The engine that started it all January 1965 was a red-letter day for the emerging KWVR when the first engine to join the Railway arrived by road at Haworth. Numbered 51218 by BR, this diminutive saddle tank set the wheels in motion for what we have today. Its size precludes use on passenger trains but…
A surface life in Wales to Underground in London Arguably one of the most successful of the Great Western small tank designs, these versatile engines could be found at work all over the former Great Western system. Withdrawn by BR in 1963, 5775 found further use with London Transport before entering preservation away from its…
A life shunting from Bedford in the south to Workington in the north One of the first designs produced by the LMS, this useful 0-6-0 T, with origins dating back to the Midland Railway, were to be found all over the LMS system and lasted well into BR days. A hard shunter’s life to the…
An LMS engine from the GWR headquarters Prior to designing the WD (see 90733) the 8F was chosen as the standard heavy freight design for war work in WW2. 8Fs were built by all the major railway companies with no. 8431 being built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon in 1944. Although an LMS…
A Scottish survivor The tank version of the British Railways Standard Class 4 (see 75078), 80002 is another engine that escaped the cutters torch by the skin of its teeth, purchased directly from British Railways in 1969. 17 years with British Railways, 3 times longer with the KWVR Completed in 1952, 80002 worked its entire…
A wartime soldier in from the cold Built to a wartime design and, like 5820, for use in the war effort, WD 90733 is a unique engine, being the last of its kind. This locomotive was an integral part of the operating fleet until December 2018 when it was withdrawn for its 10-year overhaul to…
A locomotive with a place in preservation history After a working life of 45 years, 43924, was consigned to the scrapyard of Woodham Bros. in Barry, South Wales. It secured its place in preservation folklore in 1970 becoming the very first of over 200 locomotives to leave the scrapyard for a life in preservation when…
From Barry to Keighley, our second engine to be rescued from the scrap man Rescued by the Standard Four Locomotive Society, the 21st departure from Barry, 75078 arrived on the KWVR in June 1972. The restoration was completed in 1977 and operates today after successive overhauls, the last completed in October 2022. History of 75078…
A real survivor, saved by WW2 Without the outbreak of war 1054 (then LMS no. 7799) would have been visiting the breakers as it was withdrawn from service on the day before war was declared. With a need for motive power, 7799 was restored to service and lasted for another 19 years. When eventually withdrawn,…
A pioneering engine in the last days of steam on BR As steam was drawing to a close, British Railways made one last attempt to improve its steam fleet. In 1961 ‘Bahamas’ was chosen by BR for its very last experiment, the culmination of steam power development started with ‘Rocket’ in the 19th century. Saved…
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