Beckton No. 1 makes it seven for National Trust’s Penrhyn clear-out
FOLLOWING the donation of six steam locomotives to various museums and groups, as reported last issue, the National Trust clear-out of the former Penrhyn Castle railway museum has seen a seventh vacate the museum in the guise of Neilson & Co 0-4-0WT No. 1561 Beckton No. 1, which has passed into the collection of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society at Bo’ness.
Built in 1870 at the firm’s Glasgow workshops, No. 1561 started its working life more than 350 miles further south at the Gas Light & Coke Company’s gasworks at Beckton, in East London, where it carried the name Alderman during its first few years. Low headroom in the site’s retort houses resulted in locomotives being limited to a maximum height of just 8ft, hence No. 1561’s somewhat quirky appearance.
It was tasked with shunting coal to and from the piers along the company’s Thameside waterfront. By 1878, a further six examples of this design had been purchased and delivered to assist. Originally fitted with a basic cab roof, this was later removed, and the locomotive underwent a rebuild in Beckton during 1929.
In 1963 it was finally withdrawn and preserved by the Industrial Locomotive Society. It was placed on extended loan to the NT and moved to the castle museum the same year, where it remained until it departed for Bo’ness at the end of January 2024, as part of the NT’s plans to better coordinate its displays and make them relevant to the region.
Following its arrival there, the ILS has officially transferred ownership to the SRPS; its arrival at the Scottish heritage line has seen it return to its country of birth for the first time in 154 years.
Museum director Dr Becky Peacock said: “We are very grateful to the ILS for donating Beckton No.1 to the Museum of Scottish Railways. The locomotive is a wonderful addition to the collection.” Beckton No.1 is set to go on display alongside locomotives such as 0-6-0T No.1 Lord Roberts of 1899 and North British Railway’s C class 0-6-0 No. 673 Maude, both of which were built much later at the same locomotive works in Glasgow.