813 WITHDRAWN AT ELSECAR ‘GREAT WAR’ EVENT
Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813 became the Elsecar Heritage Railway’s first ex-main line visitor at its First World War event – but it only ran for one day.
The 1901-built engine was hired from the Severn Valley Railway as a suitably period machine for the ‘Home from the Front’ event, supported with £21,000 of public funding from partners Great Place Elsecar & Wentworth, while 1904 North Eastern Railway autotrailer coach No. 3453 was shipped in from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.
The locomotive was booked for six steaming days, including a photo-charter on November 7 – but ran only on October 31 before being stood down. Unconfirmed reports suggested that this was because of concerns that the line’s tight curves could damage the engine.
‘Home from the Front’ project manager Oliver Edwards declined to comment on the reasons for its withdrawal, but stressed that no damage was caused.
Pat Goss of the owning GWR 813 Preservation Fund told
Steam Railway that he understood that, had the EHR continued running the engine, it would have risked damaging its axleboxes.
Sentinel 0-4-0VBT Gervase stood in for the remaining dates on November 3/4, 7 and 10/11, while the photo-shoot, organised by 30742 Charters, was cancelled.
Mr Edwards said: “We had six very successful days and sold every seat available, with 1,300 visitors. It was extremely important in understanding the history of demobilisation and we’ve had some great feedback.”
The next port of call for No. 813 was the Spa Valley Railway, where it arrived on November 13 and will remain until early January.