A campaign's been launched to permanently keep locomotive 'Stamford' in Rutland.
It's currently housed on loan at the Living Ironstone Museum based near Cottesmore
A campaign has been launched to permanently keep locomotive 'Stamford' in Rutland.
The loco is on loan at the Living Ironstone Museum based near Cottesmore, however it's owners, Bluebell Railway have agreed to sell the locomotive to the Museum so that it can remain in Rutland.
It is one of only a few of the quarry steam locomotives that worked in the ironstone quarries in Rutland,
It spent all of it's working life on the mineral railways at Pilton Ironstone Quarries.
The Living Ironstone Museum needs to raise around ÂŁ10,000 to buy the locomotive and for its repair, re-assembly and conservation as a historic museum exhibit.
David Atkinson Chair of RbR Trustees said:
“We are grateful to the Bluebell Railway for firstly securing the locomotive for preservation when Pilton ironstone quarry closed in 1969, secondly for allowing it to come on loan to the museum and thirdly for now offering the loco for sale to the museum so that it can remain on public display in its home county”.
Mr Christopher Hunford, Chairman of the Bluebell Railway PLC Board commented :
“ As this small quarry loco did not fit in with our core objectives as a working heritage railway in southern England we are pleased to offer it to the volunteer run museum to safeguard its future in an appropriate location. Any donations made to the museum’s Stamford Loco Appeal will thus benefit two railway heritage organisations and enable the Bluebell Railway to continue to invest in vital future railway infrastructure projects to safeguard its continued operation.”
'Stamford's' History:
The Living Ironstone Museum spoke of the locomotives history:
"For 50 years ironstone was quarried at Pilton Ironstone Quarry in Rutland. The Pilton Ironstone Company commenced the construction of the ironstone quarries in 1919 and the quarries were connected by a standard gauge mineral railway from the Midland Railway’s Manton Junction to Stamford railway line.
The quarry railway served three pits, namely Ancaster Pit, Scott’s Pit and Wing Pit.
Initially major earthworks were required to build the standard gauge quarry railway and a narrow gauge railway was used to carry the spoil excavated in forming both cuttings and creating embankments for the standard gauge route to Scott’s Pit.
Stamford brought the last load of ironstone out of the quarry on 4th June 1969. Whilst locomotives Pilton and Staveley were sold for scrap Stamford was secured for preservation being delivered to the Bluebell Railway in October 1969.
The locomotive subsequently came on loan to Rutland Railway Museum in 1979, but temporarily stored off site. The loco was transferred to the museum site at Cottesmore in May 2010 and currently can be seen in the exhibition building awaiting conservation work."