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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 Sharps Sharp Stewart & Co of Glasgow in 1895 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 back. It was used until around 1920 to pull the Duke’s private train between Dunrobin Castle and Inverness. In 1949, the new British Railways revoked the powers of the Duke 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>
==Preservation==
==Current status==
Progress on the overhaul saw work on the locomotive's rear bogie truck completed, and work on the chassis. A new cylinder block was commissioned and cast in 2014. By early 2018 the boiler boiler was largely complete (and awaiting assembly), with a great deal of new material incorporated including new barrel, firebox outer wrapper skirts, all new stays, new longitudinal and palm stays, overhauled dome, new smokebox and new internal components such as the J pipe also being replaced. which has necessitated many new parts including cylinder block, smokebox and boiler barrel sections. A test steaming may be possible in 2018.<ref>SVR News No. 199 and 200, Autumn and Winter 2017</ref> New tanks were completed at Dinas.
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 extent that an independent inspection was commissioned using the magnetic particle inspection technique. The renewal of all four ‘driving’ wheels (coupled wheels) was instigated in 2018, the crank axle being retained, whilst the rest (wheel centres, tyres, front axle and crankpins) will be entirely newmanufactured at South Devon Engineering.
A new cylinder block was commissioned and cast in 2014, however issues require remedial attention. {{As of|20182019|0903}} the new tanks have been completed at Dinas and await movement to Bridgnorth to add to a growing assembly of locomotivereworked block is awaited, before rewheeling can commence. Issues with the new cylinder block require remedial attention and it will be removed shortly to allow this work to be carried out<ref>SVR News 205</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.
The photograph below shows work in progress in March 2012.
==See also==
*[[Steam Locomotives]]*[[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for contract overhauls]]
==References==
