Oldest surviving Midland Railway locomotive No. 158A makes a three-year move to Barrow Hill
MIDLAND Railway Class 156 2-4-0 No. 158A has moved on loan to Barrow Hill roundhouse for static display for three years.
The loan was agreed between the Barrow Hill engine Shed Society and owner the National Railway Museum.
A long-time resident of the Midland Railway – Butterley, No.158A travelled to Barrow Hill on August 4 from the Locomotion museum in Shildon, where the engine had been receiving conservation work and asbestos remediation. It was displayed as part of Barrow Hill’s August 26-28 150+2 Celebration Gala.
The locomotive was built in Derby in 1866 to a design by Matthew Kirtley for express passenger workings to King’s Cross, the London terminus of the MR until St Pancras was built. Rebuilt several times and renumbered 20002 in LMS ownership, the locomotive ended 81 years’ service as station pilot at Nottingham in 1947, after working suburban stopping services for several years. Following its withdrawal, it was repainted in the pre-1907 MR livery and kept at Derby Works for many years.
It appeared at the Stephenson Centenary Celebrations, Chesterfield, in 1948 and was a static exhibit during the centenary celebrations for Birmingham New Street station in 1954.
In March 1965 it joined the National Collection of locomotives in store at the old engine shed at Hellifield, where it stayed until August 1967. It was moved to the Midland shed at Leicester and was displayed the following year at Leicester, after which it was preserved at Derby Locomotive Works until moving to Butterley in 1975. There, it was placed on display in the Matthew Kirtley Exhibition Hall at Swanwick Junction.
No. 158A has now joined three other National Collection locomotives already on static display at Barrow Hill: Midland Railway compound 4-4-0 No. 1000, GER J17 0-6-0 No. 1217, and GCR ‘Director’ 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler Henderson.
Barrow Hill general manager Mervyn Allcock said: “I’m proud to see No. 158A arrive and it fits very well in the roundhouse.”