90775 - WD 2-10-0, ‘The Royal Norfolk Regiment’
WD 90775 pulling into the station at Weybourne on the NNR Autunm Showcase weekend.
WD 90775 was the third of the first batch of 100 from North British Locomotive Company’s, Hyde Park Works, Springburn, North Glasgow in December 1943 as works No. 25438. The Ministry of Supply numbered it 3652 and, it is believed, painted it in MoD green. It was one of 12 WD 2-10-0's delivered in December 1943 and allocated for use in the Middle East.
After the end of the Second World War, it was abundantly clear that many locomotives were necessary for use in Greece. In October 1945 the British military authorities in Egypt declared that the 16, 2-10-0's in store in Egypt were surplus to requirements, so they were considered for use in both Greece and Yugoslavia, but very quickly it was decided to send them all to Greece. Purchased at a cost of approximately £12,500 each, it was first planned to send them by rail, but Turkey demanded an exorbitant fee for their transit so instead they were despatched by sea to Salonika in January 1946.
Now in the ownership of Hellenic State Railways, the 16 were renumbered in order of MoD numbers, thus 3652 became 951, and they became Class Lb. The locomotives were allocated to the Thessalonica Division in the northern part of the country and divided up between the depots at Thessalonica, Drama, Alexandroupolis and Pithion (Pythio) situated on the Turkish border. Their top link duty was the Istanbul express between Thessalonica and Pithion. Another important job was the Athens to Yugoslavia International express between Thessalonica and the border.
By 1967 diesel locomotives were put into service in the Thessalonica Division so the 2-10-0's were then concentrated in the eastern part of the country. They remained in service through the 1970's with the last being withdrawn in 1979.
After a working life in Greece of 27 years, 90775 was eventually repatriated back to Britain in August 1984, arriving at Ipswich Docks in Suffolk onboard the Greek vessel Empros.
The locomotive was restored in a relatively short time, and it entered traffic at the Mid Hants Railway (MHR) early in 1988, it first appearing on the MHR as BR No. 90775. In 1989 it was repainted, this time into Longmoor Military Railway ‘ROD’ red and blue livery as WD 601 'Sturdee'. It was named ‘Sturdee’ to follow LMR tradition of naming locomotives after famous British Commanders, Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee (1859–1925). A further move followed in 1992 when its MHR owners sold it to the Essex Locomotive Society who transferred it to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).
Unfortunately, it was soon out of traffic for major boiler work. Following repairs, it was returned to traffic in October 1994 when it was again painted in BR black as 90775, but this time with ‘British Railways’ in full on the tender side. After a further overhaul it departed from the NYMR in 2002 and moved for a year to the Great Central Railway at Loughborough. In late June 2003 it moved to the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) on loan. In the following year locomotive was offered for sale and was purchased by the GN Society in 2006.
90775 was taken out of service in March 2009 for a major overhaul. In September 2016 the boiler passed its steam test at Weybourne and in May 2017 the locomotive moved under its own steam again and achieved the full boiler working pressure of 225 lbs/sq in. It returned to traffic at the end of May.
In September 2017 the locomotive was given the name 'The Royal Norfolk Regiment'. In September 2021 the locomotive was renamed 'The Earl Haig' to mark 100 years of the Royal British Legion. As can be seen the locomotive is now carrying 'The Elizabethan' name plate.
90775 - WD 2-10-0, ‘The Royal Norfolk Regiment’
WD 90775 pulling into the station at Weybourne on the NNR Autunm Showcase weekend.
WD 90775 was the third of the first batch of 100 from North British Locomotive Company’s, Hyde Park Works, Springburn, North Glasgow in December 1943 as works No. 25438. The Ministry of Supply numbered it 3652 and, it is believed, painted it in MoD green. It was one of 12 WD 2-10-0's delivered in December 1943 and allocated for use in the Middle East.
After the end of the Second World War, it was abundantly clear that many locomotives were necessary for use in Greece. In October 1945 the British military authorities in Egypt declared that the 16, 2-10-0's in store in Egypt were surplus to requirements, so they were considered for use in both Greece and Yugoslavia, but very quickly it was decided to send them all to Greece. Purchased at a cost of approximately £12,500 each, it was first planned to send them by rail, but Turkey demanded an exorbitant fee for their transit so instead they were despatched by sea to Salonika in January 1946.
Now in the ownership of Hellenic State Railways, the 16 were renumbered in order of MoD numbers, thus 3652 became 951, and they became Class Lb. The locomotives were allocated to the Thessalonica Division in the northern part of the country and divided up between the depots at Thessalonica, Drama, Alexandroupolis and Pithion (Pythio) situated on the Turkish border. Their top link duty was the Istanbul express between Thessalonica and Pithion. Another important job was the Athens to Yugoslavia International express between Thessalonica and the border.
By 1967 diesel locomotives were put into service in the Thessalonica Division so the 2-10-0's were then concentrated in the eastern part of the country. They remained in service through the 1970's with the last being withdrawn in 1979.
After a working life in Greece of 27 years, 90775 was eventually repatriated back to Britain in August 1984, arriving at Ipswich Docks in Suffolk onboard the Greek vessel Empros.
The locomotive was restored in a relatively short time, and it entered traffic at the Mid Hants Railway (MHR) early in 1988, it first appearing on the MHR as BR No. 90775. In 1989 it was repainted, this time into Longmoor Military Railway ‘ROD’ red and blue livery as WD 601 'Sturdee'. It was named ‘Sturdee’ to follow LMR tradition of naming locomotives after famous British Commanders, Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee (1859–1925). A further move followed in 1992 when its MHR owners sold it to the Essex Locomotive Society who transferred it to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).
Unfortunately, it was soon out of traffic for major boiler work. Following repairs, it was returned to traffic in October 1994 when it was again painted in BR black as 90775, but this time with ‘British Railways’ in full on the tender side. After a further overhaul it departed from the NYMR in 2002 and moved for a year to the Great Central Railway at Loughborough. In late June 2003 it moved to the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) on loan. In the following year locomotive was offered for sale and was purchased by the GN Society in 2006.
90775 was taken out of service in March 2009 for a major overhaul. In September 2016 the boiler passed its steam test at Weybourne and in May 2017 the locomotive moved under its own steam again and achieved the full boiler working pressure of 225 lbs/sq in. It returned to traffic at the end of May.
In September 2017 the locomotive was given the name 'The Royal Norfolk Regiment'. In September 2021 the locomotive was renamed 'The Earl Haig' to mark 100 years of the Royal British Legion. As can be seen the locomotive is now carrying 'The Elizabethan' name plate.