From Barry to Keighley, our second engine rescue

Rescued by The Standard 4 Locomotive Preservation Society, the 21st departure from Barry, 75078 arrived on the KWVR in June 1972. The restoration was completed by February 1977 and operates today after successive overhauls, the last one being completed in October 2022.

In British Railways service

The BR standard class 4 4-6-0s were developed from the BR standard 2-6-4Ts under the control of Brighton Works. 80 were built at Swindon Works, the first delivered in 1951 and the last in 1957. The class 4 4-6-0s were allocated to the London Midland, Western, and Southern Regions, with a few surviving at Carnforth shed until the end of steam in 1968.

75078 is one of a batch of 15 engines allocated to the Southern Region with the larger BR1B tenders as the Southern did not have any water troughs. They were used mainly on passenger duties where the additional coal and water gave them the edge over the Class 4 2-6-4 tanks. In addition, all the Southern batch were fitted with double-blast pipe and chimneys to increase steam production. This modification was carried out in the early 1960’s as the engines went into Eastleigh Works for general overhauls.

Built-in 1955, 75078 was delivered new to Exmouth Junction in early January 1956 before being transferred to Basingstoke shed in May of the same year. It was eventually withdrawn from Eastleigh shed in July 1966 and sold for scrap to Woodham Bros of Barry, South Wales.

Saved for a life on the KWVR

The Standard 4 Preservation Society was formed in December 1969 with the intention of purchasing 76077, a member of the BR standard class 4 2-6-0. However, a visit to the scrapyard at Barry to view 76077 indicated that the chosen locomotive was not the best example for preservation and that 75078 would be a better restoration project. The locomotive change came with a name change for the Society and approval for the locomotive to be housed on the KWVR. The purchase of 75078, a member of the BR standard class 4 4-6-0, was concluded in 1971, but movement to Haworth had to wait until June 1972 whilst the Society continued fundraising to pay for the transport from South Wales to Yorkshire. Within one month of arriving on Worth Valley metals, restoration to working condition commenced, with red oxide now masking the years of neglect at Barry.

Restoration to running order took five years with 75078 being steamed for the first time in February 1977 and entered service on the KWVR. Shortly after completion, 75078 found fame in 1978 when it appeared, along with 5820 and 8431, in the feature film Yanks, starring the young Richard Gere. For 75078 to be able to take up its role in this film, the KWVR had to obtain approval from British Railways for 75078 to run on BR metals from Keighley to Shipley to be turned on the triangle to face north for the filming and then turned again to face south. 75078 is the ideal-sized engine for our railway, being easily suited to hauling our six-coach summer services. It was in regular use until it was withdrawn for overhaul in 1985.

There followed a three-year overhaul, re-entering KWVR service in the summer of 1988. Running the full extent of its ten-year boiler ticket, 75078 was again withdrawn for overhaul at the end of 1998. (although there was a spell out of traffic from 1991 – 1993 for further boiler repairs and new tyres to be fitted to the driving and bogie wheelsets.

There followed a sixteen-year period during which 75078 underwent a full overhaul before the engine could be steamed again in December 2014. After a short running-in period, 75078 returned to front-line KWVR service, sporting a plain black livery, on 7 February 2015.

For the 2015 Autumn Steam Spectacular, lining out in late British Railways livery was complete. The engine made a splendid sight attacking the valley grades on various passenger, Pullman and goods duties. The engine has been a regular and popular performer.

75078 was withdrawn from service again in 2020 for an intermediate overhaul concentrating on the boiler. After repairs to the inner firebox and replacement of the smoke tubes and a number of flue tubes, 75078 returned to service in November 2022 and is expected to run for another decade—with routine maintenance and annual inspections.

Change of ownership

The purchase of 75078 and the transport from South Wales to Haworth were funded by the Standard 4 Locomotive Preservation Society through donations and loans from its members. The restoration was carried out at Haworth by several Society members who turned up regularly to assist in whatever way they could. By the 2020s, the Standard 4 Locomotive Preservation Society had owned 75078 for 50-odd years, and its working membership was not getting any younger, and there were fewer members to maintain the locomotive.

The Standard 4 Society discussed several options, with the favourite being to transfer ownership of the engine to the KWVRPS, which happened in early 2025.