Recently, I decided to treat myself.

When the Hornby W4 Peckett came out, like some of us, I went a little mad and ended up buying four examples, over a period of time. Not all at once, you understand, that really would be silly.

I thought that at least one could be converted to P4, seeings as I model in both OO and P4. One I would fit scale couplings to, weather and allocate to one of the outrageously improbable OO light railways that I'm rather fond of modelling.

One eventually got sold, leaving three. One of those got weathered and put into service as 'Brynllefrith' of the Vale of Radnor Light Railway, seen here in Bethesda Yard:

That left two, one of which is still awaiting the excellent Gordon Ashton etched chassis, which will be built in P4.

So, just 'Dodo' remained. This was always a good runner, but the thought of a second W4 on an already outrageously improbable light railway just seemed unlikely, even for me.

Late last year I was looking through the Planet Industrials website and was reminded of their two conversion kits for the W4 Peckett - available from Light Railway Stores here - https://www.lightrailwaystores.co.uk/collections/locomotives

At the same time, I decided to contact @James Hilton and enquire about a commission to convert 'Dodo' into something slightly more interesting, namely a 'Greenhithe' sub-class. This type of Peckett, with its low-slung cab, was originally designed for use in industrial settings with low clearances. James accepted the commission and 'Dodo' was duly posted off to Wales.

He recently completed the work and posted the loco back to me a few days ago. I had some spare plates from 247 Developments for 'Sir Harry', which I had also sent him.

James has done an outstanding job on the conversion and I am very, very pleased with the result, so many thanks, James!

And now, the guff....

It’s early summer in 1962 and the Vale of Radnor Light Railway has taken delivery of a new loco. Well, new for it but the loco itself isn’t new.

‘Sir Harry’ is a ‘Greenhithe’ type of Peckett and was originally delivered new in 1947 to a gas works in the West Midlands and carried the name ‘Wednesbury Park No.3’. Apparently, the nameplates only just fitted the saddle tanks.

After the closure of the gas works in 1959, the loco was sold to the Cuthbertson Chocolate Company for use in their Callow Lane works, in South Gloucestershire. It was here that it acquired its new name ‘Sir Harry’, in recognition of the long-standing nickname given by the workers to the works Chairman, the Hon. Tarquin Ffitch-Cuthbertson. The Hon. Tarquin was evidently a man of large bulk and was said to walk with a pronounced waddling gait, not unlike the motion of the Peckett along the works track.

The works staff did not get on with the Peckett and it was eventually laid aside in favour of a small Ruston diesel, purchased in 1961 from a local civil engineering contractor.

A few short weeks later, ‘Sir Harry’ was spotted by wealthy railway enthusiast P.B. Greenhouse, who had arrived at Callow Lane on a rail tour. He contacted the chocolate factory and arranged to purchase the Peckett on behalf of the Association of Independent Light Railways, of which he was a director. He also paid for the loco to have a light overhaul at BRs Oswestry works, following which it was transferred down to Capel Bethesda by way of local goods services, to fill in for one of the resident locos on the Vale of Radnor Light Railway, which was having an overhaul.

Here we see 'Sir Harry' arriving on the local goods service from Leominster, hauled by 1458:

The loco was shunted and left in the yard for the Light Railway to send something to haul it back up the valley to Llanddewi:

Eventually, the Light Railway's 'Planet' diesel wheezed into the yard with an ancient brake van and formed up a train:

Once up at the Light Railway's depot, the loco will be checked over by the fitter and will then enter service. Given the amount of traffic remaining on the Vale of Radnor Light Railway by then, 'Sir Harry' will have plenty of leisure time...