WHR acquires fourth NGG16 Beyer-Garratt. No. 87

It was announced that the Railway had acquired a fourth NGG16 Beyer-Garratt. No. 87 was purchased from the Exmoor Steam Railway and would be delivered to Minffordd and Boston Lodge within the next few weeks for a full overhaul to be undertaken largely by employed staff at Boston Lodge. This was made possible by a grant covering the costs of purchase and overhaul from Ffestiniog Railway Trust, following a donation from a private sponsor for this specific project. The addition of no. 87 will help make sure there is an adequate fleet in place ready for opening of the complete WHR in 2009, giving four working locos of this type to form the core WHR fleet.

In contrast to 1958-built nos. 138, 143 and 140, no. 87 comes from the very first batch of NGG16s (developed from the NGG13), built by John Cockerill of Seraing, Belgium in 1936. It was imported to the UK from South Africa for the abortive Robin Hood's Bay scheme, from which the WHR previously acquired NG15s nos. 133 and 134. Although purchase of the Robin Hood's Bay NGG16s was not pursued at the time owing to their condition, the donation for no. 87's purchase from Exmoor includes full funding for overhaul, which entirely changes the picture.


SOURCE WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY PROJECT NEWS