- No.70 ‘Pheonix’
News from the East Somerset Railway
On the 9th of October 2009 a new locomotive arrived at the ESR.
The loco was built by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds in 1921. Overall 22 were built. No.70 (Now named ‘Phoenix‘) was built for use on the Manchester Ship Canal Railway.
The loco is an unusual design, in that it has no flange on the centre driving wheel, it also has a pivot fitted in the centre of the coupling rod so it could negotiate tighter corners with ease, something a normal 0.6.0T could not do!
In it’s early preservation life it worked on the East Lancs Railway, and after that it went to the Avon Valley Railway in 2003, where it spent 6 years in service!
In August 09 it moved to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, and of course to the ESR in October 09.
It was steam tested on the 10th and should be regularly hauling trains on the ESR for the foreseeable future!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Where are you from? Is it a secret?
Thanks
AnnaHopn
Why do ya want to know, I could say I live in a town in Wiltshire!