"Cumbria"
was the Furness Railway Trust's first steam locomotive. It is the highest
mileage locomotive at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, and is now
well beyond the magical 100,000 milestone!
And "Cumbria" is almost certainly the first standard gauge former industrial locomotive in the country to achieve such a feat!
It is seen (left) ably hauling - as ever - another heavily laden train up the rigorous Backbarrow bank where the gradient stiffens to around 1 in 65 on a testing left hand bend; FRT Committee Member Driver John Dixon is on the regulator.
There is a full history of the locomotive further down the page. 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 for use on the L&HR 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" has been a stalwart of L&HR services ever since it arrived - it accounts for around 40% of the total passenger mileage recorded on the three-and-a-half-mile railway, which runs to the shores of Windermere.
It is ideally suited to the challenging run: the standing start and first mile from Haverthwaite average an adverse gradient of around 1 in 70, but "Cumbria" copes admirably and efficiently with trains of over 200 tonnes.
To celebrate the passing of this significant milestone, volunteers of the Furness Railway Trust have given "Cumbria" a ten year repaint: since its last heavy general overhaul the engine has run in Furness Railway livery, carrying the number FR 150, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the local company in 1996. The Furness colour scheme will be retained. This decision will allow "Cumbria" to continue to work in tandem with the Trust's Furness Railway Number 20, the oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive in the country.
 |
 |
 |
"Cumbria" is extremely popular with crews.
History of "Cumbria""Cumbria" was built to the wartime "Austerity" design, slightly modified by Mr. R.A. Riddles, by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds in 1953. It carries works number 3794. The locomotive was delivered as WD 194 to the Longmoor Army Stores Depot in southern England as part of the Strategic War Reserve. Despite being brand new, it was immediately put into store! Two years later, in 1955 when the Stores Depot closed, the engine was transferred to Bicester in Oxfordshire where it was put into traffic in 1958. After ten years of service, it was completely overhauled and retubed before being put back into store again! This time, though, it was only a matter of months before the engine was transferred to the Weapons Testing Depot at Shoeburyness in Essex to replace another locomotive, whose firebox had been condemned. Its days at Shoeburyness were very leisurely: the locomotive was only steamed once every twelve weeks, the main duty being to haul the 50 tons Cowan Sheldon steam crane when gun barrels needed changing on the gunnery ranges. After a quiet career with the Army, the locomotive was purchased from the Ministry of Defence in July 1973 by the Lakeside Railway Society. It arrived at Haverthwaite in September of that year, still bearing the khaki Army livery and the number 94, and entered traffic in 1974 after being fitted with the Alan Middleton vacuum equipment. The engine was painted maroon and named "Cumbria" by Councillor Tim Westall, the Chairman of the then newly formed Cumbria County Council, at Haverthwaite on 11th May 1974. It has since been the mainstay of the locomotive fleet on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, covering over one hundred thousand miles on the three and a half mile line. This represents over forty per cent of the locomotive mileage since the L&HR reopened to passenger traffic in 1973. Weighing 48 tons 5 cwts, it has two inside 18" by 26" cylinders and a tractive effort of 23,870 lbs. This makes it ideal for handling five and six coach trains, although it has on occasions been called upon to haul eight fully laden coaches on busy days. Cumbria was repainted into the livery of the Furness Railway in 1995 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of that railway company. This has proved to be a popular decision, and the paint scheme complements that of the Trust's 1863 built Furness Railway Number 20 when they double-head trains together. |
 |
Now why not read about our roving ambassador, GWR Number
5643. |
|
 |
You can read about our express passenger engine, GWR 4979 "Wootton Hall". | |
 |
"Fluff" was our very first engine. It's been out of use for a number of years but has undergone a cosmetic restoration. |
Home Search Site About us FR No. 20 Our Engines Vintage Train Museum GiftsL.R.S. Live Steam Furness Railway L&HR & links
©Furness Railway Trust 2009