4277 BOWS OUT AT CHURNET VALLEY
GWR ‘42XX’ 2‑8‑0T No. 4277 bowed out for overhaul in style at the Churnet Valley Railway’s Winter Steam Gala on February 3/4. Repainted in BR black for the final weeks of its boiler certificate – which expired on February 9 – and running without its ‘Hercules’ nameplates, the Churchward heavy freight tank was pitted against even steeper gradients than those of its Dartmouth Steam Railway home, as it made its final forays up the 1‑in‑40 Cauldon Lowe branch to Ipstones.
Cheddleton MPD Manager Chris Meadowcroft commented: “It went very well and made a profit – it wasn’t the busiest gala we’ve ever done, but that was appropriate to what we had. We were going to have another guest engine, but it wasn’t available.” Both of Greg Wilson’s USA Transportation Corps ‘S160’ 2-8-0s, Nos. 5197 and 6046, were also in steam – with No. 5197 afterwards heading to the DSR, where it is on hire until the end of May to cover for bottom end work on No. 7827 Lydham Manor. The ‘42XX’ was expected to follow it back to Devon in late February or early March, said DSR boilersmith Rory Edwards: “On her return, the removal of the boiler will be done in conjunction with the completion of ‘Small Prairie’ No. 4555 (hopefully).” The CVR’s Autumn Steam Gala, on October 19-21, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the line’s supporting charity, the North Staffordshire Railway Co. (1978) Ltd. Visiting engines are No. 4555 (subject to completion), SDJR ‘7F’ 2-8-0 No. 53808 (from the West Somerset Railway) and LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ 0-6-2T No. 1054 (Keighley & Worth Valley Railway).