Swordfish steams under new ownership at Quainton Road
BARCLAY 0-6-0ST No. 2138, currently named Swordfish, has been purchased by Ricky Plummer, a man who has spent a lifetime on steam traction.
He was a professional skilled tool maker and machinist until 2000 when he decided that his ambition to become a main line driver was likely not to be realised unless he applied without delay to beat the then recruitment age limit.
Ambition realised
Ricky retired from Great Western Railway last year after driving HSTs, the Class 57-hauled sleeper services and latterly the Class 800X Hitachi IET to and from Paddington. He had already gone part time, joining West Coast Railways as a diesel driver in 2017 and last year, given his all-round experience, was selected for a traction conversion course to become a main line steam driver.
His first training turn was on LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman which did not daunt him, even after the fireman whispered in his ear: “Are you aware of the enormity of what you are about to do?”
But Ricky was used to such moments, having driven on Steam on The Met and Steam on the District Line as part of Dennis Howells’WR 0-6-0PT 9466 and GWR 4-6-0 No. 6023 King Edward II group on numerous preserved railways.
When No. 9466 was sold after Dennis died, Mr Plummer looked at the economics of buying his own steam locomotive and settled on one of the few Barclay 0-6-0STs that survived the end of industrial steam. It was built with a steel firebox in austerity times in 1941 and was recently based at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway.
The engine was steam tested at Quainton Road on April 29 when Ricky revealed to the author the three members of the supporting group which will keep the engine operative and out on tour to other railways. Ricky has formed a company, Swordfish Locomotive Services Ltd, with co-director Andy Midwinter, who owns a steam roller, and a support group with Alex Beasley, a boilersmith, and Logan Kinnard.
The team has already had invitations to visit other railways and on the steam test day, the engine, vacuumbraked and steam heat-fitted, hauled three Mk.1 carriages with ease after a few runs light engine along the Up yard running line at Quainton. It moved off the pit for the first time under the new ownership at 3pm and one hour later hauled its first train.
Secret livery change
Swordfish is currently in black livery with its name painted on the saddle tank and Ricky told Heritage Railway:“I will be changing the livery and maybe the name, but all this will remain a closely guarded secret until the unveiling in due course.”
Ricky has been at Quainton as a driver for decades and on
May 17, 2003, used his scuba diving equipment to fix a broken chain in a water tower there, rather than waste several thousands of gallons of water emptying it. “Not many people can boast that,” he said! He has also scubadived around the sunken Egyptian Liberty ship Thistlegorm which went down with the sparse remains of two 8F locomotives on board – a steam man through and through.
➜ Swordfish was among five locomotives in steam at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre’s May 1-2 gala, alongside visitors the Furness Railway Trust’s Sharp Stewart 0-4-0 No. 20, and 1906-built Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST No. 750 Waleswood from the Chasewater Railway joined by resident Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST No. 1742 of 1946 Millom and Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2469 of 1932, running for the final time prior to withdrawal for its 10-yearly overhaul.
The event saw demonstration freight trains, parallel running and vintage stock running passenger trains.