Rocks by Rail gets two National Collection wagons

ROCKS by Rail – the Living Ironstone Museum has added two original iron ore wagons to its collection following their transfer from the National Railway Museum.

The pair, a BR 27-ton iron ore tippler and a 22-ton iron ore hopper, had been on loan from the National Collection for several years to the Cottesmore venue formerly known as Rutland Railway Museum.

The tippler wagon had seen occasional use in the museum's demonstration ironstone quarry trains on open days, while restoration work was undertaken by volunteers on the hopper wagon.

The museum applied to the NRM to retain the two wagons within its own collection, which represents the only comprehensive collection of standard gauge ironstone quarry rolling stock in the UK.

Local history

Ore wagons of these types were commonly found working at ironstone quarries in Rutland and the East Midlands from the early 1950s until the quarries closed at the end of the 1960s.

In early September, delighted museum officials were notified that the application had been successful and that the two wagons are now officially part of their collection.

Rock by Rail trustees' chairman David Atkinson said: “We are very grateful to the Science Museum Group for agreeing that these two iron ore wagon exhibits can be transferred to this accredited museum.

“This will safeguard their future conservation. The wagons will continue to see occasional use on public open days, where they will be included in demonstration quarry trains operating within the mock ironstone quarry at the museum, thus helping to recreate local ironstone quarry heritage for the benefit of visitors.”

Well looked-after

NRM lead curator Ed Bartholomew said: “As part of managing the national collection, we occasionally transfer items if we believe there may be more suitable organisations for their display, with a view to making the collection more accessible.

“The two wagons have been welllooked after at Rocks by Rail for many years. As permanent parts of the collection, they will help tell the story of the railway's important role in the transportation of iron ore.”

Iron ore tippler wagon B383560 is shunted by a quarry locomotive, Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 2668 of 1942 Cranford No. 2, at Rocks by Rail in 2010. RBR

On-loan Barclay 0-6-0ST No. 2139 of 1942 Salmon, a former Rocks by Rail resident which worked for Stanton Ironworks Company at its Harlaxton Quarries in Lincolnshire and which is now based at the Royal Deeside Railway, hauls a rake of iron ore hopper wagons heading for the mock quarry area at the Cottesmore museum. Hopper No. B436275 is the first vehicle in the consist. RBR