South African wood-burner is moved to NRM at York to go on public display
THE wish of the late international wildlife artist David Shepherd to see a locomotive that he donated to the National Railway Museum displayed in its Great Hall at York has been granted.
On July 17, 3ft 6in gauge Cape Government Railway 4-8-0
No. 390 was moved by road from the Locomotion museum at Shildon to the NRM, where it is now on show for the first time.
The wood-burning locomotive with its eight wheel, double-bogie tender was built by Sharp Stewart & Co in Glasgow in 1896.
In 1910 the Cape Government Railway was absorbed into South Africa Railways and the locomotive was renumbered SAR No. 993.
In 1971 it was bought by Zambesi Sawmills Railway, where it operated until that railway ceased operations in 1973. The following year it was given to David.
It arrived back in Britain at Salford Docks in March 1975, after which it was moved to the Whipsnade & Umfolozi Light Railway and later East Somerset Railway, which David had founded, and then the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum at Bristol in 2003.
In 2004, David donated the locomotive and a Rhodesian Railway coach to the NRM, and between 2008 and 2012 it was cosmetically restored at Tyseley before going on display at Locomotion.
On an occasion when David was shown around the museum, he expressed a wish to see the locomotive in the Great Hall.
“We are really pleased that this is something we’ve been able to achieve,” said a museum spokesman.
The move is the latest in a series to have taken place as the museum prepares for its Vision 2025 masterplan. Other rail moves saw the arrival of LSWR Beattie well tank No. 30587 from Shildon and the re-display of the Skinkansen and Eurostar power cars.