BACK TO BUCKFASTLEIGH FOR OVERHAULED ‘SMALL PRAIRIE’

4555 is returning to South Devon Railway for the first time since the late 1980s.

Preservation pioneer ‘Small Prairie’ No. 4555 is returning to the South Devon Railway for the first time in over 30 years.

Fresh from overhaul at its Dartmouth Steam Railway base – with its first steam test having taken place on January 14 – the Churchward ‘45XX’ 2-6-2T is to visit the Buckfastleigh-Totnes line for one weekend only, its Spring Steam Gala on March 14/15.

Along with Collett 0-6-0

No. 3205, it was the first locomotive to arrive on the preserved Ashburton branch on October 2 1965, the duo reaching Totnes at the head of the Ian Allan ‘Pendennis Castle Special’ which they had taken over from ‘Castle’ No. 4079 at Exeter St Davids.

Having headed the Dart Valley Railway’s official reopening train on May 21 1969, with BR Chairman Dr Richard Beeching on board, No. 4555 was transferred to the DVR’s newly acquired PaigntonKingswear line in 1973 – and, apart from return visits to Buckfastleigh in the 1980s, has not worked on any other preserved line since. Its return to Buckfastleigh will reunite it with two other stalwarts from the DVR’s early days – resident ‘64XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 6412, which hauled the inaugural DVR special train of April 5 1969, and ‘1366’ 0-6-0PT No. 1369.

It will be the first time that all three have been in steam together since 1972, when No. 1369 was first withdrawn from service, not running again until 1996.

The gala will mark No. 1369’s return to regular service following its most recent overhaul, the former Weymouth Docks and Wadebridge engine having made its first trial runs in October (SR498). It is now carrying 1930s GWR livery with the ‘shirtbutton’ emblem.

A second ‘Small Prairie’

– resident Collett ‘4575’

No. 5542 – will also be in steam for the intensive timetable, which will include autotrain and goods workings.

Immediately after the event, No. 4555 will move on to the East Somerset Railway for a two-year loan period, starting with an appearance at that line’s March 21/22 gala alongside Dartmouth stablemate ‘5205’ 2-8-0T No. 5239 ‘Goliath’ (which returned to steam in October after a contract overhaul at Cranmore), ‘56XX’ 0-6-2T No. 5637 (making its last appearance at the ESR

– see separate story), Ivatt 2-6-0 No. 46447 and Barclay 0-4-0ST ‘Lady Nan’.

TOM FREEMAN Due to return to its former Buckfastleigh stamping ground this spring, freshly overhauled GWR ‘Small Prairie’ No. 4555 undergoes a steam test at the Dartmouth Steam Railway on January 17.