Keith Halton
2018-Mid Suffolk Light Railway 17 June 2018
HC1208 climbs the 1 in 40 grade towards Brockford station on the Mid Suffolk Light Railway, in a scene somewhat reminiscent of the early days of the railway, before the First World War.
The MSLR hosted a visit by Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST 1208 / 1916 for three weeks in June 2018. HC 1208 was built for the Ministry of Munitions and worked at the ordnance depot at Gretna until it was sold to the Nidd Valley Light Railway in 1922. The NVLR opened in 1904 and was built to enable construction of the Bradford Corporation reservoirs in the upper part of the Nidd Valley. On arrival, the loco was named MITCHELL in honour of Bradford's chief waterworks engineer. Mitchell resigned in 1930 and the railway was quick to honour his successor, William Illingworth. It was perhaps something of a discourtesy to Mitchell to deprive him of his engine, so it now carries both names, MITCHELL on the left side an ILLINGWORTH on the right side.
After closure of the Nidd Valley Lt Rly in 1934, the engine was returned to the makers (HC) and resold to Sir Robert McAlpine, and later Mowlems. It was used on various major construction contracts including Ebbw Vale Steelworks and was in use until at least the mid 1950s, eventually passing into private preservation in the 1970s. It remained out of public view until quite recently, when Stephen Middleton (restorer of several vintage 4-wheel carriages on the Yorkshire Dales Railway, under the name "Stately Trains") purchased it, in a dismantled state. Following an extensive rebuild costing over £100,000 it returned to service in the spring of 2017.
(Historical notes from Harold Bowtell’s book ‘Reservoir Railways of the Yorkshire Dales’).
2018-Mid Suffolk Light Railway 17 June 2018
HC1208 climbs the 1 in 40 grade towards Brockford station on the Mid Suffolk Light Railway, in a scene somewhat reminiscent of the early days of the railway, before the First World War.
The MSLR hosted a visit by Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST 1208 / 1916 for three weeks in June 2018. HC 1208 was built for the Ministry of Munitions and worked at the ordnance depot at Gretna until it was sold to the Nidd Valley Light Railway in 1922. The NVLR opened in 1904 and was built to enable construction of the Bradford Corporation reservoirs in the upper part of the Nidd Valley. On arrival, the loco was named MITCHELL in honour of Bradford's chief waterworks engineer. Mitchell resigned in 1930 and the railway was quick to honour his successor, William Illingworth. It was perhaps something of a discourtesy to Mitchell to deprive him of his engine, so it now carries both names, MITCHELL on the left side an ILLINGWORTH on the right side.
After closure of the Nidd Valley Lt Rly in 1934, the engine was returned to the makers (HC) and resold to Sir Robert McAlpine, and later Mowlems. It was used on various major construction contracts including Ebbw Vale Steelworks and was in use until at least the mid 1950s, eventually passing into private preservation in the 1970s. It remained out of public view until quite recently, when Stephen Middleton (restorer of several vintage 4-wheel carriages on the Yorkshire Dales Railway, under the name "Stately Trains") purchased it, in a dismantled state. Following an extensive rebuild costing over £100,000 it returned to service in the spring of 2017.
(Historical notes from Harold Bowtell’s book ‘Reservoir Railways of the Yorkshire Dales’).