britlover

JF 22497/1938

I purchased her of a chap called David Haylins in 2016 and moved her to Foxfield in 2017. Arrived there on the 1st March. Built for the Ebbw Vale Steel Works in 1938, she was there first ever Diesel Loco but also the first loco bought by the new owners of ebbw vale, Richard Thomas & Baldwin's, hence the RT1 - Richard Thomas No1. 

She worked at ebbw vale from 1938 to 1953, primarily on slag tipping duties. She was built with 4 100psi air tanks and a huge single cylinder compressor to allow for maximum air capacity to work the air powered tipping gear on the Slag ladels at the steel works. She was outshopped in the traditional lined green Fowler livery with black wheels and frames, black rods and polished rod ends. The exhaust original running through the front cab sheet

In 1953 she was transferred to Abercarn Tin Plate Works and worked there till the end of her industrial days in 1983. During her time at Abercarn she was repainted blue and had the exhaust moved to run through the top of the bonnet, remaining unsilenced. 

In 1983 she was donated to the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Society and became there first diesel loco, even shunt releasing the last mainline train from Pontypool consisting of a rake of MK1 coaches bought by the railway. Here she was painted back into a green livery at the time believed to be her proper colours of green with sunshine yellow lining, recently proved to be incorrect. She ran until 1987 when the donkey engine, previously damaged at Abercarn, seized solid and there for stopped use of the loco as they could no longer start her main engine. She was then parked up and not used. 

In the early 2000s a purge of diesels began at the railway and RT1 was in the firing line to be scrapped to raise cash, but before they could touch her she was purchased by David Haylins along with another loco, D615, and a restoration attempt was made, by 2004 the money ran short and the half painted, half restored loco was parked up and not touched until 2016 when I bought her. 

Since I purchased the loco I have cosmetically restored her in a fictional lined blue livery which combines the blue she wore at Abercarn and the lining style she wore when new from the works in Leeds in 1938. And until i moved her to Foxfield in 2017, she had never left Wales since she arrived at ebbw vale in 1938, that's an entire 79 years spent in South wales and only moving no more than 25 miles in that whole time!! Mechanically a new compressor has been purchase, a more modern tamper style compressor as the air system will only work the loco air brakes. The gearbox and clutch are in fine fettle but The main engine is currently undergoing a major rebuild, all 4 cylinder heads have bee  refurbished and I'm currently awaiting delivery of new head gaskets and piston rings. Once done the engine auxiliaries and injectors will be sent away for refurb and then we will try her for a start. She has been converted to electric start and the starter motor will require a refurb. 

The starter came off a spare engine purchased as a spares and repairs for RT1. Unfortunately it is seized solid and has a cracked sump. So it will be stripped of its dynamo, auxiliaries and rockers before either being sold on or scrapped. 

The name Nellie Owen is something I have applied, naming her after my late grandmother who was always a keen supporter of my hobby and wanted me to succeed with the project... 

All in all it is hoped to have her running in the very near future, but only time will tell. And currently to knowledge, she is one of only 10 0-6-0DM built of her type to standard guage and the only one to survive, thus making her unique....