Steam returns to Llangollen's Heritage Railway

The War Department "Austerity" saddle tank locomotive arrived at the heritage railway on Thursday August from the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire. The engine was built in 1943 by Hudswell-Clarke in Leeds and will be staying at Llangollen whilst repairs are undertaken on its own resident steam locos.

Llangollen Railway press officer, Terry Pickthall, said “We are very pleased to see saddle tank locomotive arrive with us after a challenging season. Repairs to our resident locomotives have encountered problems and taken longer than expected, leaving us without a steam loco at the height of our season.

"Although our diesel railcars and locomotives have done a superb job of filling the void, steam traction is very much at the heart of what we do and is always very popular with our visitors. We are very grateful to the loco’s owners and wider team at the Great Central Railway who have make the visit to us possible. Everyone has pulled out the stops to get the engine to us in time for the Bank Holiday weekend, which is always a busy one for us."

The locomotive, 68067 carries black British Railways livery and has an interesting history. After being sold on by the War Department, 68067 spent 30 years with the National Coal Board at several collieries, ending up at Bold near St Helens for the final years of its career and picking up the name "Robert". Lasting in industrial service until 1982, 68067 was amongst the UK's last steam locomotives in use outside of preservation. Whilst at Bold, 68067 also took part in the legendary "Rocket 150" celebrations in 1980, which included a trip onto the mainline to Rainhill, site of the historic 1829 trials that saw Stephenson’s Rocket prove that steam locomotives were the best way to operate services on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the World’s first intercity railway.

Terry said: "I was born in 1976, some eight years after steam engines disappeared from Britain’s mainline railways. As well as the heritage railway movement, many steam locomotives stayed in use on industrial railways in places like power stations and coal mines way into the 1980s. I can actually remember seeing “Robert” as an excited 4 year old boy when my Mum and Dad took me to the “Rocket 150” event at Rainhill. It’s a great feeling to see the loco again some 42 years later and visiting the railway on which I have been a proud volunteer for nearly 16 years."

Tickets for Llangollen services can be bought on the day of travel and advanced booking is available online at Llangollen-railway.co.uk.