WIN NEW BLUEBELLRAILWAY ALBUM

Dunrobin

It is amazing how much information has been made available following Dunrobrn's arrival back in the UK. This particularly nice view was sent as part of a batch of images takenbythe late Ray Manning in June 1970, :-^-; irV i.IANN|NG/BEA|VlSH COLLECTION

Alocomotiveforthe rich andfamous...

r I \h.4th Duke ol-sutherland, CromartieI Surherland-Lereson-Gower (1851-1913).I *.. very gpical ol'the heirs to the

powerful British nobilin'as the British Empire,

The fbrmer DLrke oiSutherlarnd's

prrivate train consistinu oiSharpSterverrt 0-4-4T No. "108,; Duru'obinancl Highland Raihvar'-built brake-saloon No. 58A were reunited n'itl-r

British soilin May201I tbllon'inga 46-year exile in Canada.

Well cared for during their lifbacross the Atlantic, the pair are nowsubject to an extensive restorationprogramme to enable their use atBeamish Museum in Countl,Durham. Bearnish's transportcurator Paul )arman outlinessomething of their unique historyand explair-rs the process of theirrepatriation and the start of theirnewlives in England.

under Queen Victoria, reached its epoch. Withrnilitary service, a peerage and enormous wealthand a host of ennobler-nents, including the post ofMayor ofLongton near Stoke-on-Trent (wherethe family owned the magnificent TrenthamGardens), the 4th Duke shared his father'sinterest in railways and rail travel. He hadinherited a private trair-r and the rights to operateit over the Highland Railrval., l.ris father havingbeen instrumental in the construction ofthe FarNorth (Sutherland Raihval') route northwardsfrom Inverness.

A locomotive was provided, the originalDunrobin, a Kitson & Co. 2-4-0T which was latersold to the Highland Railway where it was rebuilt,renurnbered 118 and given the name GordonCastle, its original nameplates being transferredto a replacement locomotive, as we shall see. In1899 Wolverton works built bogie saloon No.57Afor the 4tl' Duke, a coach so lu-rurious in itsappointments that it set the standard for theRoyal Train carriages that were subsequentlybuilt in the LNWR works.

In 1895 the 4th Duke took delivery ofa new

The 4th Duke of Sutherland - a man synonymous withour story here.

locomotive to pull his private train. This wasdesigned by David fones of the Highland Railwayand built by Sharp Stewart in Glasgow (by thenhaving relocated from Manchester and later to beassimilated into the mighty North Britishcompany). The engine was an 0-4-4T of fairll'conventional design, though it had one featurethat made it unique in the annals of locomotivedesign - a fully enclosable cab with a four-personwide upholstered seat high up above thefootplate. This was to enable guests, of whichthere were many and of very high status inEurope, to ride in the cab betlveen Inverness andDunrobin Castle, some 86 n.riles to the north (byrail - the route was deliberately circuitous inorder to open up the Sutherland Estate and in

74 Heritage Railway www.herita gerai lway.co,uk

some ways recompense for the earlier andinfamous Highland Clearances by the 1" DukeofSutherland).

In 1909 a new carriage, No.58A, was delivered.Built by the Highland Railway at its Lochgormworks in Inverness, the coach was described as a

brake-saloon and included a single passengersaloon, water closet and brake compartment. Endwindows were also fitted and the interior wasrelatively plain in comparison to 57A. Thissuggests that the saloon was largeiy used for theconveyance ofluggage and the guest's entourage,with the dignitary riding in style (and warmth!)aboardDunrobin.

Operationally, it rvould appear that 57A waslargely kept to running south of Inverness, withtransfer to the smaller carriage and locomotivetaking place for the final leg ofthe journey. Acarriage shed was built at Dunrobin station andthe locomotive kept at Golspie, to the north.When the Duke required his train, the castle atDunrobin would inform tl-re railwav and theregular driver, Mr Alex Rhind, a mernber of thestaffat Dunrobin castle and the driver ofbothDunrobins from 1870 (the opening of therailway) until 1917, would prepare thelocomotive and collect the coach from Dunrobinstation. If meeting the Duke or his guests atIn'r.erness then the train might proceed toInverness the previous da1. and lay over at theHighland Railway shed. Sometirnes the collectionwould be made frorn K14e of Lochalsh, meeting a

steam ship there. Operating notices (seeminglycollected and retained by Mr Rhind) show thatDunrobin and 5BA would be used on maybehalf a dozen occasions each year, for a period ofdays in which they would act as taxi servicemeeting trains or steam ships from the south,taking the party on shooting expeditions orgenerally running around on ducal business.They would then retire to their slumber pendingthe next call. In April 1920 a general repair waspaid for by the Duke for Dunro&in, this takingplace at Lochgorm.

Dunrobin did not just serve its master, the Duke.In 1916 the locomotive was loaned to theHighland Railway for use shunting at

mr iltst

away from New Romney was made during the pair's residence there. J. H. ASTON/BEAlvl 5H COLIECTION

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Invergordon, and again in 1940 it rvas loaned tothe Roval Na."y where it was put to rvork as a

shunting Iocomotive once again at Invergordonbefore rnoving on to Roslth and later the Defenceand Naval Stores at Dalmuir, west of Glasgow.

Dwtroltitr rvas still in use here in 1946 beforebeing overhauled and returned to Golspie,though it probably never steamed after this untilit was sold and moved south. Evidence of thisoverhaul l'as discovered during the dismantlingof the ensine in2012, with the boilel barrelapparerrtlv being of later date and t-eaturingsome verv unusual conical rivet heads. Suchpractice ri'as common in the Naq', and was alsoemploled bv Fodens on its steam lorries, but is

uncommon in railway applications. It is thoughtthat the 1 9-16 overhaul was carried out at St

Rollox. ,{ photograph dating from the 1940s

shou's tl-re engir-re in quite shabby condition andcleallv demonstrating that its role at Dalmuir'was not one that gave consideratiirn to itsaristocratic orr'nership.

When the London Midland & ScottishRailway inherited the Highland Railrvay line atGrouping in 1923, it found (mr-rch to itsannoyance) that it had to honour the accessagreement for the Duke and his private train.However, by even the 1920s it would seem thatthe train was falling out of favour in pref-elenceto much quicker road alternatives to reach thecastle and there is a distinct drop offin activityin the surviving notices for the period. Upon theformation of British Railways in 1948 the era ofthe private train was over and the ducal powers(by now held by the 5'b Duke of Sutherland)were no longer valid. Already the train had beenoffered for sale, with correspondence suggestingthat it had been offered to the London & NorthEastern Railway. The final decisior.r lay withBritish Railways, and its ans\\rer was that therewas no need for the engine or coaches u'ithinthe capital stock.

Quite what happens next is something thatremains to be resolved. In practical terms, )

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Another of the June 1970 views showing Dunrobin before air brakes were fitted though by this time running withthe former Eastern Region BR Mk1 No. E3733. The impressive water tower is a sure giveaway of the location!

RAY ]VANN NG/BEAI\i ISH COLLECTION

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A rare view ol Dunrobin and 58As first run in Canada on

June 27, 1966. Following overhaul at New Westminster thepair were test run locally before a press debut and

embarkation on the tour to celebrate the centenary ofCanada's first railway being built. Lettering was shortlyadded to 58A to acknowledge this, lettering carried until2013. DAVID DAVIES/BEAIVISH COLLECTION

Heritage Railway 75

My first glimpse ol Dunrobin at Fort Steele February201 1, The air pump dominates the front end but theclean Victorian lines are unmistakable. PAUL JARMAN

Dunrobin and 58A were sold to one buyer, 57A toanother. This is sometimes quoted as being a

Lincolnshire coachbuilder (for 57A) and theLincolnshire Trailing Company for Duruoltin and58A. However, it was Captain Howev (n'ho is saidto have been at Eton with the 5tr,Duke) whocame north to collecl Dunrobin and 58A andmove them south to Kent where thel l'ould bedisplayed at his Romney Hlthe & Dvnrchurchl5-inch gauge railway. Whether Hol'er.purchased them directly or via a third par ty is notclear. 57A was stored at Wolverton and later wenton display at the BTC museum at Clapham(1963-1975). It is recorded as har.ing been sold in1957 to the NRM, but this bodr.did not exist atthe time so who sold it ancl to rvhorn (presumably

Bridgnorth on May 20, 201 1. PAUL JARIVAN

the BTC?) remains to be clarified. It is now partof the National Railwav Museum collection andis on loan to the Scottish Railway PreselvationSociety which has placed it on display at Bor.ress.

The 1950 journeyby Dunrobin and 5BA fror.r"r

Golspie/Dunrobin Station to New Romney iswell recorded, though not always entirelyaccurately! The engine u'as inspected by a BRboiler inspector and passed for travel under itsown steam. Much correspondence took placeregarding the route and the gauging ofthe train.It seems that at this time 58As lower fbotboardswere cut off in order to ensure that it did r-rot foulany lineside equiprnent or platforms en roLtte.

The engine and coach, accon-rpanied by Howeyand RH&DR driver R I Hobbs, set off olr their

1965 as the engine is unloaded at

journey to New Romney on Monday, March 20,1950. This was rrade under steam as f-ar as

Carlisle, callir.rg and ovelnighting at Perth, 201rriles soutl-r, that ever-ring. The following dayanother 150 miles were covered, reachingCarlisle, where the rods were removed and theensemble was moved to Leeds as a special trair-r(hauled by an LMS'Crab'2-6,0). Frorn Leeds thejourney continued as part ofscheduled goodstraiu movements, running via Toton,Wellir.rgborough ar.rd Cricklewood with a varietyof motive power including 4F, 8ps, Nl and N15 atthe head of the trains. At Ashford, the rods werereplaced and Dunrobin stearned tl-re final 22 n-rilesto New Romney, arriving to a welcorningreception party on March 28, 1950. It was then

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Stripping of the locomotive was soon under way as this view at Bridgnorth reveals. pAUL

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1. One of the distinctive cylinderlubricators on the front of thesmokebox was removed in the1970s to enable the air pump tobe fitted on the front footplate.Despite extensive searching, thelubricator had to be considered'lost' and therefore regularBeamish engineering volunteer,David Young, set about making

a replica. Here is the pattern,complete with core box. PAUL

JARMAN

2. These are the raw castings,straight from the foundry. PAUL

JARIVAN

3. The finished, machinedlubricator, alongside theoriginal. PAUL JARMAN

75 Heritage Railway

JARIVAN

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shunted into a'Romney'hut which was to be thepair's home for 15 years.

Occasional forays out of the shed were madeduring the 1950s and 60s, including at least onetrip to Ashford to take part in a works open day(though it is not known if the trip was made insteam or not). By 1965 Howey had been dead fortwo years and the RH&DR needed substantialinvestment if it was to survive. By chance,Canadian businessman Harold Foster waslooking for a locomotive and came across theadverts in The Times andThe Telegraph offeringDunrobin and 58A for sale'for about €10001 Heagreed to buy both engine and coach and in 1965the pair were shipped to Victoria, BritishColumbia, where theywere moved into a smallmuseum that Mr Foster was creating. Aphotograph of Dunrobin has come to light,showing it being posted through a shop front,adding further to its unorthodox life.

Harold Foster went bankrupt and in November1965 Dunrobin and coach were sold to the BritishColumbian Government for $15,000. They weremoved to the former tramcar depot at NewWestminster which was now home to the BCHydro repair shops.Here Dunrobln was treatedto an overhaul and a full repaint. 58A waslikewise repainted and the pair were outshoppedin August 1966 before being used as a touringtrain to celebrate the centenary of railwayoperations in Canada. Once the tour wascompleted, the pair moved again, this time toFort Steele in the Roclcy Mountains (arriving in1967), where the former town was beingconverted into an historic park compiete with4km long raiiway on which Dunrobin and 58Awould be based for the next four decades.

ln 1970 a BR Mkl was shipped out to FortSteele to supplement (though in practice largelyreplace) 58A as the railway's passenger coach.This coach still operates there today, though withindigenous motive power and in the company oflocally converted (from flat wagons) passengerstock. Thus for 58A time pretty much stoppedagain as it settled into a period ofprolongedhibernation. It was carefully stored under coverand apart from being fitted with a US stylebuckeye coupling at one end, it remained intotally original condition.

Dunrobin was in regular use supporting theshoulder season operation at Fort Steele, haulingthe Mkl coach around the demanding 4kmcircuit. It was reported by those who operated itto "require very little maintenance - all she seemsto need is oil, water and coal'l It was foundoperationally prudent (no doubt for reasons offamiliarity) to fit air brakes to the locomotive, theclean Victorian lines being rather marred by thehuge air pump mounted on the front of thesmokebox. In 1986, the engine attended theSteam Expo in Vancouver (meeting the replicaRocket there) and in 1991 the journey south toRailfair 91 in Sacramento, California, was made(meeting the replica of Locomotion No. 1, a

Beamish engine, in the process). Dunrobin waswell used and much ioved at Fort Steele andappeared widely in literature on Canadianrailways and tourism.The last boiler inspectionwas carried out in fune 2005, some repairs havingbeen carried out following the 2003 inspection.However, there was very little call for usingDunrobin by then and it was almost certainly thefinal year it was steamed in Canada.

In 2010, with railway operations once againre-established at Beamish, the need for suitablemotive power resulted in a list being drawn upof potential 'targetsl On this Iistwas Dunrobin(something of a wild card) and also, furtherdown, the Manning Wardle Newcastle whichalso later joined the Beamish collection. WithNER Y7 0-4-0T No. 985 on long-term hire andoperating the North Eastern Railway branchline, information was offered by railwayjournalist Tony Streeter thal Dunrobin might beavailable tbr sale. In 2010 a dialogue was openedup with the Friends of Fort Steele (by then theeffective operators ofthe park) regardingDunrobin and it was soon established that theywould be rvilling to sell the locomotive. Thecorrespondence received with the engine afterpurchase reveals that there were several enquiriesfrom the UK, though none were backed up witha credible otf-er.

Using nerv-tbund annual surplus, Beamishmade an otfer for Dunrobin (and 58A - it hardlyseemed fair to separate the two now!) of $160,000(€103,000). This rvas accepted but a frustratingsituation arose. The BC Government was )

58A was delivered directly to Beamish and is currently in receipt of mechanical attention. The very dry conditions in

Canada have preserved it beautifully and no more than a basic overhaul is required to the underframe. The body

requires more attention, with some areas having dried out in the low humidity. This work will be carried out in 2014,

as will a full repaint, interior deep clean and some other conservation work to the interior. PAUL IARMAN

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

THE main body of the article has alludedi several times to Dunrobrn3 passenger-

i carrying cab and the dignitaries that have

I been carried on thefootplate. The list isani impressive one, and well recorded, fori guests were invited to sign a bronze plaque; mounted inside the cab. Thus we know

that the following were once carried

aboard on their travels to and fromDunrobin Castle, their status amplyillustrating the Duke of Sutherland's

standing. There were four kings (though

some were princes at the time of travel):George V Edward Vlll, George Vl and KingAlfonso of Spain. Kalser Wilhelm ll was a

passenger, as was Neville Chamberlain. lnCanada the list grew, Queen Elizabeth ll

and Princess Anne adding their names tothe roll. It can be imagined thatthis list is

by no means complete and that it willcontinue to grow in time.

There is another locomotive named

Dunrobin, which can be found working in

Scotland and which represents anotherelement of the Dukes of Sutherland's linkwith railways. The Trentham Gardens

estate is today a popular attraction near

Stoke on Trent. Trentham Hall was theprincipal home of the Dukes of Sutherlandbut in 1912, following the rejectlon of anoffer of the property to the people ofStoke, the 4th Duke demolished the hall,

' leaving the ltalianate gardens andparkland intact.

ln 1934 a one mile long two-foot gauge

pleasure railway was opened in thegrounds and was eventually equipped bythree locomotives built by E E Baguley ofBurton, well known for its internal

' combustion steam outline equipment. Thefirst supplied was 04-0PM 2083 Brora

followed by 2085 Go/sple in 1935. A morepowerful 0-6-0PM, No,3014 Dunrobin, was

supplied in 1938. ln 1986 Brora was moved

to Dunrobin Castle where it was restored

and is today displayed at the station there.The railway at Trentham closed in 1988 and

the rolling stock was relocated to AltonTowers in Staffordshire. Golspie hadbecome lrentham Express and DunrobinTrentham FIyer.The railway at AltonTowers itself closed in 1996. Golsple, thenout of use, was moved to the AmertonRailway in May 2000 and Dunrobin,original name restored, today operates atthe East Links Country Park at Dunbar, East

Lothian, having arrived there in April 2000.The author has drawn on several key

sources for the contents of this article,including copies of original documentsobtained for a private collection from BR.

Of great use has been the definitive workof Cormack & Stevenson, Highland RailwayLocomotives, as well as numerous issues ofThe Highland Railway Journal (particularlyissues 50, 57 and 83) which is published bythe very active Highland Railway Society.

Collections of research and writings by MrNeil Sinclair and Mr David Davies (who

documented Dunrobin's life in Canada)have also been of immense value. ln duecourse a comprehensive history on theDuke of Sutherland's private train,

. including Dunrobin, is planned forpublication.

78 Heritage Railway

technically the owner of Dunrobin,but it seemedthat no record of this existed. Fort Steele was therecipient of what was essentially a loan, but froman owner that could not establish ownership.After several months, and just when it seemedthe deal may fall through, the Friends ofFortSteele were able to secure title ofthe engine byoffering the BC Government the alternatives ofproving they owned Dunrobin or accepting thatthe engine and coach had been abandoned andwere therefore, by default, the property ofthepark. Within weeks the matter resolved itseif, thedeal was secured and plans could be made torepatriate the pair.

In February201l I trarelled out to Fort Steele toview what we were purchasing. Entering thetraditional wooden engine shed, layered in deepsnow and with the temperature at -22,lwasconfronted by an engine that I never thought Iwould set eyes on! For a week I was the guest ofBob Whetham who rvas instrumental in theFriends of Fort Steele seli.ingDunrobin to us, andfor a week the Fort Steele railway engineer, KenMoan, and myself stripped off the Canadianadditions (air pump, electric lighting, steamgenerator, buckeye coupling and air brake fittings- all added in the mid 1970s) and also removedvaluable items such as nameplates etc. inreadiness for shipping.

Moveright International undertook the role ofcollectingDunrobin and58A, moving them byroad to Calgary then by rail (Canadian National)to Halifax - an epic journey across the vastness ofCanada. At Halifax they were loaded on to theAtlantic Companion and shipped to Liverpool,arriving on May 19,2011.

An enquiry from Duncan Ballard at the SevernValley Railway resulted in agreement to moveDunrobin directly to Bridgnorth, where a

contract for the engine's dismantling, professionalremoval ofthe asbestos lagging on the boiler andassessment ofits condition was agreed. 58Amoved directly to Beamish for overhaul, thoughthe vacuum cylinder was removed anddespatched to Kidderminster carriage works foroverhaul. The aim of the initial stripdown was toensure that we could obtain realistic and accuratecosts for the restoration ofthe engine. This alonecost over €25,000 but ensured that most ofDunrobin's secrets were unlocked and thusenabled a detailed process oftendering to becarried out.

The restoration of Dunrobin has been brokendown into four phases, with each having

sub-phases. This was to enable the managementofthe project from both engineering andfinancial points ofview and thus far has provedto be very effective.

Phase 1, the overhaul ofthe boiler, was to bestarted first as this would take the longest, eachsubsequent phase being timed to conclude at apoint most advantageous to maximising thelength of the boiler certificate. The SVR won thecontract for the contract restoration work,though to save costs some phases were broughtback into Beamish's management, includingprocurement ofa new cylinder block, the originalbeing in appalling condition and beyond effectiverepair. David Elliott was appointed to managethis aspect ofthe project, his experience withTornado and subsequently the replacementcylinder block for thel27 and new block for theG5 giving him a great deal ofexperience in thisarea. The superstructure for Dunrobin willberestored at Beamish before return to Bridgnorthfor assembly onto the overhauled rolling chassis(this being Phase 3).

Work to date has centred around the boiler.This has received a new barrel (in tlvo sections,per the original), new sections to all four sides ofthe outer firebox wrapper beneath the expansionbrackets, repairs to the copper inner firebox andnew girder stays. It will require a new fronttubeplate and, ofcourse, new tubes. The aim atthe start was to ensure that the work carried outwlll see Dunrobin through the first 10 years of itsnew working life and also well into the secondl0-year period, with minimum work at theinterval. This was the reasoning behind thedecision to replace the cylinder block.

It is likely that once Dunrobin and 58A stand as

a working train at Beamish's NER station theywili have cost Beamish around €480,000. For a

complete working train with a long lifeexpectancy this represents good value for themuseum and it is hoped that the opportunityDunrobini passenger-carrying cab gives can beutilised. It is highly likely that it will visit otherheritage railways and I would very much like tosee it operate in Scotland once again as well as inthe south ofEngland - two areas synonymouswith its past life. As for when it will be completed,this remains to be seen and is dependent onfunding derived from Beamish's own tradingactivities. Late20I4 remains an ambition, so early2015 would seem realistic at the current rate ofprogress. To keep up to date with progress, visitwww.beamishtransportonline.co. uk I

#i

A photograph which sums up DunrobrnS life in Canada - it is seen crossing Niagara Canyon while on the centennialtour in 1966. KEN CRINGAN

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