Locomotive Swiftsure, passing through the level crossing, by Bodium Station, on the Kent and East Sussex Heritage Railway., East Sussex,
This locomotive was built in 1943 by the Hunslet Engine Company for the Ministry of Defence. It then entered service as WD 75008. The locomotive was delivered to the Longmoor Military Railway in July 1943 before going to Longtown near Carlisle later that month. In February 1944 it was stored at the Longmoor Military Railway before going to France in December of that year. It was allocated on hire to the SNCB Antwep Dam. The locomotive was returned to the War Department in February 1946 and brought back to Britain at the end of that year. It was then deployed by the Ministry of Fuel & Power at Old Silkstone Colliery at Dodworth in Yorkshire in April 1947. In April 1965 it was repaired and fitted with a underfeed stoker by the Hunslet Engine Company before returning to Dodworth. In July 1973 the locomotive was moved to Cadley Hill Colliery in Derbyshire Around 1975/76 a number of steam locomotives were moved to Cadley Hill as they were displaced by diesel power at other NCB sites. Steam was phased out at Cadley Hill in the mid 1980s and the pit closed in 1988. Cadley Hill Colliery was one of the last places where steam locomotives were employed. Six locomotives that worked there have been preserved. Bagnall – Works Nos 3059 and 3061 Hunslet – Works Nos 2857, 3851 and 3889 Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn – Works No 7298 The locomotive started its life in preservation on the Lavender Line in Surrey in September 1986. Here it acquired the name Swiftsure. It then moved to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in February 1987 where it was returned to steam. It remained there until it was sold to the Strathspey Railway (SR) in March 2006. It had initial trials on the SR but at the start of the season a problem with the firebox was identified and it did not enter service but instead went into store. In 2013 it was sold to Peak Rail where the locomotive was returned to steam. It ran on the East Lancs Railway in 2015 before going to the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) in Novemb
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Bodium Station, on the Kent and East Sussex Heritage Railway., East Sussex,
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: .75008, bodium, company, crossing, day, east, engine, fathers, heritage, hunslet, kent, level, line, locomotive, platform, railway, railway., station, steam, summer, sussex, swiftsure, track
