Visiting locomotives to the S.T.R. from other railways

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 5¼ 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 0-4-2 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 - 27½ inches (2 ft 3½ 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, Portmadog.

This page has been created by Daniel McIntyre, a South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society member.
For information about him, please see Daniel McIntyre�s Home Page.

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 addresses: South Tynedale Railway information - [email protected] or [email protected]
STRPS membership and Tynedalesman information - [email protected]

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