Wadebridge – bound for the main line?

THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING HAS MADE IT REALISTIC TO HAVE MAIN LINE AMBITIONS

AIR-SMOOTHED ‘WEST Country’ Wadebridge is set to return to the main line for the first time in over 50 years – and a return to Malachite green has not been ruled out.

Withdrawn at the Mid-Hants Railway at the end of its ‘ten-year’ ticket in March 2016, Wadebridge had been due to travel to Locomotive Storage Ltd’s facility in Margate, where it would have joined the Mid-Hants’s ‘Black Five’ No. 45379, pending overhaul. However, “an extremely generous donation running well into six figures” from

Swiss national and Bulleid fan Alexander Choremi prompted the Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society and Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd – Wadebridge’s joint owners – to instead start overhauling the ‘Light Pacific’ with the intention of running it on the national network.

Doing so would fulfil the ambition of the locomotive’s original restorers; Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd’s then-secretary John Prosser said in 2006 when the Bulleid returned to steam: “Taking it on the main line is the peak of getting an engine working.”

Although that “aim” fell by the wayside, “the availability of funding has made it realistic to have main line ambitions,” Stephen Evans, chairman of both the MHRPS and Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd, told Steam Railway, with “well over half” the required funds available.

Mr Evans added: “Preservation needs another ‘Spam Can’ on the main line, and it would be good for the Mid-Hants to have a main line ambassador.”

He also paid tribute to the locomotive’s sponsor, who has also become Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd’s patron: “Alexander’s donation has made all this possible and means Cinderella can now go to the ball.”

Dismantling of the 1945-built locomotive is set to begin during November at Ropley, with nondestructive testing to follow “so we understand what will be needed to complete the overhaul and how much it will cost to upgrade her to main line standards,” added Mr Evans.

“We started cosmetic repainting to prepare the locomotive for the move to Margate. We will now do as much as is necessary to protect the air-smoothed casing, cab and tender while they are stored during the overhaul.”

This initial scheme of work is expected to be completed by January, with a final decision about main line running to follow

shortly after; however, this is expected to be a formality. The MHR is expecting to fit air-braking to give No. 34007 as wide a sphere of operation as possible if and when it returns to the main line.

Mr Evans also added that: “We haven’t discussed livery yet” but “Malachite [green] would be fantastic. It may be that we should feature Malachite and renumbering as 21C107 in a future public fundraising effort.”

No formal discussions have yet taken place about potential main line operators, but Mr Evans confirmed that the MHR was on the lookout for a strategic partner as, although the railway has previous experience of main line operations, going it alone in the current climate would be prohibitive.

As to why Wadebridge had jumped up the MHR’s overhaul queue, Mr Evans explained: “Wadebridge will mostly be a main line locomotive, which is why we consider her outside the normal overhaul list.”

GETTY IMAGES BELOW Could this be how air-smoothed ‘West Country’ Wadebridge will look after its next overhaul? The newly completed ‘Light Pacific’ poses for an official ex-works photograph shortly after outshopping from Brighton in 1945. It was named in its namesake Cornish town on October 31 that year.

RICHARD BENTLEY Wadebridge rests in the yard at Ropley with its newly built high-sided tender on October 23. It had been receiving cosmetic attention prior to a planned move to Margate, but will instead be dismantled for overhaul.