AYRSHIRE YEOMANRY: the ‘NAMeR’ thAt got AwAy

sold other ‘Black Fives’ in 1968 for less than half that figure, is explained by the fact that the cost of an overhaul was included). John Hillier takes up the story: “One of my committee colleagues, Eric Stevens, had initiated negotiations with BR to save and overhaul No. 45156. As a result of discussions that George Davies, then BLS Chairman, had had with Glossop Council, we believed that the council was very interested in getting involved. “With the purchase of Dinting MPD and making it ready for No. 5596’s arrival from Bury on November 15 1968 (under its own steam, despite the ban!) there was the prospect of creating a much-needed major tourist attraction for the town. So it proved to be, but at the time of the discussions there was little on site that we could show, apart from McEwen Pratt petrol shunter No. 680, which arrived from Jacob’s biscuit factory on September 11 1968. “We could not finance the purchase ourselves, since we had borrowed £3,000 to pay for No. 5596, and we knew that we had to pay the Hunslet Engine Company £7,500 to get it back into running order. We also needed funds to repair the fabric of Dinting shed and make the site secure, and so the opportunity was lost.” 1968 and sold for scrap to T.W. Ward of Beighton, Sheffield, eight weeks later - but not before the BLS had tried to save it. The Society’s minute book records on September 20 1968 that a meeting was to be held with Glossop Council on September 24 to discuss the possibility of obtaining the necessary finance - but follows up on September 25 with a comment that the council was not prepared to loan £8,000. (This seemingly high sum, given that BR The story of how the BLS acquired Bahamas straight from BR service at Stockport Edgeley shed is well documented (SR385, February-March 2011, for instance) but how many know that an attempt was made by the society to rescue another celebrity Stanier 4-6-0 at the end of steam - No. 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry? Feted as the last survivor of the four named ‘Black Fives’, No. 45156 was withdrawn from Rose Grove on August 3

JOHN CORKILL An immaculate No. 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry at Edge Hill shed on April 20 1968, spruced up with replica wooden nameplates for that day’s RCTS ‘Lancastrian No. 2’ railtour.