INDUSTRIAL NEWS
From Aberdeenshire to Kent, six Kilmarnock-built locomotives are on the way back!
One hundred and sixty years since Andrew Barclay Sons & Company built its first steam locomotive, six of the firm’s products are preparing to steam again across the country.
Some 450 miles from its place of birth, 1951-built 0-4-0ST ‘Lady
Ingrid’ is undergoing a lengthy overhaul at the Spa Valley Railway. Final preparations are being made for the imminent return of the boiler for this ex-Braehead Power Station, Renfrew, machine (Works No. 2315). Recent work has included fitting the cab floor, painting cab fittings and making lubrication trimmings. ‘Lady Ingrid’ was a regular performer at the Spa Valley until around ten years ago.
Not far behind is Tanfield Railway-based 0-6-0ST Horden. This 1904-built locomotive has received extensive chassis repairs, not least to correct damage caused by a collision with a ‘Q6’ 0-8-0 during its National Coal Board service. The boiler from the 15in-cylindered machine was dispatched to the workshops of Israel Newton & Sons in Derbyshire during late November.
A new front tubeplate, which has already been manufactured, is to be fitted. The move is expected to speed up restoration, while the locomotive’s saddle tank is being repaired back at Marley Hill.
Horden has never steamed in preservation, having arrived at Tanfield in the mid-1970s after a short period stored at the NCB shed on the Backworth system. It spent much of its career at Shotton Colliery, just a short distance from its namesake pit.
On the other side of the Pennines, another six-wheeler, Niddrie, is some distance from its former workplace. It was built for Niddrie Collieries, in Lothian, during 1924 (Works No. 1833) and remained in Scotland until the 21st century. Latterly, it was on static display at the Strathspey Railway, but is now based at the Ribble Steam Railway.
A new firebox throatplate is being shaped in the workshops at Ribble for the 16in-cylindered locomotive. At present, the Barclay is behind ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST ‘Walkden’ and Peckett 0-4-0ST Hornet in the workshop queue.
In their native Scotland, a trio of Barclay machines are on the road to recovery. Former Aberdeen Gas Works skirt-fitted 0-4-0ST Bon Accord is going through a ‘ten-yearly’ overhaul. Most work to the 1897-built locomotive is being carried out at its Royal Deeside Railway base, but the boiler has recently been transferred to Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough to speed up the work. It is expected that Bon Accord will return to steam early in 2019.
A little further behind is ‘Dubbie
Pug’ No. 21 (Works No. 2292 of 1951) at the Fife Heritage Railway. The frames are being stripped down and fund-raising towards the estimated £80,000 cost of the restoration is under way.
Local to the Fife site all its life, the locomotive worked for the NCB at Frances Colliery in Dysart until 1983 before moving to the Lochty Private Railway. It arrived at the Fife Heritage Railway in 2001.
Right at the start of restoration is NCB Fife Area No. 23.
The 1949-built locomotive
(Works No. 2260) is one of many 16in-cylindered 0-4-0STs built for colliery use in the area, which were often referred to as ‘Fife Flyers’.
It last worked at Bedlay Colliery in Lanarkshire but has never steamed in preservation. During late November the locomotive was moved into the workshops at the Scottish Industrial Railway Centre in Dunaskin. Removal of tubes is under way with a view to assessment for full restoration.
In total, Andrew Barclay built over 2,000 steam locomotives up to 1962 and the firm is one of the best represented industrial
manufacturers in preservation.