PRESERVATION

THE Chatham Dockyard Railway has stripped down its Planet 4wDM (3738/1954) Rochester Castle for a full engine overhaul, compressor overhaul and a repair to the fluid flywheel. Built by FC Hibberd & Co, it was the first of six diesel locomotives ordered by the Admiralty to replace its steam locomotives as No. 562. It worked at Chatham until the closure of the dockyard in 1984, when it was placed in secure storage until the opening of The Historic Dockyard in 1985, and has remained there ever since.

The Thompson Locomotive Collection moved its latest addition No. L2 from the Aln Valley Railway to its base at Peak Rail on November 10. The RH 165 0-4-0DE (312989/1952) originally worked at Castle Cement, Middlesbrough, before moving to the Tanfield Railway and the Aln Valley Railway, arriving there in 2007. With excessive wear on one of the axles due to operating with a seized bearing, the locomotive had been sat on an isolated piece of track out of use awaiting attention for over 10 years.

The Helston Railway has taken delivery of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DM (446/1959) Kingswood, from the Avon Valley Railway. This replaces the Ruston 0-4-0 DM No. 97649 (327974/1954) which has been relegated to a short section of track in the station car park. It will now be used as a source of spares to keep the other Ruston 0-4-0 DM (395305/1956) running.