Ashover (The Loco) @ the NRM

[ngtrains.com]

I have just sent out a press release about a 2ft gauge diesel loco that has this week moved to the National Railway Museum and about another that is staying a while longer than planned.

Here are the press releases followed by some pictures and background information

 

Press Release - Ashover

 

The Festiniog Railway’s 50hp diesel locomotive Ashover has been moved to the National Railway Museum to be restored to working order. The move was completed on Monday July 2^nd taking advantage of an empty low loader returning to the NRM as part of returning our train set used at Railfest to Wales.

 

Ashover was built by F.C. Hibberd under their “Planet″ brand, works number 3307 of 1948. It was originally supplied to the Ashover Light Railway which transports minerals from Ashover to Clay Cross in Derbyshire. After closure the loco was used in industrial service before moving to the East Anglian Transport Museum Society, Carlton Colville, Suffolk. The FR purchased it from them in 1981 and initially used it on works trains re-opening the line from Tan-Griseau to Blaenau. In the mid 80’s is was overhauled at Boston Lodge works and became the works shunting engine. It was named Ashover at this time in recognition of its first home.

 

The locomotive has been out of traffic and stored since it suffered a failure in the late 90’s. The work, which includes a major rebuild of its gearbox, will be carried out by locally based volunteers who will work on it at the NRM as an additional project to their regular trips to North Wales. When restored Ashover will spend a time operating on the 2ft gauge line at the Museum before eventually returning to Wales.

 

Following the success and popularity of the 2ft line at Railfest and the arrival of Ashover a volunteer NG railway project group is being formed at the museum to repair the loco and develop the line to see more use made of it.

 

For more details, or to offer help, please contact paul.martin@festrail.co.uk

 

And

 

Press Release – Simplex LR2156

 

As part of the plan to make more use of the Narrow Gauge line at the NRM the First World War Simplex loco, initially taken to the museum as part of Railfest, will be staying on the line for the summer and will see occasional use for demonstrations, footplate rides and driver experiences. Discussions are in progress with the aim of bringing a steam loco for a visit at August Bank Holiday after which both loco’s would return to Wales on the same lorry.

 

 

The back story it that for the 2004 Railfest the Festiniog Railway laid a 600ft 2ft gauge line at the museum and brought a complete train over for the event. The line then lay dormant except for short visits by the FR's Palmerston and Statfold's Trankil No4 until recently. Prior to this years Railfest the local group of the FRS did quite a lot of work to return the track to use which included completely re-keying the line. Once again we brought a complete train over to York to give rides and did 114 miles on our 600ft over the nine days of the event.

 

The operation went down well with NRM management and we were asked to come up with ideas for making more use of the line and for developing it further. The initial response has been to leave the Simplex used at Railfest on the line for the summer. Whilst figuring out how to eventually get it home the fact that it only takes up half a lorry sowed the seeds of an idea which should see a steam loco, probably Lilla, attending for a mini steam up at August Bank Holiday. Longer term we are discussing ideas for developing the track to make it more suited to regular operation.

 

The story with the diesel Ashover is that whilst it belongs to the FR its also sort of mine. When the FR bought it I got the society group I was working party organiser for to put up the money. When it needed its first overhaul back in 1983 I ran the group that did it and I continue to look after it. When it works its the Festiniog Railways loco, when it doesn't its "mine", pretty much nothing happens with it without them consulting me. Its mine again at the moment!

 

The first `doing up' of Ashover was the first engineering project I undertook both doing and running and could be said to have been the thing that put me in the right place for later running Ricketrescue (Blanche's support team) and the Merddin Emrys rebuild project. Sadly that meant Ashover went unloved and was a low priority when it broke its gearbox. There was always something more important to do when at the railway so the plan was hatched to bring it nearer home to work on it as a local project. The NRM have kindly offered us the chance to do the work there and when mended the loco will spend some time at the museum on the running line.

 

With all this new found narrow gauge activity a mechanism was needed to do the work in the NRM environment hence the creation of a narrow gauge project group within the NRM's volunteer organisation.

 

Thats the Blurb, now for some pictures. Happy to answer question but am just about to set off for north Wales for a long weekend of driving Merddin Emrys

 

Paul Martin

 

[Madcaravanner]

Got such a surprise this morning (7/7/13) as we went round the NRM to find my old friend here

I used to live in Clay Cross and regularly walked to Ashover as a child in the late 50's/early 60's and often saw this running around the Fallgate quarry 

[flyingsignalman]

Only just seen this topic but any excuse for a photo

 

Ashover in Boston Lodge yard, 2nd May 1993