Stock and locomotives are on the move at Prestongrange
THE COLLECTION of locomotives and rolling stock of the Prestongrange Railway Society has undergone a big move to its new home.
Located at the
Prestongrange Industrial Museum in Prestonpans, east of Edinburgh, on the site of a former colliery, the railway collection was latterly housed in the colliery’s old pithead baths. This building was life-expired with a leaking roof, necessitating the move to a new, purpose-built two-road shed, which was completed in January 2023. In order to move the rail vehicles from the old bath house to the new shed a section of the demonstration line had to be lifted; the move, which involved a lowloader and a crane to move the locomotives across site and place them into position, was completed on November 16. Among the society’s collection is Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Works No. 2219 of 1946 and unique Grant Ritchie 0-4-2ST Works No. 536 ‘Prestongrange’. Discussions have been held by members of the society regarding the restoration to steam of the unique 1914-built Grant Ritchie, which was delivered new to Kinglassie Colliery in Fife where it carried the running number 21. Ross Clark of the Prestongrange Railway Society said: “She is a long, long way off being steam-ready, but a thorough deep clean and good repaint will go a long way to getting her back to her best cosmetic condition for a start.” The society has the ambition to re-open its running and demonstration line for brake van rides, but the first task will be to connect the new shed to the existing running line and get the track in order.