Locomotives formerly resident on the Watercress Line

Many steam and diesel locomotives have operated on the Watercress Line or Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England.

Main article: Watercress Line

Steam locomotives
Number & Name Class Current Status Location Livery Photograph
Kent No. 2 W.G. Bagnall 0-4-0ST Was the first locomotive to arrive on the Mid-Hants Railway at Alresford in July 1973. Assisted in the loading of Slough Estates No. 3 in 1974 at Alresford. Now based at the Foxfield Railway. Currently at the Chasewater Railway. Chasewater Railway Lined Red
Slough Estates Ltd No.3 Hudswell Clarke & Co 0-6-0ST Operational – Supplied new to the Slough Estates Railway in 1926, No.3 left industrial service in working order, moving to the Mid Hants in 1974 when the Slough Estates Railway was closed. Some time later, No.3 was stripped-down for overhaul, but this was never completed. During the 1980s, No.3 was transferred to the care of the Slough & Windsor Railway Society and moved to Slough, where full restoration commenced. After another move, to the Swindon and Cricklade Railway, restoration was completed and No.3 returned to steam in 2000. A major overhaul was undertaken in 2009 (completed November) in order to renew the locomotive's boiler certificate. Middleton Railway Slough Estates Railway lined green
No. 10 "Douglas" (Works 2890 WD75041 LMR107 NCB3882) Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST Operational – Built for the War Department in 1943 as 75041, the engine was later moved to the Longmoor Military Railway and was renumbered 107, later sold into industrial use with the Nation Coal Board before being preserved in 1976. Purchased for use on the Mid Hants line in the late 1990s the engine was rebuilt and converted from a saddle tank to a 0-6-0 tender configuration resembling 'Douglas' from the Thomas the Tank Engine series. The tender frame was a former LMS Fowler 3500 gallon example purchased from British Railways after use as an internal user vehicle but with a new body of a unique design. After several years of use on the line the engine and tender were sold to a private owner and subsequently moved to the Ribble Steam Railway, the engine is now operational following an overhaul. Ribble Steam Railway LNER lined black, number on tender.
No. 701 "Franklin Roosevelt" (3278) USATC S160 Class 2-8-0 Under overhaul – Purchased from Greece in 1984 and delivered to the Mid-Hants where the locomotive was restored and finished as Longmoor Military Railway 701 and named after the 32nd President of the USA. The locomotive left the line and moved to the South Coast Steam. It has since moved to Tyseley to continue its overhaul. Tyseley Locomotive Works n/a
No. 5224 GWR 5205 Class 2-8-0T Loan period completed and relocated from Ropley March 2012. Peak Rail BR Black
No. 3672 "Dame Vera Lynn" WD Austerity 2-10-0 Under heavy overhaul – Purchased from Greece in 1984 along with 90775 and 701 but sold and delivered to the Lavender Line at Isfield in August 1984. The locomotive was quickly overhauled and became active again in August 1985 when the locomotive was named Dame Vera Lynn by the Dame herself. The locomotive was finished in a fictional livery of BR passenger lined green with 'WD' branding on the tender and numbered as WD 3672.

The locomotive was later sold and moved to the Mid-Hants in early 1986 where the engine was examined and found to require some major repairs, the locomotive was not steamed or used on the line and with no available space in the works queue for several years the owner moved to engine the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in December 1986.

3672 was steaming again in April 1989 and consistently ran high mileages on the Yorkshire line however by November 1998 the locomotive was withdrawn pending a works overhaul and placed in store. Overhaul began in 2016.

 North Yorkshire Moors Railway Lined Green
No. 30075 (62-669) JŽ Class 62 0-6-0T Relocated Barrow Hill Roundhouse for boiler repairs/overhaul.[1] Now at Shillingstone for the work to be carried out. Shillingstone Railway Project Pseudo BR Black
No. 30076 (66-521) JŽ Class 62 0-6-0T Relocated un-restored to Barrow Hill Roundhouse. Now stored at Shillingstone awaiting restoration. Shillingstone Railway Project N/A
No. 30120 LSWR T9 Class 4-4-0 Operational – Preserved by British Railways via the NRM, this locomotive was stored until 1981 when loaned to the Mid Hants Railway and restored to working order in 1983.

During 1991 the loan was ended and 30120 was relocated to the Swanage Railway for the remaining duration of its boiler certificate. In 1994, the locomotive was moved to the Bluebell Railway for display and storage until 2008 when again moved, to the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, for another restoration to working order. This was completed on 11 August 2010 when 30120 was returned to operational condition, the engine is now based at the Swanage Railway. No. 30120 has visited the Watercress Line recently in 2013 and 2016. [2]

 Swanage Railway BR Lined Black
No. 31625 SR U Class 2-6-0 Stored - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1980. The locomotive has been out of service since 2001 and has been painted as James the Red Engine. It departed the line in August 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently stored at Swanage following cosmetic restoration. Swanage Railway BR Lined Black
No. 31806 SR U Class 2-6-0 Operational - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1976. This locomotive returned to service following overhaul in 2010 and departed the line in September 2014 for Swanage following the expiration of its loan agreement. It is the only surviving example of a rebuilt SR K Class 2-6-4T. Swanage Railway BR Lined Black
No. 31874 SR N Class 2-6-0 Under Overhaul - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1974. The locomotive has been out of service since 1997 and it departed the line in August 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently being overhauled to working order for use on the Swanage Railway. Herston Works N/A
No. 34016 "Bodmin" SR West Country Class 4-6-2 Stored - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and a member of the Mid-Hants locomotive fleet for many years, while also spending a period of time running on the mainline. The locomotive departed the line in June 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently stored at Carnforth pending overhaul. Carnforth MPD BR Lined Green
No. 34067 "Tangmere" SR Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 Under mainline standard overhaul – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began. Very active on both heritage and mainline railways over the years. She failed in May 2016 and is now under overhaul to mainline standard at Carnforth. Carnforth MPD BR Lined Green
No. 34073 "249 Squadron" SR Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 Stored – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered originally to Brighton Railway Museum. A move to the Mid-Hants followed, before a further move to the East Lancs Railway. It was moved again to Carnforth in 2014. Carnforth MPD n/a
No. 35009 "Shaw Savill" SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 Awaiting restoration – Placed on the Mid Hants Railway for a while during the 1980s/1990s. Her frames are currently stored at the East Lancashire Railway. East Lancashire Railway n/a
No. 35018 "British India Line" SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 Mainline operational – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard in 1980, restoration started and had reached an advanced stage in 2003 when the engine left for South Coast Steam. She is now operational on the mainline and based at Carnforth. Restoration was completed in June 2017. Carnforth MPD BR Lined Green
No. 44123 LMS Fowler Class 4F 0-6-0 Under restoration – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began, later moved to the Avon Valley Railway in 1984. Avon Valley Railway n/a
No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 4-6-0 Mainline operational – Purchased from British Railways directly in 1968, 45231 has been very active on both heritage and mainline railways over the years. 45231 arrived on the Mid Hants in February 2005 and was used on both mainline tours and local work on the railway, the Black Five departed in January 2007 to the East Lancs Railway. It is now based at Crewe under the ownership of Jeremy Hosking. Crewe Diesel TMD BR Lined Black
No. 47324 LMS Fowler Class 3F 0-6-0T Under overhaul – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began, moved to Avon Valley line and then to the East Lancs Railway. East Lancashire Railway BR Black
No. 60019 "Bittern" LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Stored awaiting overhaul - Left July 2010 when its contract expired. After being based at Southall, it returned to the Mid-Hants in 2015 after its mainline ticket expired. It once again left in October that year, first for the Bluebell Railway for a gala, then to Crewe where it is currently awaiting overhaul. Crewe Diesel TMD LNER Garter Blue
No. 68011 (196) "Errol Lonsdale" Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST Operational – Purchased from Kent & East Sussex Railway and used in the early years of operations gaining the nickname of 'puddle jumper', the engine was later sold and left the railway. Later painted faux BR livery and numbered 68011 as a LNER Class J94 on the South Devon Railway the engine was resold to a line in Belgium and exported in 2009. Stoomcentrum Maldegem BR Black
No. 90775 ("Sturdee") WD Austerity 2-10-0 Operational – Purchased from Greece in 1984 and delivered to the Mid-Hants where the locomotive was restored and finished in both fictions BR livery as 90775 in 1986 and later as Longmoor Military Railway 601 and named "Sturdee" after the Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee. Sold to a group on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1992 the locomotive left that line in 2003 and was sold to Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society on the North Norfolk Railway. She was renamed "The Royal Norfolk Regiment" in September 2017. North Norfolk Railway BR Black
No. 600 ("Gordon") WD Austerity 2-10-0 Static Display - Was at the Mid-Hants for a short time in 1980. Severn Valley Railway LMR Blue

Diesel locomotives
Number Class Current Status Location Livery Photograph
601 (890) "General Lord Robertson" Sentinel/Rolls-Royce 0-8-0DH In Service – Last new locomotive to be delivered to the Longmoor Military Railway in 1963. Moved to the Mid Hants in 1985 and again moved to the Avon Valley in 1987 following transmission damage and damage to point work around Ropley.

[3]

 Avon Valley Railway LMR Blue
12049 BR Class 11 Scrapped - Undergoing body repairs and repaint, when heavily damaged by fire on 26 July 2010, which consumed the Mid Hants railway carriage and paint shop. N/A N/A
12139 BR Class 11 In Service – Arrived on the Mid-Hants in 1982 and left in 1983, this locomotive is identical to the BR Class 11, however this example never served with the LMS or British Railways and carries the next number in the class sequence. North Yorkshire Moors Railway BR Black
25067 (D5217) BR Class 25 In Service – Battlefield Line Railway BR Green
33012 (D6515) BR Class 33 In Service – Swanage Railway BR Blue
D6836 (37905) British Rail Class 37/9 Departed the Railway in 2015. In use at UK Rail Leasing's depot in Leicester as a super shunter. Leicester BR Green
45132 British Rail Class 45 Under Overhaul. Relocated in September 2014 to the Epping and Ongar Railway. Built in 1961. One of the first batch of 'Peak' diesels, it has a split headcode box for corridor working, which was never used in active service. Withdrawn from British Rail in 1987. Epping Ongar Railway BR Blue
73003 (E6004) "Sir Herbert Walker" BR Class 73 In Service – Swindon and Cricklade Railway BR Green
L721 formed 51363 (DMBS), 59510 (TCL), 51405 (DMS) BR Class 117 3 car DMU.
Operational.		 Now in service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway BR Green
W55003[4] (DMBS) BR Class 122 Single railcar.
Operational. Has a Main-line Certification.		 Now in service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway BR Green

Locomotives that visited the Watercress Line

Many locomotives have visited the Watercress Line over the years.

Number & Name Class Current Status Location Livery Photograph
No. 1 Metropolitan Railway E Class Built in 1898. Visited in the Watercress Line in March 2009. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. No. 1 Operated on the London Underground in 2013 as part of a historic train as part of the Met's 150th anniversary celebrations. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Metropolitan Railway Red
No. W24 Calbourne LSWR O2 class Built in 1891. Visited the Watercress Line in May 2012. Isle of Wight Steam Railway BR Lined Black, Late Crest
No. 30053 LSWR M7 Class Built in 1905. Visited the Watercress Line in 1993 while it was mainline certified. It also visited the Watercress Line again in 2012 in Southern wartime black. Now under overhaul. Swanage Railway BR Lined Black, Late Crest.
No. 30541 SR Q class Built in 1939. Visited the Watercress Line in February 2016 with LSWR T9 class No. 120. Bluebell Railway BR Black, Late Crest
No. 30585 LSWR 0298 Class Built in 1874. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2009. Now on static display as of 27 October 2018, after boiler ticket expired in 2016. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre BR Black, Early Crest
No. 32473 Birch Grove LB&SCR E4 Class Built in 1898. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2007 for their Spring Gala. Bluebell Railway SR Olive Green
No. 3440 City of Truro GWR 3700 Class Built in 1903. Famous for its 1904 run. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2005 for their gala. Museum of the Great Western Railway GWR Green
No. 45231 LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 Built in 1936. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2005 for their gala. Currently operational and mainline certified. Crewe Diesel TMD BR Lined Black, Late Crest
No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton LMS Coronation Class Built in 1938 at Crewe. Visited the Watercress Line in March 1997. National Railway Museum LMS Crimson
No. 5029 Nunney Castle GWR Castle Class Built in 1934. Visited the Watercress Line in September 2008 as a guest star at their gala. LNWR Heritage, Crewe N/A
No. 5164 GWR 5101 Class Built in 1930. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2013. Now on static display at Barrow Hill Engine Shed as of 27 October 2018, although normally located at the Severn Valley Railway. Barrow Hill Engine Shed GWR Green, Great Western Lettering.
No. 5199 GWR 5101 Class Built in 1934. Visited the Watercress Line along with fellow Llangollen locomotive GWR 7800 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. Llangollen Railway BR Unlined Black, Early Crest.
No. 5322 GWR 4300 Class Built in 1917. Visited the Watercress Line in September 2012. Now on static display at Didcot Railway Centre as of 27 October 2018. Didcot Railway Centre BR Black, Early Crest
No. 6024 King Edward I GWR King class Built in 1930. Visited the Watercress Line in May 2002 for their gala. Owned by Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust. Currently under overhaul to mainline standards. West Somerset Railway N/A
No. 7822 Foxcote Manor GWR 7800 Class Built in 1950. Visited the Watercress Line along with fellow Llangollen locomotive GWR 5101 No. 5199 in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. Based at the Llangollen Railway but currently at the West Somerset Railway. West Somerset Railway BR Unlined Black, Early Crest
No. 80078 BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T Built in 1954. Visited the Watercress Line in October 2000, in 2017 and in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. Mangapps Railway Museum BR Lined Black, Early Crest
No. 96 Normandy LSWR B4 class Built in 1893. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2006 for their Spring Gala. Bluebell Railway LSWR Black
No. 45596 Bahamas LMS Jubilee Class Built in 1935. Visited the Watercress Line in October 2020 for their Autumn Gala. Keighley and Worth Valley Railway BR Lined Green, Late Crest

References
  1. Project 62 Official website
  2. B&WR Stock list Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Meeting Report 8 May 2006 by Bill King, RCTS
  4. Restoration of Class 122 W55003, Railcar.co.uk
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