Coffee club whistles up a whistle for new-build 4-4-0 Ben Alder
MEMBERS of New Build Locomotive (Scotland), working to build a replica of Highland Railway Peter Drummonddesigned 4-4-0 Ben Alder, have been able to purchase a rare and genuine Highland Railway whistle for the locomotive, thanks to members of the group’s Coffee Club.
“We were able to raise the funds through the Coffee Club after the whistle became available as a private sale via a contact in Inverness,” said trustee Gavin Thomson. “We don’t know which loco the whistle is from, but it agrees with our drawing of Ben Alder’s own one that we have.
“I like to think that it may have come off a Ben, given that the class was one of the last set of Highland Railway engines in service, although some were given LMS hooters in their latter days.”
The only other Highland Railway whistle known to exist is on Jones Goods 4-6-0 No. 103, now on static display in Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, but the whistle has not sounded since the locomotive was withdrawn from service on special trains in 1965.
Now the group is appealing for more members to join the Coffee Club, which, rather than encouraging members to put on the whistling kettle to pay for more items such as the whistle, asks them to give up one coffee a day, which Gavin calculates at £2.50, making up to £10 over a five-day week, and to donate that to the project.
Gavin said: “A scheme such as this, similar to the donation of the price of a pint of beer a week that new-build Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163
Tornado was largely funded by, gives us vital regular income to take the project forward.
“Our immediate need is to source a container to hold components securely at the Fife Heritage Railway. That accommodation will allow us to go ahead with having the bogie wheels cast, and more Coffee Club members will help us do just that.
“We will also be delving into the Dubs company archives in Glasgow to track down some more drawings that we need, and we’re looking forward to making more progress in 2022.”
Ben Alder was built by Dubs in 1898 for the Highland Railway as one of a class of 20, and ended its days as BR No. 54398. It was scrapped in 1967, despite having been set aside for possible preservation. When completed, the new Ben Alder will be the first steam locomotive built in Scotland since 1958.
➜ Full details of the New Build Locomotive (Scotland) Coffee Club are at www.benaldernewbuild.com or write to: NBLS, Kenilworth Road, Lanark ML11 7BN.