Loco Location

I found a reference online to a Fox Walker (later Pecketts) 0-6-0ST works no. 242 of 1874 which, according to Wikipedia (yes, I know) is owned by Bristol City Council and under restoration at the now defunct Bristol Industrial Museum. The B.I.M.'s successor, M Shed, owns up to having two Peckett 0-6-0s, but not no.242. Does anybody know if this loco exists or where it is? It was one of many built for and operated by Avonmouth Docks.

 

There was a Fox Walker 0-6-0ST (owned by Bristol City Council) that had gone to the S&D Trust. It was the oldest Bristol built loco in existence. When the BSRS got going at Bitton the loco was transferred there in about 1975. I don't know if it's still there though. I believe there are only three Fox Walkers survive. Would that be the one you're trying to locate?
I visited the NCB system at Mountain Ash in the late 70s and one driver said how that FW had been working the day before it left for preservation. At Mountain Ash it was nicknamed "Coffee Pot".

I started writing this post just before "Sidmouth" posted his reply. Presumably it's the same loco.

 

Thankyou, Sidmouth, I tried searching the forum but that post didn't show up. It's good to know that this very old Fox Walker hasn't disappeared, although M Shed seem a bit coy about acknowledging it's existence. Does anyone know what plans (if any) there are for this loco?

 

Hi La Dchesse,

Coincidentally I'm currently working on a blog post with a bit of history about this loco.

My blog on the railway is here:
http://bristolharbourrailway.wordpress.com/

I came across these pictures of it, along with the other two BHR locos, at Radstock S & D
http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/radstock.htm

As for its involvement at M Shed/BHR, it is currently in storage as a rolling chassis on the railway. It's a long-term project, with no immediate plans to steam it as duties are ably covered by 'Henbury' and 'Portbury'. It is still owned by Bristol City Council. One of the main reasons for owning it is to have an example of the three main loco builders - Avonside (Portbury), Peckett (Henbury), and their predecessor Fox Walker (No.242).

One of the reasons for my blog project is to provide more info online and help to gather interest in the railway, its operations, history and stock.

Hope this helps! I'll hopefully have the blog post done within a few weeks as it requires a bit of digging!

 

Thankyou, Corbs, that seems to have answered all my questions. It's understandable that M Shed don't feel the need to keep three engines in steam. Maybe when Henbury or Portbury's boiler ticket runs out they'll consider putting 242 into service.

Thankyou also for the link to your BHR website, it's very interesting, I'd recommend it to all forum users.

 

Thank you! Well Henbury runs out next year, so its unlikely to be then, but Portbury has nearly 10 years left so maybe there's time there

 

This afternoon I spoke to a friend who works for Bristol City Council and who's also a steam enthusiast. He believes the Fox Walker is not at M Shed. Instead it has been taken to Avonmouth. It is not undergoing active restoration, but is safely stored inside a shed inside the docks complex.

 

When I last saw FW 242 at the Bristol Industrial Museum, over 10 years ago, it was a pretty sad sight.
As a matter of interest, four Fox Walker locos are known to exist- "Karlskoga No. 1", built in 1873, is at the Nora Bergslags Veteran-Jarnsvag in Sweden and was steamable until at least the late 1990s, 242 of 1874 is, I believe, still in Bristol, 358 "Minnie" of 1878 is at the Mangapps Railway and 410 "Margaret" of 1878 is at Scolton Park near Haverfordwest. There have been persistent rumours about others surviving in S. America, but no firm evidence has emerged.

 

Along with "Lew" and Stroudley Terriers "Thames" and "Surrey", at least one of which was supposedly spotted in South America as late as 1920...

Tom

 

Ah, that would make sense then. I thought it was in the cumberland road shed, but it would be an extremely tight squeeze with the ruston and the crane now located there since the barn is no more. As mentioned elsewhere, there is a plan in place to improve the storage on the railway so hopefully she'll make her way back to the docks.

 

Also, the Bristol Industrial Museum wikipedia page is unlikely to be updated as the museum is no more. I spent some time adding info and a loco table to the BHR wiki page though
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Harbour_Railway

 

Yes, South America is a graveyard of the hopes and dreams of preservationists! However, the possibility of the survival of a Fox Walker out there did have some substance, as one of those supplied to the Cordoba & Tucoman Railway in Argentina was preserved at Tucoman and there is evidence that it was there until the early 'eighties, but more recent visitors have failed to locate it. The assumption is that it was scrapped during the subsequent political and economic upheavals.

 

There was a stationary boiler (ex-loco) around the back of Tucuman works in 2002, though what it was off I couldn't say. Probably nothing to do with the above...!

 

Expanding this thread a little. Someone at work today showed me a photo of a red painted 0-6-0ST looking like a Fox Walker design stabled at Bodiam on the K&ESR in October 1976. He thinks it may have been the one now at Haverfordwest. Anyone able to confirm please?

 

I can confirm that No.242 is indeed still stored in the docks area at the moment, but may move at some point over the next year No current plans to steam it.

 

That was "Minnie", which was taken to the K&ESR after purchase from the Skinningrove Iron Co. in 1967. It later went to Dover Transport Museum, then the East Kent Railway and finally to Mangapps Railway, where it is currently a cosmetically restored, static exhibit.
"Minnie" was in working order when originally preserved, there are photos of her in steam when handed over at Skinningrove. However, I have never been able to find definitive evidence that she worked at the K&ESR. Is there anyone on NP who knows?

 

Minnie?

 

Yes, Minnie! Surely you remember Minnie?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/3101832939/

 

La Duchesse - you and others may be interested in my newest blog post, it has some pics of No.242 when at Radstock, and previously when at Mountain Ash.

http://bristolharbourrailway.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/locomotive-no-242-fox-walker-and-company/