Littlebrook Valley Railway Motive Power Department
Posted on: 26/02/11
Last Update: 29/04/12
Ladies and Gents, please don your hard hats and steel toe capped boots! Welcome to the page for the LVR's motive power department. Here you can read all about the line's locomotive and their current status.
Last Update: 29/04/12
Ladies and Gents, please don your hard hats and steel toe capped boots! Welcome to the page for the LVR's motive power department. Here you can read all about the line's locomotive and their current status.
The Locomotive Profiles
Steam
Great Western Railway
The majority of the locomotives based on the LVR are of Great Western origin due to the history of the line.
Great Western Railway
The majority of the locomotives based on the LVR are of Great Western origin due to the history of the line.
Hornby GWR 28xx 2-8-0 No:2818
(Left)The newest arrival to Littlebrook shed is the National Railway Museum's 28xx No:2818. No:2818 was built at Swindon in 1905 and is unique among the seven other preseved members of the 28xx class by virtue of the fact she carries inside steam pipes. The 2-8-0 spent much of her life following withdrawal by BR in Station Hall at the NRM's York site. Some years ago a group of members at the LVR contacted the NRM with a proposition to restore the gentle giant to operational condition. Following lengthy discussions with leading members of the NRM they kindly allowed 2818 out of York two years ago. Since that time No:2818 has been painstakingly restored in our workshops at Southerton whilst working as hard as possible to maintain the
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original 'fabric' of the locomotive. The work on the boiler was contracted out to the Severn Valley Railway whilst some other aspects were worked on at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean with the Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley also playing a key role. No:2818 returned to traffic over the weekend of the 18/19th June 2011 and has already taken part in a couple of photo charters as part of it's running in proccess. No:2818's massive size means she will probably take the mantle of flagship locomotive from No:5073 'Blenhiem Castle' in the future. No:2818 currently carries unlined GWR mid chrome green with 'Great Western' in full on the sides of her tender. She is factory fitted with a Hornby DCC decoder. See No:2818 in action alongside No:5531 here.
Current status:
Operational
Current status:
Operational
Bachman GWR 56xx 0-6-2T No:6623
(Right) This, the second most recent arrival to our locomotive fleet was restored from Barry scarpyard condition in time to run at our GWR 175th gala in October 2010. Already No:6623 has proved popular with crews and passengers alike, being the recipient of many an admiring glance at Littlebrook Station.
In the short time since entering service just before the October half term of 2010 she has become a valuable member of our fleet with plenty of power in reserve even on the heaviest trains and a suprising turn of speed, useful when things fall behind timetable! It is expected that No:6623 will handle the majority of the Santa special trains this year due to her enclosed cab which keeps out all but the worst of the British weather!! We are sure that she will |
become a highly valued member of th fleet. No:6623 is currently wearing GWR unlined green and bears the legend 'GWR' on her tanks. She is fitted with a Hornby DCC decoder. See No:6623 in action during the February half term 2011here.
Current status
Operational, regularly available for traffic
Current status
Operational, regularly available for traffic
Hornby BR Castle Class 4-6-0 No:5073 'Blenhiem Castle'
(Left) No:5073 'Blenhiem Castle' is the flagship of the Littlebrook Valley Railway fleet and is our largest and most powerful locomotive. No:5073 was restored from Barry scrapyard condition and entered traffic on the railway in 2006.
The 'Castle' has proved a big hit with crews because of her sheer power and smooth ride, inspite of the rather unprotective cab when running tender first (which happens quite regularly due to the lack of a turntable). Visitors also enjoy see No:5073 and many ask when she will be running next. The fact that she is a named locomotive helps visitors to remember it more so that the other locos. 'Blenhiem |
Castle' is more than capable of hauling anything the railway asks of her and is regularly found at the head of the Sunday Lunchon Train.
No:5073 is currently in double chimney form, now resplendant in BR Brunswick Green with late emblem. See No:5073 'Blenhiem Castle' in action during the GWR 175 gala here.
Current Status:
Operational, usually available for traffic
No:5073 is currently in double chimney form, now resplendant in BR Brunswick Green with late emblem. See No:5073 'Blenhiem Castle' in action during the GWR 175 gala here.
Current Status:
Operational, usually available for traffic
Bachmann BR pannier Tank No:9759
(Right) The diminutive Ex GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank is a very useful addtion to the Littlebrook Valley Railway fleet. When No:9759 arrived on the railway in December 2007 after a restoration from scrapyard condition a number of teething problems were encountered, namely with the factory fitted Bachmann DCC decoder which exibited some annoying faults. However now these have mostly been overcome.
This enabled No:9759 to settle down into regular traffic on the LVR, she has proved popular with crews due to her large amount of grip and free steaming abilities. Because of this No:9759 is regularly found operating on the Littlebrook Valley Railway and she is more than capable of hauling ordinary service trains |
and some times is found at the head of demonstration freight trains at galas and photographic charters. No:9759 has certainly proved its worth as a shunting engine on more than one occassion when it has replaced our resident '08' shunter on empty stock duties when said diesel has failed.
No:9759 is currently painted in BR unlined mixed traffic black with late emblem. She is factory fitted with a Bachmann DCC decoder. See No:9759 in action during the February half term 2011 here.
Current Status:
Operational, regularly available for service.
No:9759 is currently painted in BR unlined mixed traffic black with late emblem. She is factory fitted with a Bachmann DCC decoder. See No:9759 in action during the February half term 2011 here.
Current Status:
Operational, regularly available for service.
Bachmann GWR Small Praire 2-6-2T No:5531
(Left) No:5531 is the typical Great Western branchline locomotive and is well liked by visitors and crews alike. The Small Prarie arrived on the Littlebrook Valley Railway in January 2005 and immediatly became a firm favorite for ordinary service trains, on her first day in service the driver commented: 'She might be small, but she certainly packs a punch!'.
This has been shown many times over the years with lots of memorable performances particularly hauling the Sundy Lunchon Train single handedly on more than one occasion. One of the bonuses with having No:5531 in our fleet is the Auto train equipment she is fitted with which makes her ideal to pushing and pulling our resident 'autocoaches' on shuttle runs from Southerton to |
Littlebrook and back during galas.
Fitting of a Hornby DCC decoder in 2007 only served to improve her already exelent running qualites even further. A valued member of the fleet.
No:5531 is currently painted in GWR unlined green with the legend 'GWR' on her tanks. She is fitted with a Hornby DCC decoder. See her in action alongside No:2818 here.
Current Status:
Operational, regularly available for service
Fitting of a Hornby DCC decoder in 2007 only served to improve her already exelent running qualites even further. A valued member of the fleet.
No:5531 is currently painted in GWR unlined green with the legend 'GWR' on her tanks. She is fitted with a Hornby DCC decoder. See her in action alongside No:2818 here.
Current Status:
Operational, regularly available for service
Bachmann BR Collet Goods 0-6-0 No:2251
(Right) No:2251 has, over the years proved itself a reliable and strong performer and she is well suited to the needs of the Littlebrook Valley Railway. No:2251 arrived on the LVR in January 2004 after lying in storage for some years at the South Devon Railway she was given a full restoration at their works before moving to Littlebrook. She quickly became popular with both crews and visitors although running tender first in the rain was not a pleasant experience! This was more than made up for by her gutsy performances that she soon became well known for.
No:2251 has made herself very popular with photographers in recent years with her rousing performances on our demonstration freight train. But the 'Collett Goods' is equally well suited to hauling our |
ordinary passenger services and has lived up to her nickname of 'Baby Castle' on several ocassions when the 'Collett Goods' has hauled the Sunday Lunchon Train and the 'Littlebrook Limited' to mark the last day of full non DCC operation in December 2007.
With the change to the Hornby DCC select unit in December 2007 No:2251 was withdrawn from regular front line service for a intermediate overhaul at our works. After this was completed in 2008 she was still run on occasion, however now she mostly only runs at special events and for a number of photographic charters each year.
No:2251 is currently wearing BR unlined Brunswick Green with early emblem.See No:2251in action during the GWR 175 gala here.
Current Status:
Operational, generally available for traffic.
With the change to the Hornby DCC select unit in December 2007 No:2251 was withdrawn from regular front line service for a intermediate overhaul at our works. After this was completed in 2008 she was still run on occasion, however now she mostly only runs at special events and for a number of photographic charters each year.
No:2251 is currently wearing BR unlined Brunswick Green with early emblem.See No:2251in action during the GWR 175 gala here.
Current Status:
Operational, generally available for traffic.
London and North Eastern Railway
The LVR has one locomotive that represents the LNER.
Hornby BR N2 0-6-2T No:69546
(Right) Our Ex LNER 'N2' is one of our most popular locomotives, with visitors and crews alike. The drivers and firemen really appreciate her free steaming abilities and smooth ride. No:69546 is powerful enough to hold time on all ordinary LVR passenger trains, because of this she can be found in operation on the Littlebrook Valley Railway on most operating weekends. No:69546 is currently painted in BR mixed traffic black with late emblem. She is DCC fitted with a Hornby decoder. See No:69546 in action on our Gold timetable here.
Current Status: Operational, regularly available for service. |
British Railways
Although a number of our locomotive are painted in BR liveries we have one locomotive that was desgined and built entirely by BR.
Bachmann BR 4MT 2-6-0 No:76020
(Left) The powerful BR standard mixed traffic 4MT 2-6-0 locomotive No:76020 is ideal for the Littlebrook Valley Railway's needs. She has a large, spacious cab which makes her well suited to our popular 'Driver Experience' courses. No:76020 has plently of power in reserve when hauling our ordinary passenger services and is more than capable of hauling demonstration freight trains for photographic charters and galas.
The 4MT is popular with our crews due to the enclosed nature of her cab, which is great when she is running tender first, they also comment on how easy it is to finish up at the end of the shift with a rocking grate, easy access to oiling points and other labour saving devices. |
No:76020 arrived on the LVR in December 2008, but
unfortunately she encountered a number of problems when running in after her long restoration from the scrapyard. After spending some time the works at Littlebrook the problems were mainly rectified and she was able to enter revenue earning service on the Littlebrook Valley Railway, where she has certainly become deserving of the name 'Pocket Rocket' given to the class by enthusiasts. Due to No:76020's mixed traffic classification this means she is equally at home hauling the Sunday Lunchon Train (when No:5073 is unavailable) or a heavy demonstration freight for the benifit of the photographers. No:76020 is currently wearing BR mixed traffic back with lining and early emblem. She is factory fitted with a Bachmann DCC decoder. See No:76020 in action during the February half term 2011 here. Current Status: Operational, regularly available for service. |
Caledonian Railway and other owners
Surprisingly enough, the Littlebrook Valley Railway is home to two ex Caledonian Railway locomotives as well as a few engines owned by other groups.
(Right) A real stalwart of the Littlebrook Valley Railway, diminutive No:56010 was the first locomotive ever to run on the LVR, in December 1999. But despite its small appearance this little loco can haul most trains on the LVR without any assistance, however she is usually only run on special event days because of her small range and slightly rough ride.
Current status: Operational, only run at special events |
Hornby Highland Railway No:6 'Ben-y-Gloe'
(Left) No:6 is the second of the Littlebrook Valley Railway's 'OF' pair, this was the second locomotive to arrive on the LVR, probably making its maiden voyage in January 2000 Since then No:6 has proved its self a strong performer, inspite of its small size, especially in the early years of the railway. However as larger, more powerful locomotives arrived No:6 was withdrawn from frontline service having received a damaged funnel and blast pipe due to over work. However in 2010 she was hauled out of the shed and overhauled to run in time for the Spring Gala. It is anticipated that she will not run much in regular service, for reasons already stated with the other 'OF', but that she will be available to haul a few private charters and photographic specials throughout the year.
Current Status: Operational, generally only used at special events |
Hornby Island of Sodor Railway No:1 'Thomas'
(Right) The Littlebrook Valley Railway's second blue locomotive is understandably very popular with our younger visitors, but perhaps not quite so with enthusiasts! No:1 'Thomas' was aquired by the railway in 2003 from a small private railway in the Midlands. Having arrived at Littlebrook 'Thomas' was given a heavy overhaul to restore him to a presentable condition as he had obviously been used a lot by his previous owners. This even included fabricating a new funnel to replace the old one which appeared to have fallen off.
Due to 'Thomas' somewhat poor steaming abilites he is not normally used on service trains, except when the railway holds its popular 'Day Out With Thomas' |
events. This makes him somewhat unpopular with crews, although some feel it is worth it to see the simles on children's faces when he steams into Littlebrook.
Current Status:
Operational, generally only used at 'Days Out With Thomas'
Current Status:
Operational, generally only used at 'Days Out With Thomas'
Visiting Steam Locomotives
From time to time the Littlebrook Valley Railway plays host to visiting locomotives from other railways around the UK.
Hornby GWR pannier tank No: 8751
This locomotive is on long term loan to the Littlebrook Valley Railway. No:8751 arrived in 2006 after a lengthy period of storage and apon arrival was given a lengthy overhaul. The locomotive is believed to have been built in the 1970s. Therefore due to its age it is not very well suited to hauling service trains but is occasionally used on shorter journeys and photographic charters. Despite this crews enjoy the 'challenge' of keeping this 'old girl' going!
No:8751 is painted in GWR green with the legend 'Great Western' in full on its tanks. Length of Loan: Indefinite Current Status: Operational, generally only used on special event days. |
Diesels
British Railways
LIMA First Great Western Class 47 No:47830
(Right) This locomotive has the distiction of being the first diesel to grace the LVR, arriving in 2001. Due to the owners preference to steam locomotives No:47830 only sees occasional outings onto the Littlebrook Valley Railway, when it is paired with a number of Mk3 'Intercity' coaches which were donated to the railway by a local modeller. No:47830 is owned by the LVR F.M.H.D.F.A (LVR Friends Of The Modern Heritage Diesel Fleet Association') and is run at their annual running day.
47830 was built by BR before running with First Great Western (FGW) for a time before purchase for preservation. Due to being a LIMA product No:47830 has always suffered from poor running which is a another reason why it does not run very often. |
No:47830 is currently wearing First Great Western Green with yellow ends.
Current Status
Operational, occasionally available for service.
Current Status
Operational, occasionally available for service.
Hornby? BR 08 class shunter No: 13012
(Right) This '08' class shunter is an old Hornby design, but it has proved its usefulnes in shunting coaches for the railway.
No:13012 arrived on the Littlebrook Valley Railway in 2005. It is owned by the railway. Unless in a emergency the '08' will not be used on normal service trains. No:13012 is not given quite so much TLC as the other locos as it is generally kept out of the public gaze in the dingy corners of the yard and therefore looks rather tired in faded BR green with late crest and wasp stripes to please Mr Heath and Safety. Current status: Operational, in departmental use for shunting. |