Statfold: Rescued loco, new loco and more track

The Statfold Barn Railway operated its first post-pandemic enthusiast event, the Trangkil 50 Gala on 12th-13th June, the Staffordshire collection revealing a host of news demonstrating the vibrancy of Britain’s leading narrow gauge collection.

In addition to the arrival of former National Railway Museum 3ft gauge Hudswell Clark 0-4-0ST ‘Handyman’ (see separate story), visitors buying Statfold’s brand-new guide book, launched at the Gala, learnt that another rescued locomotive is shortly to arrive at the centre.

Hunslet 0-4-2T ‘Seaforth’ (1026/1910) is in the process of being repatriated from Australia, where it spent its working life at sugar mills in Queensland. Initially at Kalamia mill and named after the neighbouring Seaforth estate, the loco moved in 1935 to Pleystowe mill.

Seaforth was out of use by 1960 and was subsequently plinthed for display, where its condition deteriorated until acquisition by Statfold in 2020.

The collection had planned to unveil the loco at the Gala, celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Statfold’s Hunslet 0-4-2ST ‘Trangkil No. 4’ – the last industrial steam loco built in Britain when it was dispatched from Hunslet’s Jack Lane Works in 1971. But Covid-induced delays prevented Seaforth arriving in time.

A set of frames in the Statfold Engineering workshop revealed a brandnew quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST being built for an as-yet unnamed customer.

Statfold owns the rights to build steam locomotives under the Hunslet name – this will be the third of the quarry class and the first since ‘Jack Lane’ was completed in 2005. NGW understands it will run with a tender, similar to the practice on the Launceston Steam Railway in Cornwall.

Meanwhile visitors riding trains on Statfold’s extensive running line noticed a new trackbed curving away from the balloon loop at the far end of the site. The museum is finally building a long-planned extension that will ‘complete the circle’.

The new line will traverse the two

remaining sides of the extensive grounds to meet up with the existing line close to the Burton Ashby tram shed. One Statfold driver told NGW that the new line will include a testing climb for locomotives.

In the Trust workshop restoration is continuing on Hunslet Tamar class 0-4-2PT CDC No.1 (3756/1952) and 18-inch gauge former Woolwich Arsenal 0-4-4-0DM ‘Carnegie’ (4254/1954).

Statfold steamed 14 locos for the Gala, including Ffestiniog Railway England 0-4-0ST ‘Prince’ – the visiting 1862-built loco forming a bookend with Trangkil No. 4 as the first and last UK-built industrial narrow gauge steam locomotives.

One Hunslet not featuring at the Trangkil 50 Gala was the Lytham Motive Power Museum’s former Dinorwic quarry 0-4-0ST ‘Jonathan’, which arrived at Statfold on loan in May (NGW157). The loco was dismantled for analysis following its arrival, after which it was agreed that it would be cosmetically re-assembled for display at Statfold’s ‘150 Years of the Quarry Hunslet’ Gala on 10th-11th July, and then overhauled for its owners including fitting of a new boiler.

■ Statfold’s new guide book will be reviewed in NGW159.

Photo: Andrew Charman The trackbed for the new Statfold extension curves away from the balloon loop.

Photo: Weston Langford/SBR Above: Hunslet 0-4-2T ‘Seaforth’ is on its way to Statfold from Australia.

Photos: Andrew Charman Above: The Ffestinog Railway’s England 0-4-0ST ‘Prince’ added another line to its well-travelled history at the Statfold Trangkil 50 Gala and bookended the star of the show, Prince and ‘Trangkil No.4’ the first and last industrial narrow gauge steam locos built in the UK, 108 years apart. Below: Newly-restored Barclay 0-4-0WT ‘Cegin’ looked the part at Statfold, paired with fellow Penrhyn survivor, Avonside 0-4-0T ‘Marchlyn.’

Photo: Andrew Charman Right: Frames for the new-build quarry Hunslet in the Statfold Engineering workshops.