S&DTrust'7F'to Mid-Hants... but it will returnto Minehead
SOME R SE& T Dorset Railway '7 F' 2-8-0No.53808is spendingthe remainderof its boiler ticket on hireto the Mid-HantsRailway, which shouldseeit operatingin Hampshireuntil 2022.
The move comes after the locomotive' s owner, the Somerset& Dorset Railway Trust (S&DRT)r,eachedan agreement with West Somerset Railway pie, which hasresultedin the 2-8-0's operating agreement with the West Somerset Railway (WSRb) eingsuspendedfor the remaining period of the loco's boiler certificate. This is due to end in the autumn of 2022.
Relations between the S&DRT and WSRpie havebeenstrained sincethe latter gavethe trust noticeto quit its site at Washford station.
Howevert,he '7F'was alwayscoveredby a separate agreement,and both parties havebeenkeento seethe loco remainin Somersetlong-term.
'Busiest'time
Unfortunately, theWSR' s decisionnot to operatetrains this summer has resulted in the S&DRTgetting no hirefees for the'7F'during what would normallyby the WSR'sbusiest time of the year.
With an overhauldue in 2023, the trust needsto generate incomein orderto helpfinance the loco'sreturnto steam,hence the pie'sagreementto suspend the locoagreement.
Consequentlyt,he WSR engineeringteam hasbeen working collaboratively with the trust to complete No.53808' s winter maintenance programme, which was halted by the Covid-19restrictions,to prepare it for its moveto Rapley. The lo co was expected to makethe transferto Hampshire during late-August. WSRpiehassaidit wishesto discussthe return of the locoto the WSRa, nd discussfunding optionswhich would enablethe overhaulto be carriedout as planned.
No.53808is no strangerto the Mid-HantsRailwayh, aving visitedthe line in 2010when the '7F'wasstill in its SDJRblue livery. A trust spokesperson says it is lookingforwardto seeingthe lococlimbing'the Alps'once more.