La Meuse ‘Type 6’ 0-4-0T   

Works No 3355 of 1929

2’6” (762mm) gauge

In full working order with new 10 year boiler Certificate (to June 2019)

This locomotive has undergone a thorough overhaul and is currently located on a private site in Central England, where it may be inspected in steam and test driven.

History:

Then loco was delivered new to SA Hoboken in Antwerp, Belgium where it worked on the company’s internal rail system moving steel and other metallurgical products and waste around the site.

At some stage in the locomotive’s life it was heavily rebuilt using parts from its sister loco No 3243 of 1926. This included the frames and significant parts of the motion. The boiler carries a plate identifying it as from No 3355. The original works plates from 3355 survive (see photo, left). A replica set of plates for no 3243 have been made allowing the loco to run with either identity (or both!)

The locomotive was bought by a dealer in Belgium and was briefly stored at the Maldagem Museum. In the late 1980s the loco was bought and moved to a private site in England. After an overhaul she briefly ran in 1993 at the Welshpol and Llanfair light Railway (photo, right)

Subsequently the loco was sold again for use at a proposed new narrow gauge railway in Pembrokeshire, unfortunately this project did not develop as planned.

Between 2004 and 2006 the loco was dismantled and the boiler was overhauled at Bennett’s Boilers (Highbridge) and WSRA (Williton) and in May 2006 the loco, in component form was moved to the works of the Hunslet Engine Co. at Tamworth. In May 2009 the loco was tested and successfully passed the final Boiler Inspection and was granted a new 10 year Boiler certificate in accordance with the EU Pressure Equipment Directive.  

 Due to circumstances mentioned earlier the loco does not have a public home railway to operate at on a regular basis. In running to date she has been shown to be an exceptionally strong and free-steaming locomotive which is not a surprising with a good boiler design (short with a wide barrel and Belpaire firebox) and large cylinders.  The driver’s controls are well laid out lending themselves to easy one man-operation if required. A steam brake is fitted and the loco is through piped for twin-line air with a driver’s control valve. In addition provision has been made for the fitting of an air pump (pump available if required).

 For more information including Prices, please email: chris.phillimore@tir-ltd,co.uk.  a short video of the loco in action is available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lXF0y78Co and photos ar on the gallery pages