Somerset & Dorset Trust buys a 9F for Midsomer Norton
THE Midsomer Norton-based Somerset & Dorset Heritage Railway Trust has agreed to buy a BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 – a locomotive type synonymous with the legendary trans-Mendip line.
The trust has been negotiating for a year with Keith Bottomley, who bought 1959-built No. 92207 from Dai Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in October 1986, naming it Morning Star.
Keith moved No. 92207 to the East Lancashire Railway to begin restoration and after 19 years took it to the Shillingstone station project, now the North Dorset Railway.
Restoration has recently been taking place at a private site near Poole.
The trust sees the restoration of No. 92207 as a long-term project and has set a 10-year timescale to complete the remaining work.
Railway star
Trust chairman Stephen Lacey said that the locomotive will become the“jewel in the crown”for the railway, and that the size of the challenge is not to be underestimated.
Completion of the restoration is estimated to cost more than £500,000, for which a dedicated appeal will be set up. About 75% of the parts required exist, although a new tender will be required.
No date has been set for the delivery of No. 92207 at Midsomer Norton, as suitable undercover and secure restoration facilities needed to be identified first.
Details of the purchase and restoration scheme were publicised to visitors to the trust’s September 17/18 special event to mark the 60th anniversary of the most famous 9F, No. 92220 Evening Star, hauling the last ‘Pines Express’ from Manchester to Bournemouth over the Somerset & Dorset main line on September 8, 1960.
For ‘The Pines Remembered’ weekend, LMS 2-6-2T Ivatt 2MT No. 41312 was hired from the MidHants Railway to recreate scenes from a bygone era. Members of its class had been based at Bath Green Park and could be seen hauling local services between Bath and Binegar, and Templecombe and Evercreech Junction. Often used as bankers for heavier trains, they could also be seen regularly passing through Midsomer Norton South station during the 1950s for this purpose.
Unlimted travel
In addition to the trains being operated by No. 41312, tickets also entitled passengers unlimited travel on a second train operating throughout the rest of the day. It was planned for No. 41312 to haul services throughout, but due to a broken spring being discovered it was unable to operate on the Sunday, when it remained in light steam adjacent to the Down platform for visitors to view.
In its place, visiting Kitson 0-6-0ST No. 5459 Austin No. 1 from the Llangollen Railway operated trains, having double-headed the last trips with the Ivatt the day before.
Photographic charters were hosted on the Thursday and Friday which saw No. 41312 recreate scenes of local passenger and freight services using the trust’s restored fleet of box vans, Mk.1s, and a Southern Region PMV.
➜ If you would like to support the project to restore No. 92207 at Midsomer Norton, visit sdjr.co.uk for more details and to download a donation form.