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In 1870 the 3rd Duke of Sutherland financed the extension of the Highland Railway line from Golspie to Helmsdale via his own Dunrobin Castle. In return he received his own private station for his castle (still in use today as a public station on the line from Inverness to Thurso). He also received the powers to run his own train on the lines owned by the Highland Railway. He had his own carriages and locomotive built for the purpose. Dunrobin is an 0-4-4T, built by Sharp Stewart & Co of Glasgow in 1895 for to order number E1056. One of the unique features was the enlarged footplate and enclosed cab with a 4 person upholstered seat set high up at the Duke of Sutherlandback. It was used until around 1920 to pull the Duke’s private train between Dunrobin Castle and Inverness. In 1949, the Duke having acquired running rights on new British Railways revoked the Highland Railway as a condition of financing construction of part powers of the lineDuke to travel in his own train.<ref>[https://nationalrailwaymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/dunrobin-royal-engine/ Valkoinen, C., 'Dunrobin – The Little Royal Engine', National Railway Museum, 28 May 2014] Retrieved 15 August 2018</ref>

Dunrobin and a saloon were sold in 1950 to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. The locomotive ran large parts of the 700+ mile journey under its own steam. The locomotive was exported to Canada in 1965, but acquired in January 2011 by the Beamish Living Museum of the North<ref>[http://www.beamish.org.uk/beamish-buys-dunrobin/ Beamish announcement]</ref> and repatriated to the UK. On arrival, Dunrobin was brought to Bridgnorth on 19 May 2011 to be dismantled and the feasibility of restoration to working order assessed. Contracts were subsequently let to [[Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services]] for boiler and mechanical overhaul at [[BridgnorthLoco Works]].

Progress on When Beamish bought the locomotive they could see some cracks in a small number of spokes. Once these were stripped at Bridgnorth, a great deal more cracks were revealed, to the overhaul has seen extent that an independent inspection was commissioned using the driving magnetic particle inspection technique. The renewal of all four ‘driving’ wheels (coupled wheels sent away for refurbishment) was instigated in 2018, the crank axle being retained, work on whilst the locomotive's rear bogie truck completedrest (wheel centres, tyres, front axle and work on the chassiscrankpins) entirely new manufactured at South Devon Engineering. A new cylinder block was commissioned and cast in 2014, however issues require remedial attention. {{As of|20172019|1203}} the boiler reworked block is due to be assembled during 2018awaited, but progress otherwise has been beset with problems to be resolved with the owner. A test steaming may be possible in 2018before rewheeling can commence.<ref>SVR News No. 199 and 200, Autumn and Winter 2017205</ref> . Otherwise the project is making slow but steady progress, with parts being reassembled. [http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/category/dunrobin/ Beamish Transport Online blog] has regular updates on progress of the work which has necessitated many new parts including cylinder block, smokebox and boiler barrel sections.

*[[Steam Locomotives]]*[[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for contract overhauls]]

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunrobin_(locomotive) Dunrobin (Locomotive) on Wikipedia]<br>[http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Heritage-Railway-Dunrobin.pdf Jarman, P., 'Dunrobin, A locomotive for the rich and famous', Heritage Railway Magazine, Issue 181, 26 September 2013, pp. 74-78]