No. 9 set to leave Bury for owner’s all-new museum

LNER ‘A4’ No. No. 60009 Union of South Africa is due to depart Bury Transport Museum (BTM) in January after the 4-6-2’s owner, John Cameron, secured planning permission for a museum at his Balbuthie Open Farm near Kilconquhar, Fife. On October 14, Fife Council’s North East Planning Committee granted the Cameron Railway Trust SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) a “change of use of part from agricultural storage building to museum” (sic) at the site. Both No. 9 and ‘K4’ 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess, which has been on display at Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, are to be displayed statically on plinths at Balbuthie. The ‘A4’ has remained at Bury since it was withdrawn on October 4, 2021, on the East Lancashire Railway, latterly on display at BTM, which adjoins the heritage line. BTM chairman Keith Whitmore told The RM: “We have a really good relationship with John Cameron – he was on great form during his recent evening talk. We have appreciated having the loco here. We are working on how our exhibits will be rearranged – we have exciting plans to fill that space.”