boiler pressure - 160 pounds per square inch.
- Cylinders - 9 inches x 14 inches.
- Tractive effort 5,608 pounds at 85% boiler pressure.
- Weight 16 tons in working order.
The above details were compiled by Daniel McIntyre for the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society in September 1998, with assistance from Andrew Goodwin, who is a part owner of the locomotive �Gelert� and Richard Beton of the Welsh Highland Railway, Porthmadog, Gwynedd.
� Welsh Highland Railway Ltd., Porthmadog and South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society 1998.
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 15th August 2007.
� South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society 2007.