First visit...
Statfold Barn Railway
18 March 2006
I'd been aware of railway stirrings at Statfold
Barn, near Tamworth, for a little while - then
in September last year, the Railway Magazine
ran a two-page article on the line. So when the
IRS announced a visit to the line, I had to go...
The Statfold Barn Railway is not open to the
public - it is a private undertaking, the property
of Mr Graham Lee, chairman of LH Group Services
Ltd - which, last year, bought what remained of the Hunslet
Engine Company. With fully equipped workshops at Statfold, the
company has begun building a set of four new Hunslet steam
locomotives - to the design of the Dinorwic "Port" class. In the
meantime, a running line of perhaps a mile and a half, with a
balloon loop at the far end, provides the opportunity to really
run-in any new build - and to have a bit of fun too! (Yes, we had
a ride...) Unusually, the main line is dual gauge (2' and 2'6")
throughout - the longest dual gauge line in the UK?
On this bitterly cold March day, four
locomotives were in steam - resident
Hunslet 3902 of 1971, the last "normal"
industrial steam locomotive to be built in
the UK, was in action. Now named
"Trangkil", it was repatriated from Java a
couple of years ago and has been rebuilt
(and regauged) to a very high standard. Accompanying it would
be the first of the new build, no. 3903 of 2005, making its debut
today as "Statfold". Also in action were "Irish Mail" (HE 823 of
1903) from the West Lancs Railway, and "Lady Joan" (HE 1429 of
1922) from the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway in Kent. Although
not identical, the latter display a vary close resemblance to
their new cousin (but not to 3902, which was built by Hunslet to
the former Kerr, Stuart "Tattoo" design - like another newly-built
locomotive, the Corris Railway's no. 7).
As well as the steam action, there were another six complete
narrow gauge steam locomotives on display (as well as bits of
others - including a remarkable line-up of three new saddle
tanks - just the tanks, that is, in works grey, for nos. 3904-6
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
presumably). One I had hoped to see in
action was the former Harrogate Gas
Works Peckett (2050 of 1944) - but it stood
cold in the running shed in the company of
a nice little O&K (no. 614). In another
shed were four locomotives imported from
Indonesia - O&K 10750 of 1923, Krauss
4045 of 1899, and two Jung Mallets, 0-4-4-0T 2279 of 1914 and
4878 of 1930 (in yet another building were the power bogies of
another Mallet, this time O&K 1473 of 1905). What an amazing
collection of locomotives!
There were diesels present too - three in action, plus a couple of
others. By far the biggest is Hudswell-Badger D1418 of 1971 (yes,
same age as "Trangkil"), ex-Shotton steel works. This 2'6" gauge
locomotive actually hauled a passenger train on the "field
railway" - a mixed-gauge train on the dual-gauge main line!
Making itself useful around the shed yard was a modern Hunslet,
bearing the legend "Welsh Highland No 5" (I'm guessing that it's
no. 6285 of 1968). And on the almost self-contained "garden
railway" - a loop of 2' gauge track around a pool, just about big
enough to be called a lake - Ruston 222074 of 1943 tugged an
open bogie carriage around in circles! It had travelled down from
the West Lancs on the same low loader as Irish Mail "there was
room for one more, so we though we'd bring it". Meantime, in
the garden railway shed stood a very original-looking Motor Rail -
it was too dark to photograph or gather more details! And finally
(I don't think I've missed any!) 2'6" gauge HE 2019 of 1939 stood
posing with a line of wagons near the running shed.
I mentioned the weather earlier - yes, it was bitter, and dull and
overcast too - not exactly ideal conditions. Nevertheless, we had
an excellent time - I'll certainly be keeping an eye open for any
future openings of this tremendous railway.
Links:
•
Industrial Railway Society
•
Statfold Barn Railway official website
•
West Lancs Light Railway
•
Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
