The Moseley Railway Trust is pleased
to report that significant progress has been made on the restoration of Hudswell
Clarke steam locomotive no. 1238, built in 1916. This locomotive was diverted
to Ghana (or Gold Coast as it was then known) from a batch of locomotives
ordered to support the First World War effort. The locomotive was repatriated
from Ghana in 2008 with the support and assistance of AngloGold Ashanti, for
whom the locomotive worked. The locomotive was withdrawn after an accident left
it upside down in a river, where it lay for 48 years. Tragically, this accident
killed its driver, Kofe Asamoa. The loco was rediscovered in 1996, recovered
from the river and displayed at AngloGold Ashanti’s mine complex. Colin
Laidler, a UK geologist, was working at the mine at the time, and has told the
Trust of how he discovered that the rear coupler, a bar of some 4 feet in
length with a hook, was now being used to hold cooking pots over a fire in one
of the local villages. Colin re-acquired it in exchange for a bottle of
schnapps.
Since the locomotive
returned to the UK, it has been placed on display at the Moseley Railway
Trust’s Apedale site, and also with the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway before
moving to a workshop for restoration. Stripping and examination of the
locomotive showed that it was in a very poor condition – unsurprisingly, given
its history! However, a small team of Moseley Railway Trust volunteers have worked unstintingly, and the
locomotive has now reached the point where it stands on its wheels, with the
motion, cylinders etc. complete and in place. The vast majority of the motion
has been manufactured from scratch.
Although
there was some hope that parts of the boiler could have been re-used, expert
examination recommended that a new boiler would be the most cost-effective
solution. To that end, the Trust has now placed the order for the new boiler
with Israel
Newton & Sons Limited.
The
project has been funded through a number of sources. These have included a
significant legacy in memory of Terry Stanhope, a lifelong enthusiast of narrow
gauge railways. Secondly, a PRISM grant was awarded in recognition of the
locomotive’s importance
to the UK’s industrial heritage. However, there remains a funding gap of £20k
which needs to be raised in order to complete the boiler.
Phil
Robinson, Moseley Railway Trust Chairman, commented:- We are pleased to have
entered the final phase of the restoration of this fascinating locomotive.
There is very little work left to be done once the boiler is completed and
fitted to the locomotive. We very much want the Hudswell to star at our Tracks
to the Trenches event in September 2014, which will commemorate all aspects of
WW1 military railways. These Hudswell locomotives were a key part of this
story. However, to allow that to happen, we must raise the last £20k, and I
would delighted to hear from individuals or organisations who can help us make
this final push to complete this project.
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