Steam Locomotive - 71515

This Austerity 0-6-0 was bought at the end of August 2009 from Charles Adams at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway in Yorkshire. Her nickname there was The Mog.

The loco was taken from Embsay to The Flour Mill by Allelys in early September 2009 where she was very quickly taken apart ready for the work to begin. Several members from the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway helped out with the cleaning and preparation of the loco in readiness for the more specialised work. Family members helped too. All their work was invaluable and much appreciated.

RSH7169 was commissioned by the War Department in 1945 and given the number WD71515. At the beginning of its life, WD71515 worked at the Swalwell Disposal Point in the North-east of England. The site was run by Mech.Navvies Ltd. and inspired the loco’s current livery. There is a splendid picture of WD71515 at Swalwell in a book by Malcolm Castledine (Industrial Railways in Northumberland and County Durham in the Latter Days of Steam). Geoff Plumb also has some photos of the loco at Swalwell in the 1960’s on his website – see the link below.

71515 went from Swalwell to the East Somerset Railway where it was one of the first engines to be given a fictitious BR number. WD71515 became 68005. There are pictures of the loco at East Somerset in both the Mech. Navvies Ltd. livery and the British Rail black of 68005. Look on their website and follow the links to their ‘Early Days’ gallery – see the link below.

In the guise of 68005 this Austerity worked hard at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey line for many years as the pictures on their website show until withdrawn from service there in 2006 after a burst tube in September of that year.

When it was decided to return 68005 to the Mech.Navvies livery we studied Geoff Plumb’s photos to try and work out what colour paint was needed. We were also fortunate to have two volunteers at Blaenavon who were able to help us with this - one had known the loco at Swalwell whilst the other found original pictures of the engine from its Mech.Navvies past in his slide collection. The loco was finally completed with some stunning sign-writing that matched the original lettering.

Now, WD71515 is working again, looking and sounding fantastic as she sweeps through the dramatic Welsh landscape on the steep incline of the newly restored line from Blaenavon High Level up to Furnace Sidings and the Whistle Inn.

 
http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/gallery.php?gid=197  Mech. Navvies

http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/gallery.php?gid=200  BR livery

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p42640760.html   Swalwell Depot

http://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/68005.html  Embsay

http://aligrieve.fotopic.net/p65149512.html  Blaenavon