THE FURNESS RAILWAY TRUST

"Cumbria" was the Furness Railway Trust's first steam locomotive.

It is currently dismantled for its 10 year heavy general overhaul, which had to be slightly brought forward because of a crack in the inner firebox tubeplate.

After taking advice from the locmotive's boiler insurer, the decision was taken not to attempt to repair the crack, but instead to fit a new tubeplate.

The Trust sought tenders for this work, and has awarded the contract to the Severn Valley Railway's Boilershop to carry out the work. 

As well as fabricating and fitting the new copper tubeplate, the SVR will also renew all the boiler tubes, and carry out any other maintenance required on the boiler.

The boiler is seen here being loaded at Preston for delivery to Bridgnorth at the end of July 2011; FRT volunteers had stripped it down, and will undertake maintenance on the chassis while the boiler is away.

The removed cab and tank were placed on the recently purchased FR Bogie Bolster wagon.

By the end of August, the SVR had removed the smokebox assembly and was preparing to remove the cracked firebox tubeplace. Non Destructive Testing of the boiler plate will also take place early in the project, to meet the requirements of the boiler insurer.

It is hoped that "Cumbria" will return to operation in 2012. 

"Cumbria" ran well beyond the magical 100,000 miles on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway - almost certainly the first standard gauge former industrial locomotive in the country to achieve such a feat!

After leaving the LHR, the engine clocked up two consecutive gala appearance at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston, co-starring in the February 2010 event alongside FRT stablemate 5643. 

This was the first time the pair have been in steam at the same time at the same site. It is fitting that this was achieved at the RSR, the heritage line that is offering the FRT space to create a restoration workshop and museum.

Then "Cumbria" moved to the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway in the Yorkshire Dales from spring 2010 for what was planned to be a 12 month hire. Unfortunately this was curtailed by the discovery of the firebox crack. 

"Cumbria" also found work taking children to meet Father Christmas at the end of 2009, in its case in the deep south on the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway in Oxfordshire.

It is seen here exchanging greetings with famous new build Pacific "Tornado" when the latter passed Cholsey on 7th November.

There is a full history of the locomotive. It was built in 1953, and had an amazingly leisurely first 20 years of its life in Army service, before being bought by members of the Lakeside Railway Society in 1974. It was named after the new local authority created in the area that year.

Since then, ownership has passed to the Furness Railway Trust.

"Cumbria" became a stalwart of L&HR services - accounting for around 40% of the total passenger mileage recorded on the three-and-a-half-mile railway. It was ideally suited to the challenging run coping admirably with 200 tonne plus trains on gradients up to 1 in 70.

Since 1995 "Cumbria" has run in Furness Railway livery, carrying the number FR 150, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the FR in 1996. This colour scheme of course matches the Trust's Furness Railway Number 20, the oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive in the country.

Please contact us if you wish to hire this workhorse on its anticipated return to service in 2012.