Birthday fund for Met No.1
A £70,000 appeal to complete the overhaul of Metropolitan Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1 has been launched by its Buckinghamshire Railway Centre home.
The star of the award-winning Metropolitan Railway 150 celebrations in 2013, when it once again ran through the London Underground tunnels, it was taken out of service in 2019 with 18 months left to run on its 10-yearly boiler ticket due to the condition of the crown stays.
The cab, fittings, and the boiler were all removed for assessment purposes at Quainton Road just prior to the national Covid-19 lockdown, which then prevented further works taking place. With the gradual return to a normal working situation, it has now been possible to undertake the remaining assessments, including the non-destructive testing that has flagged up that firebox repairs are required.
The intention of the Quainton Railway Society is, as work is completed on other on-going projects, to have the locomotive enter the workshops at Quainton later this year or early 2023.
Meanwhile, tube removal and other less weather-sensitive elements are continuing as and when skilled labour or financial resources permit.
The society hopes to raise £70,000 with the aim of getting the No. 1 back on the rails for its 125th birthday in 2023.
Society vice chairman Colin Ashman said: “Met No. 1 has been our flagship locomotive for the best part of 55 years. It is a firm favourite among the members of Quainton Railway Society and the visitors to Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.”
Built in 1898, No.1 is the solesurviving example of the E class 0-4-4 designed by TF Clark, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Metropolitan Railway, for the Baker Street to Verney Junction service. It was built as a replacement for A class 4-4-0T No. 1, which was broken up after an accident at Baker Street.
➜ To donate to the Met 1 Appeal, visit www.bucksrailcentre.org, make a payment by calling 01296 655720, or send a cheque made payable to Quainton Railway Society Ltd to: Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Station Road, Quainton HP22 4BY.