Our Great Western Railway 0-6-2T is the wandering ambassador for the Furness Railway Trust.
It is based at the Trust's home, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, but it has always been the intention that the locomotive would travel far and wide, earning its keep and flying the flag for the Trust and the L&HR.
Indeed,
only days after its first passenger run in 43 years, 5643 was off and away
from Haverthwaite to the Llangollen
Railway, for a successful initial hire period from September 2006 to the
end of April 2007.
This allowed the locomotive to star in the LR's September gala weekend, but also to undertake running in under the watchful eye of a team that has considerable expertise in dealing with GWR locomotives, and relatively close to home, allowing FRT volunteers to travel down regularly to hold work parties. But the engine was also in action - undertaking Santa Special and regular service duties at the LR, and culminating with its appearance at the spectacular Betton Grange Gala in April 2007.
5643 was called up to haul a non-stop special running the entire length of the line, and made up of no less than 8 coaches: quite a challenge for any engine with 3 miles of the rigourous Berwyn Bank at the start of the journey!
There was a brief interlude of just two weeks at Haverthwaite in May for the
Mixed Traffic Gala weekend there; unbelieveably the day before the Gala was
the first time the engine had undertaken a full day's scheduled passenger
duties at its home line!
Then out came the low-loader again, for the trip to the Barry Island Railway. This was a poignant visit: 5643 spent its final months in British Railways service based in Barry, before moving next door to the famous Woodham's scrapayard.
It is the first member of this class, that was so closely associated with South Wales, to return to the area in preservation.
The journey back home took in a short stay at the East Lancashire Railway, for its June gala event. That included double-heading with the iconic GWR record breaker "City of Truro" (the engine that Furness Railway Number 20 rubbed shoulders with at the National Railway Museum).
The
engine then went back home at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway where
unusually, it faced downhill - running boiler first on trains from Lakeside
to Haverthwaite. This opened up new photographic possibilities.
The July Steam Gala event also saw the first time that 5643 appeared in action alongside the FRT flagship engine Furness Railway Number 20, although the pair ran separately, not double-heading together.
The opportunity was also taken while the engine was "home" to undertake a number of routine maintenance jobs, which were much more easily done with tools and volunteers in easy reach!
Weybourne
Shed then became its temporary home on the North
Norfolk Railway. A fairly intensive month-long hire saw the engine in
action during a Steam Gala weekend and on regular service trains. Such was
the popularity of this visit that 5643 is now going back to East Anglia again
this August.
After a brief return to Llangollen, the engine paid a short visit to the Great Central Railway for its October gala event. The GCR used a Stanier 8F and Black Five to haul a long rake of its iconic windcutter wagons... however many visitors were more impressed by 5643 taking the train away afterwards unaided!
Now its back at Llangollen, where it will also be for a substantial part of 2008. Short bookings are being invited for 2008; the locomotive is to return to the North Norfolk Railway for another star turn at the Poppy Line's Steam Gala this August.
If you wish to hire this workhorse locomotive, then please contact us.
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