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Warspite
(formerly No. 8 'Sir Robert Peel')
No. 8 was built by Hunslets in September 1952, being their works number 3776.
From the works it was delivered to NCB Baggeridge Colliery, near Walsall, where
it worked alongside HE3777, now preserved on the North Staffordshire Railway
(Churnet Valley Railway).
From there it went to Hilton Main Colliery (by 2/68), becoming No. 8,
onto Granville Colliery (9/68), Cannock Wood Colliery (by
7/70), West Cannock Colliery (1/71) and finally to
Bickershaw Colliery in February 1977.
In preservation it has travelled widely, starting off on the East Lancs.
Railway, before moving to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. From
there it was purchased by the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, where it
had been based until early December 2000. However, the locomotive had not run
there for a couple of years, having been withdrawn requiring major firebox
repairs. Consequently they decided to sell the locomotive to the Marrows, who
also own S112.
It arrived at Embsay in early December 2000, and has since had the cab fittings
dismantled in preparation for the firebox repairs which will see the top rows
of boiler tubes removed to enable the firebox lap to be jacked back to true.
The next stage will see threaded longitudinal stays inserted to replace the
all-welded ones, which are unreliable. Hopefully then the locomotive will be
able to enter service on the line, as the chassis is thought to be in good
condition. The only remaining job will be to repaint the loco completely,
hopefully in one of the Walkden liveries (where the Marrows worked).
It will be named 'Warspite', after another of the
engines John Marrow worked on at Walkden.
It will be interesting to see it operating along with the other Austerities on
the line: Wheldale, Monckton,
69 and 68005. The picture at the top
shows it sitting on the coal dock as Cranford No. 2
raises steam for the Santa's Specials.
For some photos of the loco at work at West Cannock No.5 Colliery, try
http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/wc5/.
For more information, please see:
http://respite3696.tripod.com/Hunslet2414/id14.html
for basic details as well as photographs.
http://respite3696.tripod.com/Hunslet2414/id16.html
for the locomotive's history in more detail.
Owing to a shortage of locos in 2006, Warspite (formerly 'Sir Robert Peel', a.k.a. 'Potato
Peel') is to be fitted with the overhauled boiler from Harry as the chassis is in good
condition, requiring little or no work. The loco will be lifted to assess the journals and axleboxes in the coming weeks,
and could enter traffic after Easter this year.
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