The Statfold Barn Railway:
Guide Book and Stock List (Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust Ltd, The Grain Store, Statfold Barn Farm, Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 0BU, www.statfold.com, softback, 104pp, £10).
THOSE readers who have been fortunate enough to visit an enthusiasts' weekend at the Statfold Barn Railway (see News, pages 22-23) will realise within minutes that the private venue is unique. Indeed, as a museum of world narrow gauge steam, it is arguably the best of its kind in Europe, if not much further afield.
Visitors will be dazzled by intensive timetables of trains hauled by a seemingly vast fleet of locomotives restored to pristine condition in the site works, which also builds its own engines. Non-stop action means there is rarely a dull moment, and when that comes, alight at Oak Tree Halt and visit the Roundhouse, a grain store turned into a museum which has a wow factor that would easily do justice to the likes of the National Railway Museum.
Most first-time visitors will be unfamiliar with the rich variety of locomotives to be seen, many imported from the far sides of the planet by museum founder Graham Lee, who started his collection off by reimporting Hunslet 0-4-2ST No. 3902 of 1971 Trangkil No. 4, which, in terms of locomotives built purely for commercial purposes, brought down the final curtain on Britain's steam age which began with Richard Trevithick in 1802.
Every locomotive to be seen at Statfold has a page or more to itself, containing an essential history, and colour and, where possible, archive black-and-white photographs. Up to date for summer 2021, the guide lists recent arrivals such as the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway's Tasmanian Garratt K1, which was overhauled and returned to steam at Statfold in 2020 and remains there on a 10-year loan agreement, and unrestored Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST Handyman, gifted by the National Railway Museum.
Fascinating stories
This guide will, at a glance, triple your appreciation and enjoyment of a day out at Statfold, laying bare all the whys and wherefores of everything you see in action or on static display, each having its own fascinating story as to how it came to be there and run again.
Some of the locomotives listed have yet to be placed on display, such as Bagnall 0-4-0 overhead wire electric locomotives The Eclipse and The Coalition, both rebuilt from late Victorian steam locomotives for use at the Llechwedd slate quarry in North Wales.
A chapter also deals with locomotives no longer at Statfold, primarily 2ft 6in gauge stock which went elsewhere when it was decided not to continue with that gauge. Apart from amassing locomotives from around the globe, several items were shipped to Barbados to provide a fleet to run on a new railway at the historic St Nicholas Abbey estate, which has been inspired by where else but Statfold!
An absorbing read in itself, the guide contains Graham's magnificent achievement at his railway condensed into 104 pages. It should set a new standard for many other heritage lines to follow with their own guidebooks. ESSENTIAL REFERENCE FOR VISITORS