Indian summer comes early at the Statfold Barn Railway
CLASSIC British-built steam that once served on India’s legendary hill railways took pride of place at the Statfold Barn Railway’s June 11/12 enthusiasts’ weekend. Sweet Indian Steam brought the railways of the great subcontinent into focus, held to mark the 100th birthday of Statfold resident Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0PT No. 1172 of 1922 Alpha.
The 2ft gauge 12-ton P class locomotive, one of only five members of the class, was originally ordered in 1915 for a customer in Rhodesia who subsequently cancelled. It was nine years before the locomotive left the Leeds works. Light railway specialist Robert Hudson, who was also based in the city, supplied it to Begg, Sutherland & Co for use at an Indian sugar mill.
Shipped from Birkenhead to Calcutta, Alpha was repatriated by Statfold from the Ryam Sugar Mill in India in May 2013, along with Davenport 0-4-0 No. 1586 of 1917 Ryam Sugar Company No.1.
Davenport, like other North American locomotive builders of the day, supplied engines to US-owned mills in Cuba and the Philipines. However, bucking the trend,
No. 1586 was supplied to India.
No pressure
In 1917, UK manufacturing would have been committed to supplying the needs of the War Office, but when No. 1586 was ordered, there was no similar pressure on resources across the Atlantic as the USA had not yet entered the First World War. When No.1586 arrived at Statfold from the Bihar State Sugar factory, it included the remains of a large tree that had grown through its motion.
Nonetheless, Statfold’s workshops again carried out a first-class restoration and No. 1586 appeared in traffic in March 2015. Alpha made its UK debut a year later in March 2016.
The star guest at the locomotive was former Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter’s 1889-built Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Sharp Stewart B 0-4-0ST
No. 19 (later 778). A total of 34 class members were supplied to the DHR, but No. 19 is the only one that ever left India, let alone returned to the UK, and the sole example with a tender.
It served the DHR until 1962, after which US enthusiast Elliott Donnelley bought it. When he died, it was moved to the Hesston Steam Museum in LaPorte County, Indiana.
A devastating fire at the museum on May 26, 1985, damaged most of its railway equipment, including No. 19. When Adrian heard about this, he offered to buy No. 19 and transport it to his home near Bicester, where he built the milelong 2ft gauge Beeches Light Railway in his garden.
Replicas built
The figure-of-eight line's station is named Ringkingpong, after a road in Darjeeling, while the locomotive shed is a replica of the DHR's at Kurseong. Adrian obtained two DHR coachs to run behind No. 19 and had two replicas built.
The private Beeches Light Railway is occasionally opened to invited guests and parties, and No. 19 has visited other venues.
Sweet Indian Steam, which was jointly organised by Statfold Barn and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society, saw 11 locomotives in steam on the Saturday and 10 on the Sunday. An Indian bazaar took over Oak Tree station, which was converted to Sukna station, with samosas and chai tea were sold to passengers arriving and departing.
The 16mm gauge Indian Hill Railway was also in attendance, along with various Indian narrow gauge locomotive models from The Steam Workshop. Free bus rides were provided by the Transport Museum at Wythall, whose miniature railway was featured in issue 293.
The event was declared a great success and attracted about 2000 visitors.
*Statfold's biggest event of the year, Road, Rail and Ale 2022, will take place on September 11/12: details are at www.statfold.com