From the guard's van

The work on A4 Sir Nigel Gresley progresses well in the workshop at the National Railway Museum. The boiler was last seen on a wagon outside in the yard but the clean driving wheels are inside next to the frames and cab. These are the front and back wheels and... ... these are the centre wheels with the big end for the middle cylinder.

While I was in Buxton photographing the DMUs and freight activity, some of which features in past blog entries, I also went to the Peak Rail site which was then next to the station. Among all the "yet to be preserved" material on the site were these tank engines. I wonder where they are now... and in what condition. Any information about their present whereabouts or condition would be welcome. Subsequent research shows that this was built by Peckett & sons at Bristol in 1949, works no. 2111. It was preserved privately at Lytham St Annes before it was moved to Peak Rail. Then in 1990 it went to the Midland Railway, Butterley. It is being restored again and is located in the workshops of The Princess Royal Locomotive Trust in the West Shed.  It originally worked at Blackpool gasworks. See www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk. This vertical boilered locomotive was built  by Societe Anonyme John Cockerill, Seraing, Belgium. The company built more...