Sharp Stewart 0-4-4T Dunrobin

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Dunrobin in Canada in 1986

Dunrobin is an 0-4-4T, built by Sharp Stewart in 1895 for the Duke of Sutherland. It was used until around 1920 to pull the Duke’s private train between Dunrobin Castle and Inverness, the Duke having acquired running rights on the Highland Railway as a condition of financing construction of part of the line.

Preservation

The locomotive was exported to Canada in 1965, but acquired in January 2011 by the Beamish Living Museum of the North[1] and repatriated to the UK. On arrival, Dunrobin was brought to Bridgnorth to be dismantled and the feasibility of restoration to working order assessed. Contracts were subsequently let for boiler and mechanical overhaul at Bridgnorth.

Current status

Progress on the overhaul has seen the driving wheels sent away for refurbishment, work on the locomotive's rear bogie truck completed, and work on the chassis. As of December 2017 the boiler is due to be assembled during 2018, but progress otherwise has been beset with problems to be resolved with the owner. A test steaming may be possible in 2018.[2] 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.

The photograph below shows work in progress in March 2012.

See also

Steam Locomotives

References

  1. Beamish announcement
  2. SVRSevern Valley Railway News No. 199 and 200, Autumn and Winter 2017

Links

Dunrobin (Locomotive) on Wikipedia