The Moseley Railway Trust has one of the UK's largest collection of narrow gauge locos. Some of these are owned directly by the Trust, but the majority are owned by small consortia or individuals. Many of these locomotives have yet to arrive at the Apedale site, generally awaiting the construction of a storage shed. One such locomotive is Hunslet number 996 of 1909 "Edward Sholto".
"Edward Sholto" is one of the famed Quarry Hunslets. She is actually described as a Large Quarry (Penrhyn) type, and was the last new steam loco procured for Penrhyn quarries. When new, she cost 600 pounds. She was named after Edward Sholto Douglas-Pennant who inherited the Penrhyn estates upon the death of his father in 1907. The loco worked at the quarries until laid up around 1956. She was one of the first locos to leave Penrhyn for preservation, being exported to Canada in October 1961. She never steamed in Canada, and changed hands several times before being acquired by a prominent member of the Moseley Railway Trust and returned to the UK in July 2006. The loco was in poor condition. However, she had left the quarry early on, and had not been restored or tinkered with during her "preservation" career, and therefore was still in a totally original condition - perhaps uniquely for a Penrhyn quarry Hunslet. The owner has built a small team who have worked very hard on the loco, and hopes are high that the loco will steam again during 2008. The photos show the frames, fully restored and awaiting reassembly, and the saddle tank. The tank was massively corroded and has been rebuilt by a true craftsman - it's a work of art!! As ever, visit our main website here, or e-mail us here.
