Honorary President Professor Dugald Cameron OBE

FOOTBALL FOCUS (Photo : Tim Gilbert)

At the time of writing, the 2018 World Cup has just kicked off in Russia, prompting me to dig out this

topical photo kindly sent in by Tim Gilbert some time ago. Pietersburg, now known as Polokwane, was one

of the host cities for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the local residents decided to decorate their

preserved North British 8C 4-8-0 No 1166, which is plinthed in the Town Centre. A second 8th Class

locomotive No 1100 (Neilson Reid 6184) at the local engine shed, was mercifully left in original livery !

The 8th Class originated with the Cape Government Railways and Neilson Reid, Sharp Stewart and North

British were responsible for building all 170 of them, in several different variants, between 1902 and 1904.

They were eventually allocated to numerous sheds around the country and more than 30 of them lasted in

SAR service into the 1970’s.

When withdrawal finally came, a number of the survivors were found further work in industry or were

preserved, including 8A No 1126 (SS4862) that made it to Livingstone Railway Museum in Zambia. Fifteen

of the class are still believed to exist although none are active at present.

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IRISH 4-4-0’s (photos Andrew Johnson & Mike Carey)

In a surprising co-incidence, two of our correspondents have sent in recent images of 4-4-0 locomotives in

Ireland this month – and all four photos were taken within a week of each other ! Two of the engines are

Springburn products and the other two came from Beyer Peacock but there is an incredible similarity

between all four. I hope you will find the design comparisons of interest.

Our old friend No 131 (Neilson Reid 5727) is seen posing by the gorse at Whitehead during the RPSI

Renaissance Railtour on 15th May. We have been very pleased to follow the restoration of No 131 over the

past couple of years, from a static exhibit to becoming a proud member of the RPSI’s working fleet. (AJ)

Above right, inside Whitehead loco shed on the same day, is No 171 ‘Slieve Gullion’ which is an ‘S’ Class

4-4-0 built by Beyer Peacock in 1913 for the Great Northern Railway of Ireland. The loco transferred to CIE

ownership in 1958 and then Ulster Transport Authority in in 1963. (MC)

Seen at Limerick Junction on the Cork & Kerry Railtour on 12th May and displaying her blue livery to good

effect is No 85 ‘Merlin’. Merlin is a much more recent Beyer Peacock product, built for the GNR(I) in 1932

and is the only operational compound locomotive in the British Isles. It was withdrawn from service in 1963

and is currently on long term loan to the RPSI from the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. (MC)

No 74 ‘Dunluce Castle’ (NB 23096) is one of seven ‘U2’ Class 4-4-0’s built at Springburn for the LMS/

Northern Counties Committee in 1924. The class were known as ‘The Scotch Engines’ and were withdrawn

between 1956 and 1961. No 74 was briefly owned by the British Transport Commission in 1948 before it

was sold to the Ulster Transport Authority a year later. It was photographed in the Ulster Folk & Transport

Museum at Cultra on 8th May (AJ)

This is only brief snapshot but more information can be found at https://www.steamtrainsireland.com

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61662 UPDATE (photos KL Collection)

The long-awaited steel for No 61662’s new splashers arrived at the start of June and we set to work drilling

and forming them into shape. The first section of the front splasher has now been secured and the cover trial

fitted. We could not resist adding an NBL worksplate (from a North British B1) to enhance the look.

Manchester United’s LNER number was of course 2862 and a replica plate will be made as funds allow.

The replacement steel section for the running plate curve also arrived and we were delighted that this fitted

into place with no cutting or trimming required. After the poor weather we have had to endure earlier in the

year, we have been experiencing something of a heatwave during June. The area where No 61662 is located

is a bit of a suntrap and on 26th June, the temperature recorded on my car dashboard reached 40 degrees C !

One big improvement this month was the removal a dead tree which has made it difficult for vehicles and

equipment to access the site. Another advantage is that we can now obtain wide angle views of the loco !

Don’t forget that our Sales Stand will be at The East Anglian Railway Museum at Wakes Colne on Sunday

8th July so please go along and support Malcolm and Sean if you can.

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AUCKLAND DOUBLES (photos : JM Creber)

Two more glorious photographs of NB steam in New Zealand from Jack Creber this month courtesy of our

valued correspondent Wilson Lythgoe. The first, almost palindromic view, shows two Ja Class 4-8-2’s

seemingly engaged in a in a Tug of War on the Hobson Bay causeway. Heading south is Ja1277 with H-31

special to the Waikato Winter Show in Hamilton. The train behind, on the Up Main behind an unidentified

Ja, is No.112 on a Mercer Passenger. Mount Eden can be seen on the skyline. The date was 5th June 1961.

Three years previously on 14th June 1958 (exactly 60 years to the day prior to me writing up these notes)

Jack recorded the very handsome combination of Ja1275 and Ka940 leaving Auckland with 227 Express

bound for Wellington. A North British loco leading a home-grown product. Thanks once again Wilson !

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DOLLYS IN ACTION (photos Peter Rogers)

Earlier this month, Ceres Rail organised a special train from Cape Town to Robertson to coincide with the

annual "Wacky Wine Weekend" held in the Robertson valley. The train, hauled by NBL 19D twins 3321 &

3322, departed from Cape Town on Friday 1st June, spent the Saturday travelling up and down the valley to

Worcester and Ashton, and returned to Cape Town on Sunday 3rd June. The final day of the event provided

the best weather and correspondent Peter Rogers was fortunately on hand to record these superb images.

After a 90 minutes late start from Rooiberg Winery due to a passenger being taken ill, Drivers Fourie (19D

3322) and Carstens (19D 3321) worked hard to pull back time. Peter and his companion Harvey Metcalf

were rewarded with this spectacular photo at Langvlei station as the train (10 coaches plus water tank)

attacked Mowers bank. This climb involves 9kms of upgrade including some sections at 1 in 40.

Peter and Harvey then followed the train to Worcester depot where a stop was made for watering. It was

decided to leave 3322 there for the attention of Bobby Rudman's team that were involved on Red Devil

work, so 3321 had the responsibility of getting the train back to Cape Town unassisted.

The train did not stop at Wellington and was constantly gaining time for a right time arrival in Cape Town.

Two good shots at the Berg River bridge (nice to see the river flowing strongly...) and approaching

Muldersvlei coupled with a good pacing sequence just before Kraaifontein completed "the bag".

The day concluded very pleasantly with a very welcome beer or two with Mr Carstens and the CR train team

before heading home. (– many thanks Peter, it sounds like you guys had a fabulous day out ! Ed)

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30768 ‘Sir Balin’ (photos courtesy of BR (S) & www.colourrail.com)

Our Chairman Nick Newport recent acquired a superb British Railways Southern Region official photograph

of North British ‘Scotch Arthur’ 4-6-0 No 30768 ‘Sir Balin’ and this prompted us to look at its history.

One of 20 Southern Railway N15 Class locomotives built to Order No L800 at NBL’s Hyde Park Works in

1925, ‘Sir Balin’ carried NB Works Number 23214. Like many other members of the class, ‘Sir Balin’ was

named after one of the famous Knights of the Arthurian Legend. The engines were provided with cut down

cabs for the SR’s South Eastern Section and were fitted with eight-wheeled bogie tenders. A further 10

N15’s were built at Hyde Park to Order No L803 and collectively they were called the ‘Scotch Arthurs’.

BR Southern Region were obviously very proud of ‘Sir Balin’ and under the new regime it was first

allocated to Dover Marine shed for use on the continental boat trains. Moving to Stewarts Lane shed in

London in 1951, it continued to work on the South Eastern section until 1959 when it made its final move to

Eastleigh. Withdrawal came in 1961 when most of the N15’s were taken out of service. Fortunately though,

NBL Classmate No 30777 ‘Sir Lamiel’ has been preserved in full working order.

Our lower photos show ‘Sir Balin’ about to leave Southampton Central with a Bournemouth to Waterloo

train in September 1960 and undergoing overhaul at Eastleigh Works in May 1959.

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NEWS IN BRIEF (Photo : John Hillier)

NBL ‘Jubilee’ No 45596 ‘Bahamas’ boiler was reunited with the frames at Tyseley Works on 8th June and

work is now in hand to complete the locomotive ‘visually’ for the Tyseley Open Weekend on June 30th/ July

1st. Although ‘Bahamas’ is not likely to be operational in time for the BR ‘End of Steam’ 50th Anniversary

on 11th August, it is hoped that it will be in full working order and resplendent in Brunswick Green livery at

the next Tyseley Open Weekend on September 29th / 30th. (thanks to John Hillier for this information)

The late Albert Hitchen’s Sharp Stewart 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive No 25 (SS 1585), which had been

stored at Carnforth for many years, has now been donated to the Furness Railway Trust by his executors.

Built as early as 1865, No 25 is the third oldest surviving Sharp Stewart locomotive in the World and the

Trust now hopes to continue Albert’s plans to restore the engine to steam. It last worked at the Barrow

Haematite Iron & Steel Company in 1960 and was later donated to a local school for static display.

Ian Welch has kindly contacted us from New Zealand to say that MOTAT’s inaugural award for steam

locomotive restoration has been awarded to the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust for their restoration of North

British Jb Class 4-8-2 No 1236 (NB 24559). MOTAT, Auckland’s Museum of Transport & Technology, is

New Zealand’s largest transport, technology and social history museum. Mainline Steam are of course

delighted to win this prestigious award and there is more information at : http://www.mainlinesteam.co.nz

And finally : a big vote of thanks to everybody who confirmed that they would like to continue to receive

our regular Newsletters. Thanks also for your very kind, and in some cases, flattering comments ! At the

time of writing we are still waiting for some replies to come in so the June Newsletter will go out to

everyone as a last reminder that, under the new UK data protection rules we can no longer keep your details

on file without your express permission. I hope very much that you decide to stay with us and look forward

to bringing you news of North British locomotives around the World for many years to come.

Thank you all once again for your continued support.

More news to follow next month, Best Regards, Ken

Newsletter published by the NBL Preservation Group Ltd, Company Registration Number 7508287

x A Not for Profit Organisation

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