NEW PARTNERSHIP AND A NEW HOME FOR SIR KEITH PARK

Ex-Barry ‘Battle of Britain’ becomes Tunbridge Wells West’s first preservation era Bulleid.

Rebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’

No. 34053 Sir Keith Park is taking up permanent residence at the Spa Valley Railway, following a new partnership between the line and its owning group, Southern Locomotives Ltd.

It is expected to have moved from Tyseley (where it has been stored following bottom end work) by the time this issue of SR goes on sale. The move comes just weeks after the Swanage Railway – SLL’s and the ‘Light Pacific’s’ base – advised SLL not to return No. 34053 to the ‘Purbeck Line’, “owing to both Covid-19 and financial concerns” (SR507).

SLL chairman Simon Troy said: “Inevitably, the last few months have resulted in the Swanage Railway having to make some difficult decisions to save money long-term, and one of those is that we have been advised that they will only require two of our locomotives for the foreseeable future.

“With eight locomotives, it was clear that we needed to try and set up a second base. With so many shareholders in the south east, it was logical that, with our growing association with the Spa Valley Railway, through [‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST] ‘Norman’, Tunbridge Wells West would be our first choice.”

In order to enable Sir Keith Park, which will be the largest and heaviest locomotive ever based at the Spa Vallley Railway, to access

Tunbridge Wells West shed, the line’s volunteers have completely relaid the entire yard, a job that would have been “impossible” had the line been running as normal, said SVR general manager Jonnie Pay. It is hoped that

No. 34053 will enter SVR service in September, with further running at a reduced-capacity beer and cider festival in October.

SLL currently has two operational locomotives at Swanage – air-smoothed ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34072 257 Squadron and BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80104, although the latter’s ticket is set to expire in March “and it won’t get an extension,” said Mr Troy. They are expected to be joined next year by rebuilt ‘West Country’ No. 34028 Eddystone and original ‘BB’

No. 34070 Manston, which are approaching the ends of their respective overhauls at Herston Works and Tyseley, with Eddystone expected to take No. 80104’s place in the ‘Purbeck Line’s’ fleet.

Mr Troy said that, despite Swanage’s ‘two-engine policy’, No. 34070 “is due to operate in Dorset”, adding that “providing Tyseley have enough staff to undertake the job, it is only money that will prevent this locomotive from coming back into traffic next year.”

While work has yet to restart on the restoration of ‘WC’ No. 34010 Sidmouth’s boiler, which will be swapped with that of Sir Keith Park to enable a quicker restoration of the former locomotive, progress continues to be made on SLL’s latest acquisition – ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35025 Brocklebank Line. Removal of its brake gear, springs and other sundry items for storage continues at its Sellindge base in preparation for what SLL believes will be the locomotive’s first official cold inspection.